How Much Does It Cost You To Have Your Cat Per Year?

[Sammiches]

I heard that the first year of having a cat it's almost $1100, then the following year it's $500+ which makes me assume that $500+ is in the $500~600 range otherwise they would have said $600+

So I did the math for my cat and I spend roughly 47.50 per month(I buy her 5.5oz x 24 canned food for $38 after tax, cheaper if I manage to find deals) feeding her not including treats as I consider those just a luxury for my cat which she actually has quite a lot of but not "necessary".

Then I buy litter for her which she goes through a 40 lbs box per month which is $24~27 after taxes. $25 for the sake of average.

Now we move onto cat toys territory. She goes through her toys in about a month, it usually costs me $20+(Why are cats toys so expensive! Some toys are still rising!).

Total - $1000 for every on going year not just the first.

So with that said, am I just spending way too much? Because I can't see a way around the litter since it's necessary. The toys again, I consider it necessary for her health. The food is the only thing I can think of but I would assume that down the line it'll actually cost more if she kept eating cheap food and gain health problems. I feed her grain/wheat free food right now.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
S Sammiches - I'd say that you're just about spot on; guesses made in articles don't have much to do with real life. I estimate about a thousand a month for my brood of eleven - about the same as going to the cinema daily, and substantially less than dining out each night - and vastly more entertaining! You can't put a price on Love.¹


¹Well, I suppose that you can, really, but in most jurisdictions, it's simply not legal.
.

 

[Neo_23]

My cat has had a lot of health and digestive issues. I spend 100$ a month easily on food because he can’t eat just anything. Don’t even ask me how much I have spent on vet bills. We are far past the point of considering insurance since he would have so many pre-existing conditions.

But, I love him and I knew I was taking on the role of caregiver when I adopted him so his health is worth the money to me.

 

[jcat]

This thread is from 2015, so price increases have to be taken into account, but it should give you a rough idea: How much do you spend on your cat every month? (Food/Litter/Treats, etc)

 

[Sammiches]

Thanks guys! It's good to know that I'm not too far off from what is normal.

I didn't add it in because I don't think it's part of the required part for a lot of owners(for me it is though, I wouldn't be able to handle a random huge chunk vet bill at random) but I have started my cat on pet insurance a month after getting her, she was 6 months when I picked her up.

Yeah I'm definitely looking at $1200+ a year. Guess I'll have to figure something out if I want to continue keeping her. She annoys the heck out of me sometimes but I love her more than she annoys me, so there's that lol.

I posted her picture on the black cat page already but if anyone is curious, here she is again. That face pretty much always makes me smile or laugh out loud.

 

[xcourtney3]

I buy everything on chewy.com for 2 months at a time. My autoships are:

1. four 40lb bags of Frisco litter and one pack of pill pockets $52.01
2. two cases Friskies canned, two cases Science Diet canned, one case Triumph canned, two Litter Genie refills $93.42
$4.00 every two months for Simba's Prozac prescription.

So, $74.72/month for everything for 2 cats. Their treats are primarily Science Diet dry. (One small bag will last basically until it goes bad lol) I buy toys every couple of months, whenever I find something good. Occasionally I will buy special treats, like I just bought freeze dried minnows.

Every few months I buy fish oil capsules, $13 and lasts 4 months. I just started CBD and it was $11 and I'm not sure how long it will last yet.

Their annual vet visit - senior exam + bloodwork, runs a little over $200. Unfortunately Simba is at a point where he requires sedation anytime he goes to the vet, so that tacks on an additional $150 each time And this is assuming nothing goes wrong. I spent a bit over $700 just last August on tests for Simba and a dental for his sister.

 

[Willowy]

Well, most people feed their cats dry food exclusively :/. And that is quite a bit cheaper. And I'm not sure what kind of litter you use. . .Tidy Cats and Arm & Hammer run about $15 for a 40-pound box, so that could be cheaper too. So that may be what the article is talking about.

I am not going to estimate how much I spend on my cats. I just don't wanna know!

 

[Sammiches]

Yeah I use the arm and hammer one, the platinum one for $25 on average from Amazon. I recently switched to the microguard though since the platinum produces a strong deodorizing smell. The microguard is supposed to eliminate the germs that creates the lingering smell, hope it's true once I get around to cleaning out the litter box again. You're probably right about the dry food. I lived with two different families in the past and both seemed to have fed dry food, free feeding.

Also I forgot to add this to my bill, it's another $15 a month since I have to pay pet rent $15 a month. It was that or a registered shaded parking space near my apartment number. If it's not obvious yet, I chose the pet rent. Lots of long walks back to my apartment door, it's good exercise is what I'm convincing myself right now lol.

