How Much It Costs To Own A Cat

Having a pet is one of the most rewarding things in the world and they really become part of the family. We’ve had Thor and Loki for 6 months now and I can’t imagine life without them. Owning a cat can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it is a commitment. Cats typically live for around eighteen years. So if you are thinking of getting a pet you really need to think how much it costs to own a cat, or any other pet.

With the price of living going up quite a lot, this also includes the costs for pets. And they’re costs that you have to pay regardless of what’s going on. Before you get a pet of any kind you need to really consider if you can afford to do so. If you’re wondering how much it costs to own a cat here’s some of my experience.

How much it costs to own a cat- Vaccines

Like a child, when you get a kitten they’ll need to go through their kitten vaccinations at 8 weeks. Then again around at around 12 weeks. And after their kitten vaccines they should get annual booster vaccines to protect them against some nasty diseases. At most vets the vaccination appointment isn’t just a jab, it’s a chance to have a physical health check as well.

We paid around £80 each for our kittens to have their first two vaccines. But then we paid for a lifetime cover with Vets4Pets which means we paid £99 each and they get their annual booster vaccinations including a health check every year in the package. So this is one thing we don’t need to pay for again.

 Microchipping & spaying/ neutering

Alongside general vaccines and medication it’s also worth getting your pet spayed or neutered. This means they can’t carry or father baby kittens, but it can also curb behavioural patterns associated with sexual maturity. We got our boys neutered when they were six months ago. So far it has stopped them getting as restless and aggressive as they may have gotten when they wanted to mate. We paid around £70 per cat to get them neutered. We now know they won’t knock up any neighbourhood cats.

It’s also very important to get your cat microchipped. Cats are inquisitive creatures by nature and if they go outside it would be quite easy for them to wander off. While a tag on a collar can be a great way to identify whether a cat has an owner, they can be easily lost or removed. I know our kittens have gotten out of their collars on a number of occasions. So a microchip is a way of finding the owner of a cat if they ever went missing. So it’s a great peace of mind for pet parents.

A press release that came out in December states that it may become mandatory to microchip a cat by the time it hits 20 weeks. I can’t remember the exact figure but it was about £20 per cat to get them microchipped.

How much it costs to own a cat- Pet insurance

Just like us, pets can also get ill or have accidents. And while this might be less common in kittens – especially if they don’t go outside – it’s still important to get pet insurance. This means if they do have to go to the vet, or get treatment then you’ll be covered by your insurance. So you won’t have to pay out massive sums of money yourself. Vets bills can be really expensive and you don’t want to put yourself in debt, or not be able to afford treatment they might need.

A bit like humans with life insurance the earlier you get it the cheaper it will cost. Make sure you get a policy that covers your cat fro the lifetime of any illness and not just a fixed period. So if they developed diabetes for example they’d be covered for their whole life for any related treatment needed. We currently pay £28 a month for insurance for both of our kittens.

Day-to-day food and litter

When thinking how much it costs to own a cat, food and litter are probably the first things you think of. Cats need their own food to make sure they need the nutrients they require. How much this costs varies significantly depending on the brand you choose. And how much you need to feed them depends on the size of your cat. It also depends on their lifestyle such as how active they are. Our cats have three pouches of wet kitten food a day. So between them they go through a standard 12 pack box every two days. We buy whiskas kitten at the moment so spend on average £2 a day on food.

If your cat is an outdoor cat they may prefer to go to the toilet inside, but they will also need an indoor litter tray. Our cats haven’t been outdoors yet, and even when they do it won’t be for full days. So we have to regularly empty the litter tray and replace it. Again like food how much this costs depends on the brand you buy and how often it’s used. We spend about £20 a month on cat litter.

How much it costs to own a cat- Toys, beds, scratching posts etc

I wrote a post a while back about some of the things first-time kitten owners need. Before you bring a new cat home you’ll need some essentials like bedding, a litter tray, scratching post, food bowls etc. And these will need replacing from time-t0-time. This could be because the cat has grown out of things such as needing a larger scratching post or a bigger bed. Cats like any other animal needs things to stimulate them and keep them happy so you may want to buy new toys every so often to keep them content.

Other costs associated with owning a cat:

• Regular flea and worming treatments. Flea treatments should be done roughly every month, and every three months for worming.
• Cattery or cat sitting costs. If you go away for any reason you’ll need someone to take care of your cat. We’re going to Portugal at the end of the month and will be paying £150 for the boys to stay in a cattery for eight days.