Alright DH agreed on me having a cat but asked to do some researches on maintenance cost !!

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Can you help me ?
How much do you spend on your cat every month ??
Thank you, I'm so exited !! Battersea Cat's home, here I come

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I'll estimated what we spend a week:

Cat tins: 4 at 45p each
Cat biscuits: £2 a week
Cat litter: £1.50 a week (we use the cheapo stuff)

But don't forget to flea treat every month too. That's usually less than £10 for the good spot-on from the vet,although you can get cheaper ones from the pet shop.
Ikea have some good bowls, litter trays and beds that are very cheap.

I have two 12 week old kittens.

I pay £30 a month to insure them both with Petplan on their top policy. This covers them for anything and everything. Its around £15 a month for one cat on this policy, and they have cheaper policies.

I pay around £20 for a bag of dry food that lasts easily over a month. I supplement this with some wet food which is around £5 for 12 sachets.

I spend around £6 for a wormer that lasts 3months, and around £12 for 3m worth of flea spot ons.

So around £40 a month all included, but some months cost a little bit more and some a little bit less.

Think about vet's bills - if you get pet insurance, that can be about a tenner a month and if you don't, an unexpected trip to the vet's to deal with a cut leg last month cost us over £60 for two visits plus treatment. And there are jabs as well once a year.

Day to day, it depends very much on what brands you buy but once you have the basic cat kit (bowls, bed, litter tray, etc) all they need to survive is dry food and litter (unless you fit a cat flap and they can come and go as they please. Ours are in at night, hence the litter). Most people feed meat too but if you get good quality dry, they don't need this.

I should add I live in an expensive area, and feed relatively expensive food

What about having it spayed ?? I would love a female if possible..Does it cost a lot the injections ?? Thank u for your help, it's or the baby or the cat and I so want a cat, I work from home so should be alright !!

Here vaccinations are £75 for both kitten vaccinations, and a spay costs around £120. Neither of these is covered by pet insurance.

If you got a cat through Battersea or somewhere similar, it should come Spayed/Neutered and vaccinated.

I live in london, we have a garden, would it be happy with us ? If its a girl cat, is it unlikely to go away ? Thank you for all your help !!!

OK. We have a 1yr old cat. She has cost so far:

1. £30 to buy
2. £ 50 for spaying and tagging (one off costs obviously)
3. Injections cost us £54. That is more than usual as the annual boosters cost much less - about 30 I think.
4. Frontline for flea treatment - I only treat about 8m of the year and it's approx 4.5 a month.
5. Worming tablets cost very little - less than £2 every 3m.
6. Food. We buy supermarket own brand and it costs us about £4 a week. Biscuits and cans.
7. Cattery for a week cost us £48. But you don't need to do that if you can find a helpful neighbour.

Celia Hammond trust in New Cross do free neutering, and the Cats Protection often have a vouchers that you can order on their website to save money on the cost of neutring.

Thank you so much, your help is really appreciated, just called dh with all your info and he was quite impressed and decided we'll defo go for it !!!xx

i have 2 cats, and buy pouches of cat food, between £5 and £10 a week, usually buy whats on offer or supermarket own brand and once a year take them to the vet for jabs/health checks/flea treatment/worming and that costs about £120 for the pair of them, they both toilet out side so rarely buy litter

Sorry haven't read the whole thread but all I can say is: get a pet insurance and never ever stop it. Over the years our cat has run a bill that went over 3000 pounds .

Also it's cheaper and more convenient if you have a friend that pops around to feed when you are away rather than having to put in a cattery.

Don't forget the excess on pet insurance, usually about £70 so not worth claiming unlessz it's more.

I'll definitely take an insurance !! Wow I can see myself, buying her a polka dot bedding with the bol which goes with it ..Please tell me to get a life !!

Just out of interest what does pet insurance for one cat cost? We keep meaning to sort it but never have - our old mog lasted quite healthy and happy and accident-free till 17 but our current mog is an active, lively little thing and I can't help thinking she is more likely to get hurt.

Our cat is pretty cheap too (have read thread now!). If you have a garden I don't see why she shouldn't be happy.

One PITA is the smell of the cat food pouches especially in this heat and the fact that cats can be fussy eaters so if you cahnge brand they rather starve to death that touch it.

I wish I could have more thought.

Mine started at about 4.50 7 years ago and it's now around 8pound something and has covered him for everything: open head surgery etc (don't ask!).

sorry my copm has not got the pound sign.

is that £8 per month damon?

Our cats were free.

Cost £60 each to get neutered and microchipped.

They are not insured. Actually I think I must do something about that.

Fiver a week on dry food. About the same on cat litter.

Never used a cattery - can go weekends and leave them, for longer than that MIL comes and feeds them every other day.

They have never had flea/tick treatment or worm treatment.

I loathe wet cat food. DP smuggles it into the house sometimes because he thinks I am 'cruel' feeding them on dry food only.

DP never really wanted the cats, it took me ages to wear him down persuade him. He now is absolutely smitten with them and treats them like little princes.

yes 8 per month. With Tesco as well. They always paid in full immediately and never made a fuss.

and yes if you can get away with dry food do it. everything else is hell.

Our two boys cost £8 per month each to insure with Petplan. Other companies are cheaper but Petplan guarantee ongoing coverage of any condition they develop which a lot of other companies won't do so well worth it imo, as older cats are prone to chronic thyroid conditions for instance which involve expensive drugs.
Neutering and microchipping cost us around £50 each, but you won't have that expense as presumably coming from Battersea they will be done already.
Annual injections £20.
Food about £20 a month each for Science Plan dried food.