Truly speaking, how much does a kitten cost? If you look at the quoted prices you might get tempted to rush for one of these adorable pets.
However, when you take a deeper look you will find that taking a kitten home comes with a lot of financial responsibility. They are not expensive to keep, but they do not come cheap either.
Adoption/Purchasing Price
If you seriously want a kitten but you are on a budget then there are so many people willing to give you one for free or for a minimal fee.
Just check through Craig’s list and local ads or visit your nearest animal shelter or pet store. A shelter will give you a mix-breed kitten for between $40 and $100.
The great advantage of adopting a kitten from a shelter is that it comes with all the vaccinations already done and most likely it will be already neutered or spayed.
On the other hand, if you fancy having a champion-standard kitten then you will have to go to a professional breeder.
Pedigree or purebred kitten will cost you a whole of a lot more than what you have to pay at an animal shelter. Some types of breeds you will get from a breeder include Persians, Siamese, Sphynx, and British Shorthair and these will cost anywhere from $500 to $2000.
Cost of Raising a Kitten
As mentioned before, once you are a new mommy to your kitten you have to be prepared for additional costs.
There will be initial costs that may be one-off, never to be paid again and of course there will be the recurrent costs for providing your kitten with all s/he needs.
Initial Costs
So you have paid the shelter, pet store, or breeder the amount quoted as the cost of a kitten, but has the furry ball been protected against common cat diseases?
The kitty will require vaccinations/immunizations that will in total cost anywhere between $20 and $300. Generally speaking, these procedures cost much less at animals shelters compared to private vets or clinics.
In fact, the cost of adopting the kitten may come with all these procedures already done. Once the immunizations, vaccinations, spaying, and neutering has been done, you will need a few basic essentials. These are:
1. Cat collar with the cat’s name and your home address – cost $5-30
2. Cat bed and bedding material/litter – approx. $10-30
3. Grooming and flea control – approx. $10
4. Registration fees – approx. $8
Recurrent Costs
Your little kitty will need a lot of care as he grows up. Some of the things you will regularly have to go to the store to stock up on will include:
1. Cat food – approx. $20 per month
2. Toys – between $3 and $15 per month
3. Cat sitter – $10 per week when you are away
Remember, the cost of a kitten will also include annual health examinations by a vet. This may consist of thorough blood profiling and dental work. This may cost between $100 and $200 per year.
You will need to put something aside in case of emergency vet care and if you prefer, you may also pay for declawing your kitten or even for neutering your kitten.
To make paying for emergencies easier on you, you can pay up for an insurance cover for your cat which usually costs between $5 and $15 per month.