 

[Yanaka]

I don't want to know either HAHA. I buy a pack of appox. 24x5.5oz every week + a few other cans to switch around, so I spend a lot of these suckers just for food. Now that I think about it, it's crazy. I also got pet insurance for them, because I can't afford saving money in case of an emergency right now.

Maybe I should feed them Fancy Feast lol.

 

[Sammiches]

I don't want to know either HAHA. I buy a pack of appox. 24x5.5oz every week + a few other cans to switch around, so I spend a lot of these suckers just for food. Now that I think about it, it's crazy. I also got pet insurance for them, because I can't afford saving money in case of an emergency right now.

Maybe I should feed them Fancy Feast lol.

I do but only as an afternoon snack when I feel guilty about her not getting a full meal for a while after breakfast.

Usually half a 3oz can does the trick for a bit.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I am not going to estimate how much I spend on my cats. I just don't wanna know!

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ I too agree with this stradigy to keep sane :

I am not going to estimate how much I spend on my cats. I just don't wanna know!

I am thinking most $$ is on veterinary care - dental ; spay/neuter ; office vists ; etc. ( just hope your vet is honest and good at diagnosis ) The grain-free kibble is a killer . I too am a regular Chewy.com customer ! I feed my 18 cats Friskies pate and sometimes a little Fancy Feast mixed in .
Last month I had a big bill due to cat trees , reflective collars, Frontline and some extras ( including window curtains distorted by kitty cats ) - $1200 . ~>

[ If I win the Lotto my Cat Site pals will all get a kitty care gift ! ]

 

[himawari]

See, I used to have a monthly budget for my one male cat. And then I realized I always, always went over budget because I mostly feed him premium brands which are super expensive and I always find pet supplies that he has to have. So now I'm at that point where I make sure to buy all of his needs first before mine 'cause I know I can budget my needs. And that's not even including the vet bills I get especially since the vets around my area are expensive. For now, he gets the best that I can afford.

 

[Sammiches]

Regarding premium food, there is a blue buffalo cat(or dog) food sale. 30% off on Jet website with BLUEYEAR30 code, shipping is free $35+ pre-discount. It's sorta a hit or miss though as some complaints about food expiring in 2~3 months. Free returns though so there's that.

 

[Kitty Mommy]

Well let's see.... About $50 per month on cat food and treats, $30 a month for litter, $24 a month for B12 shots, about $25 a month for hyperthyroid medication, $74 every 3 months for IBD medication, $350 every 6 months for blood tests and another couple hundred a year for regular check ups and shots. So its around $2800 a year for two cats not including special stuff like toys, beds, trees, etc. Worth every penny!

 

[lalagimp]

Pretty sure we go over $5,000 a year.

 

[MeganLLB]

On just food and litter I spend about $750/year. Vet bills are unpredictable and my cats really only like one toy. After vet bills this year, I could estimate I'd have spent about $1000.

 

[Konchok]

Our cat is an active FIV-positive 8-year-old and weighs 17 lbs. His normal costs are about $165 a month (or $1,980 a year): food $70; litter $20; flea/worm/etc. meds and supplements $45; toys, cat grass, scratching pads, collars, harnesses, leashes, carriers etc. $30. Last year, we paid about $500 at the vet (bloodwork, some tests, vaccinations and dental). So all in all, that comes to almost $2,500 in one year.

(We also paid about $1,400 to bring him with us from India to Canada and then to the US, but that's a whole other story.)

If your cat is healthy, indoor-only and on the smaller side, eats mostly dry food and doesn't need a lot of toys, I imagine it's indeed possible to only spend $500 a year. But if your cat is huge, eats mostly wet food, has dental issues and FIV, needs a lot of entertainment and goes for walks outside (and therefore needs regular anti-flea and deworming treatments + vaccinations), it's a whole lot more.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I spent at least $ 150.00 per month just in food and litter = $ 1,800.00 per year. That does not include any vet visits, toys or flea meds. This is for 3 cats. However, I do buy prescription dry food which is costly.

Probably over 3K per year if I include everything (vet visits, flea meds, condos, toys)...

 

[MargoLane]

I think the first year is more expensive! For example, I've spent way more on my cat in the first three months of owning her than I expect to spend in the future. It's already started to decrease. You're figuring out what brands, toys, litters, scratchers, food, etc. work for you and your cat. Plus, foods and supplies seem to be more expensive in Canada.

So I'd say we'll be close to $2000 per year, and the majority of that is food and medication. But in the first month we easily spent that in a hospital stay, plus getting all the initial supplies, some of which I won't buy again. For example, I won't buy higher-end litter anymore, or litter deodorizer. Now that she eats mostly raw, I don't really need it.