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Please tell me honestly how much your cat costs a month including insurance

58 replies

Squirrelsnut · 16/08/2022 17:22

I would love a cat, so would DS. DH is understandably worried about the cost of living crisis and is reluctant to take on more expense.
So please tell me how much a youngish cat costs to look after.

OP posts:
NewBootsAndRanty · 16/08/2022 17:30

My costs montly for one cat are:

Food:£10
Litter:£15
Health club (Flea/worming treatments, vaccinations and health checks):£16
Insurance:£15

Don't forget extras like neutering, things like litter trays, scratching posts, cat carriers, toys etc.

If your cat needs any dental treatment (including tartar removal/scale and polish), that will be expensive - rates near me are around £400-600, and extra for anything like extractions. It's not uncommon, and its really unusual to be covered by most insurance policies.

Also be aware that insurance will go up as your cat gets older, even if no health issues.

helpfulperson · 16/08/2022 17:32

About £50 each on average.

mountainsunsets · 19/08/2022 14:42

About £40 each on average.

dmask · 19/08/2022 17:45

NewBootsAndRanty · 16/08/2022 17:30

My costs montly for one cat are:

Food:£10
Litter:£15
Health club (Flea/worming treatments, vaccinations and health checks):£16
Insurance:£15

Don't forget extras like neutering, things like litter trays, scratching posts, cat carriers, toys etc.

If your cat needs any dental treatment (including tartar removal/scale and polish), that will be expensive - rates near me are around £400-600, and extra for anything like extractions. It's not uncommon, and its really unusual to be covered by most insurance policies.

Also be aware that insurance will go up as your cat gets older, even if no health issues.

Same costs for us, but we have two!

lljkk · 19/08/2022 18:02

3 cats.
I don't have insurance, can't help there.
I gather insurance tends to be ~£9/month for a young cat.
Neutering & first set of jabs: rescue paid for all that.

Last food purchase was £70.76 on 27 June, (zooplus) and that was about 8 weeks worth, so £70.76/2months / (3 cats) is £12/month. (posh food cost)
1 vet visit every 14 months for checkup+booster jabs = £42, so £3.50/month
£4/month for flea treatment (hunt around for this treatment, and get right dose for weight of your animal)
worm treatment ... I am going to suggest £1/month (I'm using a fluid I bought a while again for uncertain cost); mine are determined hunters so am worming once every 2 months right now.
Litter: we have lovely bare flowerbeds, about £18 for 2 bags once every 2-4 years, honest.

£1 + £4 + £3.50 + £12 + pennies = £21/month per cat

But, 10 yr old cat seems to be fading. I'm taking him to vet in 2 weeks (£42 + blood tests). So he could average out closer to £40-£60/month this year, if he needs a prescription for hyper-thyroidism or something.

neverwakeasleepingbaby · 19/08/2022 18:10

Erm a lot more than some people are saying...two cats.
Approx. combined costs:
£15 insurance
£100/6 monthly x2 flea injections and worming = £33
£15 litter
£150 food (but we get fancy stuff because they're fussy buggers)

So per cat, £213/2 = £106 per month.

That's excluding vets bills. Girl cat cost us £150 for a dodgy tummy this week.

Hmm never done the sums before. Bit scary! But they're worth it. They bring us so much joy😊

Amrapaali · 19/08/2022 18:11

How long is a piece of string?

Food (two cans wet food, bag of dry food, treats) £40 a month
Insurance £16 pm
Cat sitter if we go on holiday £200 per year
Toys £0 (went crazy when she was a kitten. Don't bother at all now)
Litter £20 a month
Worming and fleas £2 a month

neverwakeasleepingbaby · 19/08/2022 18:13

Oh yeah cat sitter...forgot about that! £25 per day but she stays overnight to keep them company (and I think she enjoys it)

Snog · 19/08/2022 18:22

£60 a month for a young and healthy indoor cat.

Zezet · 19/08/2022 18:32

60 food, 80 medication (yes, the cat is young, but not healthy), plus whatever litter is.

Occasional vet visits on top.

yonce · 19/08/2022 18:38

2 cats

Insurance £15
Flea / worm monthly £20
Toys £20-30 maybe
Food £150 ish
Treats £50 ish

😂 so I clearly have expensive cats.

LilithImpala67 · 19/08/2022 18:58

2 cats, now both 15yrs old:
Insurance = £70 a month and we now also have to pay a percentage of each claim as well as an excess as they are deemed elderly cats. Worth it though as one broke a leg when 18mths old and that would have cost us thousands.
Food = £60 a month as they have a special diet due to the onset of Kidney disease
Flea/worming = £35 for 3 months worth
Cat litter = £12 a week
plus annual vaccinations (approx £100) and cattery costs (£17 a day) when we go on holiday.

