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Pets

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Original poster

What's the ££ cost of owning a cat?

47 replies

Heated · 15/02/2009 22:28

For ages now I've been thinking of getting a cat - well a pair of cats - but before I go ahead (and persuade dh), what are the actual costs incurred in owning a cat?

OP posts:
princessmel · 15/02/2009 22:31

Not much really.

Ours was £90 from the RSPCA. I paid for him with my birthday money.

We dont buy posh food , just tins from the supermarket. When I took him to the vet for a poorly leg they all commented on how healthy he looked and asked what I feed him, so it must be ok.

Tesco cat insurance.

Beds are cheap in argos.

I love my cat. He's the best present I have ever had.

princessmel · 15/02/2009 22:32

Oh and cat litter and a litter tray. And a flap.

But now he goes out so we dont have to buy the litter anymore...

BecauseImWorthIt · 15/02/2009 22:35

We have two cats. I buy 2 or 3 boxes of cat food every week, which costs around £2.40 each. On top of that is the cost of any vets' bills. We are (touchwood) very lucky and haven't incurred any bills for 8 or 9 years.

We pay a friend's son to feed them if we're away - usually around £30-50 for a fortnight.

So a pretty cheap pet!

ravenAK · 15/02/2009 22:35

On a day to day basis, not much. Maybe 50p-£1 a day for food, & another fiver a week for cat litter, but it depends on which brand you buy.

When they are old & failing, quite a lot potentially!

Original poster
Heated · 15/02/2009 22:36

Reassuring so far!

What about vaccinations, worming, flea- busting etc? Is that a monthly/yearly expense?

OP posts:
newatthis1981 · 15/02/2009 22:38

about £15 per month for food per cat and £5 -10 per month for insurance (you're crazy not to get it- i had a cat that would have cost me about 3 thousand in her 4 years if i hadn't of been insured), then vacinations are around £90 for originals and then £45 per year oh and litter is £10 per month if you get catsan which is far superior to most for keeping smells under control. I would get 2 if you're out a lot mine used to play together and snuggle up bless them - anyway they can be pricey but i wouldn't part with mine :-) hope this helps

Original poster
Heated · 15/02/2009 22:39

So your cats all use cat litter tray? Am I naive in thinking they'll just go outside once the keeping-them-in stage has passed?

OP posts:
princessmel · 15/02/2009 22:39

Mine goes out now Heated

paddingtonbore · 15/02/2009 22:41

vaccinations seem to be about £30-40 per year (we pay for a check-up, worming pill and vax). You will definitely need these if you intend to use a cattery. IMO it's worth going along for vax, as the vet will give your cat an MOT as well.

I'm not sure the going rate for catteries. The one we used in London was £7per night, but London prices are often dearer. Luckily MIL has her now if we go on holiday.

paddingtonbore · 15/02/2009 22:43

re: the litter tray.
I prefer my cat to poo in her tray, as I know that she's not irritating the neighbours by snipping a loaf in their flower-beds.

GrimmaTheNome · 15/02/2009 22:43

Just make sure you don't get a sofa-shredder

tiggerlovestobounce · 15/02/2009 22:44

My cats go outside, you dont need a litter tray if you have a cat flap (though a lot of cats will use a tray if it is there )

newatthis1981 · 15/02/2009 22:46

yeah mine wouldn't dream of going outside she is far to posh :-) she does click the sofa when she's hungry as she knows i'll get up

StudentMadwife · 15/02/2009 22:47

depends on your and your cats preference. I have 4 cats, they eat biscuits in the day about £15 for 20kg which lasts ages. then then share a tin of whiskers every night so £3.50 per wk on wet cat food. they get locked in of a night as two are black and we live on a junction so im v scared they'll get run over(all have reflective colours!) so I buy 2-3 bags of cat lttler per week- i use sainsburys own-its about £1.80 a bag. initial vaccinations are pricey but boosters every yr slightly cheaper. We use VET UK for worming tablets-at vets they charge £8 per tablet every 3 months, i get them online from vet uk for £1.40 per tablet!!!!

we use stronghold which does fleas and all worms except one and for one cat that would be £60 per yr. toys and amusments eg catnip are very cheap if you shop around. cat beds not always neccessary-depends wether your cat chooses to sleep in one, mine do but obviously they last for yrs.

hth

LuckySalem · 15/02/2009 22:50

I have 3 cats (2 are mine and one is a foster)

My two cost £40 each from CPL then the start up cost was about £20 (3 cat bowls, 1 hooded litter tray, bag of food and pack of tins)

The three of them cost me on average £5 a week.
They have 3/4 of a tin of Tesco Cat meat at night and 3 handfuls of Go cat biscuits each morning. I change their litterbox twice a week (they have 2 between them now)

We dont have insurance cos they dont go out much.

