Does it cost a lot to maintain cats? What about shots?

Question

Aren't shots expensive? Food and its bedding? Oh, what about its litter? T__T; I'm worried that I might not be able to take care of one... Someone help me! I really want to take good care of a cat!

Answer 1

I commend you for asking if you think you'll be able to care for a cat because that shows you are only interested in the animals best interest.

I read somewhere that it costs around $500 a year to care for a cat, but I just found an article http://www.sspca.org/ThingsToConsider.ht... that says it costs more.

This is a great site, outlining all the information you want to know about.

My opinion? Since you clearly care about the cat BEFORE you've even gotten it, you're going to make an excellent cat owner. :)

PS the bedding for the cat is on your lap :)

Answer 2

Yeah, shots are expensive. But it depends on where you go- I know around where I am (milwaukee, WI), the humane society has a program for people with low-income households so they get discounted vet care. Since I'm not low-income, I pay full price at the vet, which sucks lol. And you'd have to check the laws in your area for the rabies vaccination. Technically, you have to license your dog/cat which requires a rabies vaccination, that way they can put a limit on the amount of pets in the household to prevent hoarding. I currently have 4 cats, and they don't ALL have a rabies vaccination. But they are strictly indoor cats, so there is no real risk to them.

I'd say that the medical stuff can definitely get expensive. You have to expect the unexpected with pets- would you be able to afford bringing them to an emergency vet for something? I know from personal experience that it's NOT cheap.

Don't worry about bedding, I've bought beds for my cats and they just walk around them lol! So it's pointless. Litter is cheap, just look for store brands and sale ones. Food can get expensive, since you would probably want to get a higher quality food to prevent any health issues.

If you do decide to get a cat, I think that you'd make a great owner because you're asking all the important questions before-hand. Very smart!!! You'll be prepared!

Answer 3

Cats are FUN!!! they don't cost that much. buy litter in bulk (from like a costco or Sam's club or something) it's cheaper this way. As for shots they only need them once a year, and the cost really depends on the vet you use. When they are kittens they don;t get a whole lot of shots but they need to go into the vet more often to get them(they get shots just spread out over a length of time but i cant quite remember this part it's been awhile since I've had a kitten). Flea meds are cheaper if you get them 6 months worth at a time (at least at my vet's office). And don't bother purchasing fancy toys just buy some yarn and a cheap cardboard scratcher with some catnip. I would recommend buying dry food because A it's cheaper and B it doesn't get stuck to their teeth making them more susceptible to tooth decay. So i you think you can handle all that then you're good to go. hope this helps you be able to see if a kity fits in your budget. I hipe so. Cats are pretty awesome

Answer 4

if its an outdoor cat all you have to do is get it a rabies shot once a year and feed it. if it is a indoor cat it can cost more because you have to declaw, feed, get a litter box, shots, and bedding

Answer 5

The initial visit for shots will cost anywhere from $60-200, to be a responsible owner you should get it spayed/neutered - that will be anywhere from $20 (at a reduced cost clinic) to $150.  You don't need to buy a bed, use an old bed pillow (I made my cat's bed with a yard of fabric and a used bed pillow), a litter box will be about $15 - decent litter will be about $9.00 for a 20lb tub - we go thru one every two weeks (you have to clean out the litterbox DAILY) - depending on what you feed the cat - wet or dry - it can cost about $10-20 every two weeks.  You need scratching posts/cathouse, toys and other misc items - that could be a lot more.  They say cat owners at average spend about $1000 the first year, and about $500 thereafter.  That is not adding in emergency vet care.  

Unless you can afford this - it's best just to say not right now - and get a betta fish.

Answer 6

Shots can go up to a couple hundred dollars depending on how many cats you have. food can go up to ten dollars and if you want to get it a little something for it to sleep on, that's probably twenty dollars. With my two cats, i just had a big-ish box and but a towel in there for them to sleep. If you dont want litter for some reason, you can use sand also.

Answer 7

Intially, it costs quite a lot to get a cat. I had mine spayed, with all the proper shots, that will all run you up to $300 or $400, then you have to think of buying food, which is about $25 a month. After the years, though, and if your cat stays indoors, then the costs go down tremendously. I would say my three cost me $40 a month on food (I buy the expensive kind), and once a year check ups at the vets and thats $40/cat. I have been lucky and mine have all been healthy up until this point.

Good luck!