The Cost Of Having A House Cat?

Question

Hi
I want badly a cat, (I love cats!) but I’m afraid it will break my bank. You guys know, sometimes the cat is sick in the medical costs, including dental care could be sky rocking in New York
Thanks

Answer 1

Hey there! :)
don't take offense to this answer, but if your afraid you can't afford a cat's medical expenses, wait until you can.

I just had a bout with my cat. She got a bad cause of acute pancreatitis. Our vet bill was 1100 dollars, we're making payments, but we didn't want her to die. she means alot to us!

We live in Columbus Ohio too, but i know that new york is higher with cost of living.

Hope this helps some! :)

Answer 2

I never wanted a pet let alone a cat. But some how my I took custody over a friends cat cause she had a baby and didnt want to take the chance. So now I have a 4 year old Beautiful Himalayan. Shes so loving and friendly. I just a adore her. I was scared of taking care of her to finacially. Suprisingly her food is so cheap and so is her litter. I spend only about $15-$20 a month on her. Shes worth every penny. And I love that she is so low maintence cause I work alot. I feel relaxed petting her and when my boyfriend works late I dont feel alone in the house. lol.. But as far as being sick. Try to get a cat from a breeder not from a pet shop! A shelter is okay if the shelter really takes care of there pets or has a warrenty type deal where if the cat gets sick you can bring her there and they have already had given the cat shots.I know you probably want a kitten, but a full grown cat is just as easy to love (I always said I wanted a kitten if I was gonna get one and its different from having a dog as a puppy cause you dont have to train them or get their loyality like a dog.) But i dont think it cost that much that often. Only if she does get sick. Or every once in a while for a check up.

Answer 3

if you are on a tight budget dont take the chance because its a real life that is effected...can you cut some of your own expenses?? ditch the cell phone... eat more soup... eat out less...

Kittens cost more becuase their food is more $$ and they need to be vaccinated, spayed/neutered etc..
SOOOOoooo you can save a lot of money by getting an adult cat who has already had those things done and was checked by a vet for health.
the SPCA or humane shelters are the best place to look first... (sometimes there are FREE ADULTS in the newspaper - but make sure they have health records AND are spayed/neutered already)
SPCA etc, are non-profit
NEVER get from a pet store.. you will pay too much

food - better food costs more $ but because you feed less in the long run its cheaper (less poop too) so look at pet supply stores (NOT Wal Mart or grocery store - they only sell junk) and read the ingredients - if you see "By_prodcuts" on the lable it is junk.. CORN should NEVER be in first 2 spots (cats are carnivours)

start saving your $ now so you are prepared...

Answer 4

The basic vet care will run $100 a year. This is for checkup and shots, it doesn't include emergencies or anything else popping up like fleas or worms. You can add $100 more for neutering or $150 for spaying (check rates with the vets first, some are higher).

Cat food will run $11-$15 a month if you feed a decent diet. Figure 25 pounds of litter per month per cat, to keep the environment smelling fresh. Add all that up and see if you can budget the basics first. If not, start saving.

Answer 5

I'm not sure what it's like in NY, I'm in Canada, but we adopted our cat from our local SPCA shelter, it cost $120, but that included spay, first shots, HIV and leukemia testing, and microchiping. All that at the vet would probably cost upwards of $500. You're looking at maybe 30$/month for good quality food. As for medical bills, we have health insurance for our cats, seems crazy, but 20$/month covers 80% of the cost for all accidents and illnesses (www.petplan.com). This makes it easier to budget. Also, they need to go into the vet once a year to get shots, that will cost maybe $100. (All these prices are based what I pay in Canada, it will most likely be less in the US).

Answer 6

Why don't you get some pet insurance, if you are having a house cat then you haven't got the worry of paying for operations due to road accidents and things like that. I don't know how it works out there cause im in UK but we have a charity run organisation called PDSA which charges a lot less, is there anything like that there.

Answer 7

A healthy cat will cost you about $30 a month in food and litter. But one vet visit will be astronomical - $60 minimum here in AZ. That is just the checkup. So I agree if you can't afford it don't do it. You want to be able to take great care of you kitty.

Answer 8

I'm in NY too, get pet insurance, look around for a cheap vet through your local shelters, many shelter vets work at night and are much cheaper. Adopt a little guy from a shelter too, they need homes more than pet center pets.

Answer 9

can you get cat insurance pay each month incase problems occur,as else they do mount up bills

Answer 10

It is worth it- you will save on your own "shrink" costs alone living in NYC