Original poster
Heated · 15/02/2009 22:52

Thanks so much for the financial info, it certainly seems manageable ££ wise.

Hadn't thought what if we get a sofa-shredder Grimma, dh would cry if it was his leather one!

Only Newatthis has said insurance is definitely worth having - does everyone else also insure their cats?

OP posts:
LuckySalem · 15/02/2009 22:54

Mine aren't insured cos they dont go out much (even then its just the back yard) if you plan on letting them out alot though get insurance.

Be prepared to have your sofas shredded - if not on purpose then as they are running around like loonies (like my 3 are at the mo)

paddingtonbear1 · 15/02/2009 22:59

the sofa thing is what stops me getting a cat. we have leather - I'd probably have to put a throw over it just in case!
having said that, my friend has had 3 cats over the years and her sofa isn't ruined. It must depend on the cat!

StudentMadwife · 15/02/2009 22:59

I dont ensure them but put back what I would of paid in insurance permonth eg £6 pcat= £24pm in a catty fund in case of emergency vet treatment. be careful if you do take insurance as there are many things in smallprint that insurance wont cover and several diferent types of insurance too. also if cats have something that they'll have for life insurance wont pay out.

StudentMadwife · 15/02/2009 23:00

-or insure in the first place

paddingtonbore · 15/02/2009 23:00

my cat was 11 when we rehomed her. Lots of insurance companies won't insure older cats, and those that do often have very high excesses. And no insurance covers annual vaccinations. thus far she's cost us one £120 tooth extraction in 5 years. the insurance premiums alone would be far more than this, never mind the excess.

But if you rehome a very young cat it's worth it. Premiums are lower, and lively young cats are more likely to get into scrapes IME.

ravenAK · 15/02/2009 23:00

I've never had insurance.

Tbh, if you're disciplined enough, it'd make more sense to have a 'cat contingencies' savings account - pay in every month - at end of year, if no expensive vet bills, treat yourself to a night out/weekend away...

paddingtonbear1 · 15/02/2009 23:02

my friend never had pet insurance.
her remaining cat is now 13, so it would be v hard to insure her.

pavlovthecat · 15/02/2009 23:07

Our costs, for 2 cats:

Initial costs:
Neutured/spayed - not sure? Couple hundred £? It was a while ago, sorry.
Chip - £25 each on offer at our vets.
Bowls etc - minimal

£11 insurance per month - vital imo. One of our cats ate a computer cable with a computer modem plug on, it got stuck in her intestines, she almost died, aged 8 months. Her vet bill was £500, and we paid £40 excess only as she was covered. We had only had the insurance for 2 months .
Vaccinations/checkup - £60 per year
£40 every 3-4 months for spot on flea stuff (was frontline, changed to something else, cant remember name, same cost really)
£15 a year - household spray (outdoor cats, central heating = breeding ground)
£25? worming tablets every 6 months?
£20 litter (one cat has sensitive skin, so is allergic to cheap litter. fussy fuss pot! We get Catsan now).
£30 cat food - monthly-science plan usually (dry daily, wet once a week).
Lots of love - nothing!
So I guess it adds up to a lot! But, it all gets eaten into our normal bills so we do not notice it.

We got lovely expensive beds for our cats before DD was born (my babies), and the cats never used them!!! They sleep one on a beanbag, and one on the end of the sofa.

KingCanuteIAm · 15/02/2009 23:07

Insure insure insure, evenindoor cats can cost £££s if things go wrong - my 18mnth old indoor cat had a problem that would have cost £1500 to put right, my friend's cat had a problem at 2yo and cost over £2000 in the end. Another friend had an indoor cat who had the same problem as mine which came in at just under £3000 . I had never insured a cat before, now I would never not insure a cat.

If you are going for a rescue make sure you get ones that already lived together long term, some cats are single cats and will never get used to another one properly - even if they groom each other and sleep together the cracks can show with stress related illness, spraying and weeing/pooing in inappropriate places.

IME the leather sofa is the first to go, always lock cats out of rooms with leather furniture if you are not in it!