Adding a new cat to your family is wonderful, but it’s an expense you’ll need to budget carefully for. Like all pets, cats need care beyond the toys, food and treats. And this is something that new pet owners don’t always consider.
8 Costs to Consider:
- The adoption fee. Most adoption centers charge an adoption fee. The fee will vary depending on the center, along with the animal’s age, breed and size, and ranges from $47 to $255. Fees generally decrease with the age of the cat.
- Spaying or neutering. If your cat is not spayed or neutered, and if the adoption fee doesn’t cover those procedures, you’ll need to cover it. Spaying is the choice of the owner and is a safe procedure that can cost up to $200 depending on the cat’s age, size and general health.
- Immunizations and medical needs. Your adoption fee should cover initial immunizations, but you’ll be responsible for paying for annual immunizations moving forward. You can expect to pay between $65 and $150 for annual vaccines, routine testing and examinations for your cat.
- Initial costs for gear. You want your newly adopted cat to feel comfortable in its new home and function well, which is why you’ll want to purchase necessary gear and supplies as you leave the adoption center.
- Food. Whether you choose wet, dry and which brand you dog with, be sure to add this expense to your household budget because it will be a regular cost.
- Pet health insurance. You can get free quotes from comparison site PetInsuranceQuotes.com.
- Your pet emergency fund. If you don’t want to pay for ongoing insurance, you can set up a separate savings account for pet emergencies, but remember that it’s hard to save for emergencies. Setting aside for a pet can be unrealistic. And if you are adopting, then you would have had to started saving for an emergency some time ago.
- Grooming. Domestic cats already do a pretty good job of grooming themselves and keeping clean, but shave budget for nail trimming, ear cleaning or dematting services.
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