Squirrelsnut · 21/08/2022 01:03

Thanks everyone. Quite a range of costs!

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 21/08/2022 06:09

Managed to knock my renewal premium for my two senior Persians insurance down from £167 a month to £118. Currently £137

So £118 insurance
£10 a month food. (10kg bag lasts 3 months)
£28 vet club
£5 treats
£20 a day in the cattery if I go away.

Mueslikid · 21/08/2022 07:14

For young cat:

Food - 2 pouches and some dry food each day.
£5.25 per month on dry food.
Pouches cat likes are 27.5p each, £16.50 per 30 day month, but sometimes on offer, and you can probably get cheaper. My cats are a bit fussy and won’t eat cheaper Tesco own brand cat food.

So £21.75 on average month for food.

£14.99 Healthy pet club for 6 monthly check ups, annual jabs and flea and wormer monthly. We also get a 10% discount on prescriptions and operations.

Litter, not used that much as cat goes outside. I buy a big bag for £7 and it definitely lasts over a month. You’ll have to keep indoors at first, so litter will cost more.

Insurance we pay annually, as slightly cheaper that way. I think it was around £89 for the year, not sure.

Cat carrier was £10, a few years back.

I didn’t buy any special bowls, blankets etc, just repurposed what we already had.
Tend to make/repurpose toys too - cat particularly loves crumpled paper, toilet rolls and pens.

Having said that, I have spent a fair amount on things that get majestically ignored <eyes unused £40 cat bed>

I think neutering and microchipping were about £80.

Cat flap was about £15, but we did pay someone to install it too.

We have a timed feeding bowl so we can go away overnight - think that was about £20 but worth every penny.

Don’t use cattery, we have lovely neighbours, but nearest one is £12 per night for one cat, £16 for two.

DIanaRiggFan · 21/08/2022 07:23

About 60. But he is old with pre-existing conditions so insurance is high. But also remember cattery costs - £11 a day here so really adds up

we won’t be getting another one when he passes

LynetteScavo · 21/08/2022 07:49

I shopped around for insurance, and did a lot of reading of policies, but only pay £8.

Food depends, my cat will eat almost anything as long as it's not the same as the previous meal so a mix of expensive and cheap, but probably an average of £40

I paid for vaccinations for life, so a one off of £99.

I get relatives to feed if I go away, so have never used a sitter or chattery.

Oh and flea and worm drops. I get them online so they're cheaper than the vets. So about £5.

He's an outdoor cat so we don't really provide toys, just cuddles.

And he never sleeps
in his posh, expensive bed. Hmm

OddsandSods · 21/08/2022 07:57

2 cats, pedigree, outdoor. 8 yr old.

insurance alone is £100 a month and both are healthy.

food £80- sensitive guts.

£28 workers and jabs on vet scheme.

I use wood litter and a special sieve tray so it lasts me ages. Think litter is only about £7 a month.

No holiday costs as neighbours pet sit for us.

So that’s over £200 a month, so £100 per cat. My friends moggies are much cheaper to insure though.

1984Winston · 21/08/2022 07:57

I have 4 cats, insurance is £70 a month (two seniors, one of which is a pedigree who is chronically ill) 2 cats have vac4life, one is too ill for boosters now so pay £30 a year for booster for the remaining cat, food is roughly £50 a month, litter £25 a month, mine are indoor cats so they are wormed every 6 months. One of my older cats needs a dental soon which won't be covered on insurance so will need a few hundred for that

Wallywobbles · 21/08/2022 08:08

We have 3-5 farm cats. Food comes from Amazon - their own brand and they prefer it to any other. And 4x worming a year. So for them all I'd say maybe €35/month.

If we have a regular feral i'll get them done which is about €60-€80

DeborahVance · 21/08/2022 08:08

My cats aren't insured. I honestly think it's a total racket that they raise premiums as they get older. They are now both ten years old and haven't needed any medical care yet, but if they do then I am happy to spend the c£4k I have saved by not insuring them.

Caspianberg · 21/08/2022 08:11

An article by battersea estimate an average exact costs around £1500 per year. That’s allowing I think for day to day like food, things like vaccinations and flea treatments, cat sitter once a year, odd vet bill averaged out over the years, one offs etc

tellyiscrap · 21/08/2022 08:13

Initial expense - £80 adoption fee
£14 - insurance monthly
£50- litter tray , food bowls , bed , toys

Food - £20 a month

Have wasted a lot on fancy cat tree, cute beds, tepee,more toys, tunnels, flapping fish,feathers on a stick, yogurt and other treats - doesn't touch any of this

fizzyfood · 21/08/2022 08:19

The cost of Pet insurance increases over the years. I find dry food cheaper than wet food.

Despairingof · 21/08/2022 08:19

£55 insurance, £30 food. £15 toys, treats generally spoiling her. She’s thoroughly worth it.

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