getting a kitten(serious answers please!!)?

Question

I am thinking about getting a kitten and was wondering if anyone could help me out on how much yearly vet care and other costs would be for a kitten/cat? i already have a dog and would love to have a kitten for him to grow up with and play with..he seems so amused by them!

Answer 1

So wonderful that you are asking about the cost of keeping a kitten before you go get one. Most people don't prepare this much so I'm happy to see it.

We have 1 cat and here's how much we spend on the spoiled little booger:

-- About $35/month on food (canned/dry; Science Diet...and make sure to check the recall list before you buy new food).
-- Cat dishes (for food and water) were about $4 each.
-- Litter costs about $25/month (Fresh Step).
-- He turns 2-years-old in a couple of days so he's had all of his initial shots (which were completed by the shelter in which we got him from) and had already been neutered by the time we'd adopted him. His annual check-up for this year cost us $80.
-- Litter box was $20.
-- He's a Maine Coon so he has medium-length hair. His grooming brush was $7. If your kitten is a short hair, this is entirely unnecessary.
-- His "kitty condo" (which has a sleeping "loft", steps, dangling toys, and a scratching post [which is absolutely necessary unless you are looking for an excuse to buy new furniture]) cost us $150. Of course, all of that is completely unnecessary (with the exception of the scratching post) but like I said, he's absolutely spoiled.
-- Carrying cage was $20.
-- He's an indoor cat so we've never had an issue with fleas/ticks. However, I keep a box of Frontline in my home JUST IN CASE. Flea treatments usually are under $30 online.
-- His adoption fee was $65 and totally worth it.

If you are worried about a lot of initial costs, I would recommend adopting since adoption centers/shelters usually spay/neuter cats upon entry and get as many vaccinations done as possible (depending on the age of the cat/kitten) before they are put up for adoption. You'd have to pay an adoption fee (usually between $50 and $100) but it's all worth it since you know that you have saved a kitten's life and given him/her a loving home!

Another recommendation is to keep your new kitten indoors. I used to have an indoor/outdoor cat that was attacked by an FIV-infected feral cat and after he was diagnosed with FIV, we were devastated and the vet bills went through the roof. Luckily, the vet was a good friend of the family so she cut us a break. Keeping your cat indoors can save you money and grief. But that's only *my* opinion.

Finally, I may sound crude in these next few sentences but I don't understand why so many people are condoning the act of declawing cats. It's cruel and torturous to take away the only defense mechanisms a cat has. We have never even thought of declawing our cat and he learned rather quickly that he should never scratch the furniture or use his claws on people. We've never had a problem with him or with any other cats I've previously owned as far as claws go.

Please don't get your kitten declawed!

Good luck! If you have any questions that you feel that I may have missed, don't hesitate to e-mail me!

Answer 2

The kitten shots, and later fixing and possibly declawing can cost a lot- but not as much as letting the cat get sick would.

If you get your kitten from the SPCA, they might help you with the vet bills. Around here, the bills tend to run between $70 and $100, with more for emergencies. But this is without aid, and in an area that's a bit pricey anyway.

You'll want to talk with your vet to get a better idea of your costs.

When you bring your kitten home, you will want kitten chow, a food bowl, perhaps a water bowl that your kitten can't tip over (we had a huge problem with our latest pair doing that), a litter box, and maybe a couple of jingle-ball toys. And don't forget a scooper. For litter, we use a clumping kind: That's easier to keep clean than clay litter.

You may even want to train your kitten to wear a harness or collar, but that's optional if your kitty is going to be strictly indoors.

Congratulations, and good luck!

Answer 3

Getting a cat is MUCH more expensive than just 50$ a year! $50 a year will just not cut it...the food for your cat will probably cost $50 a month alone. You need to take into consideration food, toys, litter, grooming, and transportation supplies as well as unexpected vet costs (like the occasional respiratory infection, or hairball). If you are serious about getting a kitten, plan on spending 300-500 dollars a year on it.

Answer 4

I have a 1 year old cat that I've probably spent between $250-$350 dollars for. Costs including exams, vaccinations, flea meds, blood tests and having him "fixed". These costs all are initial costs for a healthy kitten. Not including food and litter, which can get expensive as well.

If you feed your kitten probably and make sure he stays healthy and gets some exercise. The cost will minimally be food and litter. Yearly check ups run around $30-$40.

Answer 5

If costs are hard for you to handle you should think about getting pet insuance the cost is about 25 a month but its worth it when your kitten gets injured. We cant afford our vet bills with our two new kittens so we got insurance. Its cheaper with multiple animals too.

There are different plans. some cover flea and tick meds and vet visits and some are just for the major problems. It does seem to be cheaper than paying the 400 for just the first year of shots and then declawing (if really needed) and getting your kitten fixed.

Answer 6

If you are serious about a kitten,then you will want to have it fixed.so the first year will probably run around 350 to 500 bucks.Then all you have to get are the yearly booster shots and check ups so that will probably be less than 100 a year.The food for cats isn't very expensive but you need to give them good quality food to prevent health problems.Your looking at around another 30 to 40 a month in food and grooming products like flea repellents and so on.The litter and box I included in the initial vet and purchase price.I think you are very smart to inquire about this before you get into it.I see alot of pets abandoned in my area.People should look before they leap so to speak.If you are still interested I wish you luck an a long nine lives.

Answer 7

The majority of expense on a cat is in the first year of life. They need to get first shot (4 rounds) and they need to be spayed or neutered. The first year will probably cost you around $400. Most of this cost will be the surgery to fix them. After that, you only need boosters once a year. Probably about $50 a year. But you will also need to take into consideration flea control. (about $15 a month) and cost of food and litter. I really hope that this does not scare you off. You have a dog, so should be aware of the ongoing food and flea control costs. Believe me, I would spend thousands of dollars (even if I had to get a second job) to get the amount of love that I get from my cats.

Answer 8

well, i got two kittens from the same litter about 3 weeks ago and so far all i had to spend on them was their food and toys and kitty litter,and the accessories ,
as for the vet bills, my kittens will be indoor cats only and i had to have them dewormed as you usually do with all kittens but i will not have another vet bill till i get them spayed and the other neutered.Basically it depends on the health of your kitten but it will not cost alot of money unless you have a sick kitten/cat or if they got hurt.I have double the expense but i have double the fun and love too and they are worth every penny to me, i would do without things myself in order to provide for my 2 babies, that is what i call them, i have them spoiled and they are so playful, if you can afford it i would recommend you get one but you will have to get advice from the vet via the phone on how to introduce the new kitty to your dog because he may be jealous and you will have to pay equal attention to both of your pets. good luck

Answer 9

Vet Bills: $70-$100,
food bill 250-260
Litter Box about 364 if you are picky and get a good clumping kind
Dont forget the Cat Tree.... Or else you will be paying for reappulstering or replacing what ever he decides to sharpen his claws on... i don't recommend declawing unless he's never going to go outside.

Answer 10

Initial vet visit: $50
Spay/neuter:$75-100
Vaccines: $50 (less after year 1)
Food: $20/month for premium quality food


Factor in unexpected expenses, sickness, incidentals...another couple hundred a year.

You have a dog so you already know how expensive pets can be. I think a cat costs less to take care of than a dog. (They eat less food, destroy less toys, etc).