Cats make amazing pets for everyone, but what is the cost of owning a cat? By recognizing it, many pet owners can offer their cats the best possible care.
How much does it cost to have a cat?
Having a cat at home is one of the most rewarding experiences for every household. But the cost of owning a cat should be an important thing to consider. It’s highly variable as it comes to cat ownership. The cost matters a lot because it affects straight the quality and kind of pet care that your cat might receive. For some people, their love for cats is the biggest concern instead of the cost.
However, knowing that cats costing a great deal would help all cat owners find the best plan to get well-prepared. That helps them offer the essential care for their pets.
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What is the cost of owning a cat?
The average cost of owning a cat is around $809 per year. Since every cat can live from 9 to 15 years. As a result, you will need to spend a lifetime cost of $7,646 to $12,500. In reality, a few cat breeds probably end up costing you about $33.408! Bear in mind that most feline buddies tend to live for 18 years. Therefore, before getting a cat, it’s best to consider the costs of raising them for that period.
For details, we’d like to list out the average expenses of owning a cat:
Cost of buying a cat
If you intend to buy a domestic cat from a well-known breeder or a reliable rescue home, it would be from $70 to $208. You could spend more than that, with the price of over $1392 on Maine Coon, Russian Blue, and Norwegian Forest cats. Besides, several families are finding their beloved furry friends on the streets. And guess what? Both adoption cost and vaccination cost possibly go up.
For older cats, the cost of cat adoption would be as low as $50 only. Besides, it depends on where you adopt the animal from. What if you’ve just adopted from a shelter? Then go to save as much as $200, following the claim of a doctor of vet medicine in Manhattan, Kansas. In case you’re a vet, then it’s possible for you earn a discount on adoption fees.
Cost of caring for a cat
Now it comes to how much do your cats cost to take care of? It depends on. So one of the best ways to save more on vet costs would be to maintain your cat as healthy as possible in the first place. What’s else? Never think of skipping any vet visit and always get updated with vaccines. As you know, every emergency clinic service is quite expensive, so make frequent visits to the vet center would keep them strong.
Along with that, all cat owners can check pet insurance. Doing that will help them set aside for unwanted illnesses for that long. Those plans cost around $10 – $40 and will cover different needs. In short, the cost of a cat’s healthcare varies from one pet to another. It bases on some particular elements, such as genetic predispositions, breed, and whether your cat is an indoor or outdoor one.
Cost of feeding a cat
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Your cat needs its food to gain all the essential nutrients they require. Thus, costs vary remarkably by brand, the size of the cat, and its lifestyle. A cat adult needs to consume 2 pouches of wet food and 20 g of dry food every day.
Note that feeding a cat usually costs you less than feeding a dog. But the food bill remains a crucial part not to be missed here. Each year, you can expect to spend from $140 to $278 based on what type of cat food you’re purchasing. Only decent food for cats is good for the pet’s health though it might cost more than expected. Also, ensure to check the ingredients to ensure you’re owning a higher content of meat.
In case you don’t know, it’s best to control the cost of preparing cat raw food. To do that, make sure to get from reliable or well-known suppliers. You can easily save some dollars at the supermarkets when doing so. Let’s get raw meat in bulk, and don’t forget to use more discount offers if possible. Go for affordable cuts of meat.
Cost of cat toys and bed
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There are so many extra costs as it comes to owning a cat. Not only does your cat need the essential things, like a bed, there are also more important things like litter trays. And it might cost you around $278 per year to cover those expenses. Must-have items you cannot ignore to keep a healthy lifestyle for your cat are scratching posts. Well, it still depends on you and your cat.
However, to help maintain your furniture from getting damaged or scratched up, getting them toys is a great idea. Some people would spend $25 only a year on cat toys, and they also have the feather toy. Instead of it, let your cat enjoy its great time with an empty box or an empty bag. For its more fun, how about chasing your feline friend around the house?
Cost of cat insurance
It’s the same as when you need health insurance, your kitty also needs health insurance. Most pet insurance costs vary depending on the cat breed and the insurer. A cat owner is likely to spend $252 per year. Like I said, to keep the costs down, let’s keep your cat as healthy as you can right from the day of its birth or adoption.
Premium tends to increase much once the pet turns 6 or 7. Next, you probably struggle to get insurance as they turn to 8 or 9. We recommend you to earn a one-year policy in the early times. Before choosing any policy, consider the maximum payout every year and the reimbursement rate.
Cost of cat vaccinations
As a cat owner, you might like to keep your pet vaccinated to fight against rabies and other respiratory illnesses. It costs about $80 on vaccinations for kitties in their early years. Afterwards, the costs decreases to $50 per year to keep a healthy cat for you. Try to search more information on the internet for low-cost health clinics that offer pet vaccinations.
If you’re adopting it, the adoption center would inform you about these clinics. To help protect your kittens, they need two sets of vaccinations for startup. At nine weeks old, your pet must have the first set while the second set should get done at their three months old. Those sets help them enhance the immune system.
Cost of cat grooming
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Every domestic cat needs frequent brushing to prevent mats from sticking to its coat. Grooming criteria would depend on the breed of your cat, and its coat. The average cost of cat grooming is around $50 with pet owners who have to spend from $30 to $70. A few other facilities might charge you for a package while others provide you with a basic bath only.
Keep in mind that frequent grooming will help lower cat hair allergens in the house, so make it easier for your cat to groom by itself. Once cats do it themselves, their tongues can draw fur in. Long-haired cats need more grooming, and pet owners always want to take them to get groomed professionally. The longer your cat’s hair, the more difficult the task of grooming and the higher the price.
Cost of getting a cat neutered
For those who encounter a box of kitties, or let a stray cat enter your house, then you’re responsible for getting it neutered and vaccinated. Such a surgery costs $300 in a total. There’s another option for you to take your kitten to a lower-cost clinic. This gets run by nonprofits and every surgery gets carried out by licensed vets.
The cost of neutering increases up if you want your vet to microchip the pet in the surgery. Your vet can insert a little microchip under the skin of your cat. When your cat is lost, this microchip can get scanned, and then your pet is claimed to get back to you. The cost of inserting this chip is around $14, and this cost might vary.
Final words
In general, you probably get the answer to the question “what is the cost of owning a cat?”. The average cost of a cat varies based on the breed of cat, age, and your lifestyle. For the basics, it costs in a minimum of $405 for the initial year, and about $340 for every year after. By knowing these costs, you and other pet owners no longer get surprised at how much it costs to have a cat per year.
