We have been asked if we want an abandoned kitten, now I grew up with cats as a child, my partner didnt….

What are the costs of having a kitten, with injections etc. only looking ball park figures as we are thinking hard on having the kitten….

Rescue places are asking about £50-£80 for a fully vaccinated kitty, so I’d imagine it’s around that sort of figure.

You’ll need vaccinations, microchipping and neutering, your vet may offer an all in package for these.

Apart from that, insurance, food, litter, a place to sleep and some toys. At least a once-yearly check up with the vet.

At least a once-yearly check up with the vet.

Really ?

Micro chipping – is that compulsory ? Cats do have a habit of wandering off but a cat isn’t like a pedigree dog is it ? Not really a companion ?

The annual flu/leukemia/sceptacemia jab is about £30. £8 for the monthly flea treatment and £11 for the 3-monthly worming stuff. £50 buys you £4k of insurance

At least a once-yearly check up with the vet.

Really ?[/quote]

Jabs need annual boosters. Cats are also very, very good at hiding sickness so getting a vet to give them a once over every so often is a good idea.

Not really a companion ?

Some people get quite attached to their cats, and would like to do what they can to ensure they get them back if they go missing. It takes all sorts, eh?

OP please make sure you get the cat vaccinated and neutered/spayed. If you’re thinking that’s a cost you can avoid you shouldn’t get a cat (and remember, you are getting a cat, it won’t be a kitten for long).

Really ?

Yes.

We have our little Gizmo. She is doing well yearly injections and check ups due to her arthritis treatment. Cattery costs if you go away. She has a special diet due to struvite crystals forming in her bladder she did have 2 ops for this ages ago.
The dotty old sod is stone deaf and as a result noise as **** all being said we wouldn’t be without her and she will be 20 later this year.
Can you invest your time and your money? Maybe the way i read your post but you don’t sound like your all sold on the idea. Don’t be pressured into it and don’t forget they will reward you by trying to kill you 😆

At least a once-yearly check up with the vet.

Anecdotally,

The kitty I grew up with never had annual anythings, and lived to be 18.

she will be 20 later this year.

That’s a damn good innings.

Also, TTIUWP.

The kitty I grew up with never had annual anythings, and lived to be 18.

+1

Interesting. As per Cougar our family cat lived to a ripe old age, vet only in an emergency for example when it was run over.

The kitty I grew up with never had annual anythings, and lived to be 18.

Yeah, veterinary medicine has changed somewhat since the 1930s though… 😉

Also, TTIUWP.

Our current fosters five minutes ago, Bungo and Laura, with their sister Pansy just visible at the back. They’re off to be snipped, jabbed and adopted in a couple of weeks. Their mum was a right state when she arrived and had to have an emergency c-section, pretty rare in cats. We thought these guys wouldn’t make it but they pulled through with hand-feeding and are doing brilliantly now.

The kitty I grew up with never had annual anythings

So thats how you contracted cat aids 😀
Downside to that is the nasty real cat aids but on a more practical not if you want to use a cattery you’ll need the certification.

but a cat isn’t like a pedigree dog is it ? Not really a companion ?

woof…
I mean oof…

veterinary medicine has moved on somewhat since the 1930s

Buggeroff, I’m not that old!

In seriousness though, you may well have a point.

Our current fosters five minutes ago,

Waah! #kittyenvy

So thats how you contracted cat aids

We were looking at cats earlier. FIV is a thing. Sadface.

Wouldnt be without ours now. Rescued from Cat Protection, and a proper little character he is

When we had cats they just lived with us. No vets, no jabs, no inoculations – just cats.

crossland – Member
Wouldnt be without ours now. Rescued from Cat Protection, and a proper little character he is

Not ideal when you have to rescue cats from Cat Protection. I’ve a feline this might end badly.

Dave, very good, a cracking pun

Ava – our new kitten.

Here

Sorry, can’t link to Instagram and make it work.

Not really a companion ?

Er, very much so! 😆

Wallop+1. Our Douglas was very much a companion.

Would all the people who didn’t get their cats a regular health check and vaccinations, whose cats suffered from health issues that could have easily been solved/died earlier than they neeed to like to post up their experiences ?

You should take the cat to vet once a year for booster vaccination, esp if it goes outside and mixes (fights) with other cats. With an outside cat you always get vet bills for injuries caused by fighting.

If they do go outside check them over for injuries every couple of days, they can abcess very quickly.

Don’t forget to get it neutered if it isn’t already !

If you keep it inside – not such an issue – however reputable catteries will insist on seeing a certificate. So if that is your solution for going away you will need to get cat to vet once a year, minimum.

Cats do have a habit of wandering off but a cat isn’t like a pedigree dog is it ? Not really a companion ?

Cats generally don’t have a habit of wandering off – unneutered male cats might disappear for a few days if there’s a chance of getting their end away, but will return after. Assuming you have the cat neutered (which you should) this won’t be an issue.

And as has been pointed out, they are definitely companions – my two are very much members of the family!

I have always seen a cat as a companion, they are part of the family IMO. 🙂

A bell should be required. Help the local bird population a little.

We re-homed two cats, off which we still have one.

Both were neutered as soon as possible – the male one started to get a bit randy with his sister before it too!

Both had the vaccinations which require a yearly top up. We paid a one off fee with our vets for the remaining life of the cat we have left. It was pretty good value hence we took them up on the offer. The yearly top up jabs were £30 per year.

She needs worming and flea treatment – not sure how much that costs though as my other half deal with it!

Food wise she costs us about £7 a week (she’s a fussy bugger so will only eat the posh food and drink cat milk).

much as above. we got two rescue kitties from the rspca almost a year ago after the mrs old cat died. they look a bit like the pair in mintimperial’s post but were older when we got them, our black one has a very cute cross eye. ours aren’t related, but have a good bond. the black one is very loving, the other one is nice, but wary – probably caused by their background.

they were about 70 quid, already ‘done’, microchipped and had had their first jabs.

the main reason to keep up on jabs is if you’re going to use a cattery. (you can’t put them a cattery otherwise)

its about 40 quid each annually for the jabs. a week for our pair in the cattery is above 120 quid. so thats an annual running of 200 quid to be able to put them in a cattery once a year. early days the black one went in as she was sneezing a lot and that was another 80 quid or so.

on top of that.. there is food and biscuits.. they dont really cost much in the scheme of things.

so one year in, having bought em with one set of jabs, an illness visit and a cattery stay: approx 400 quid.

if you’re stumping up for neutering and a chip yourself.. i’d estimate best part of 40 quid. also, if a cat dies (as our old one did) it was over 100 quid for a cremation and little coffin thing with the ashes in – other options obviously less.

my eldest son has always wanted a cat…but the wife is petrified of all animals
now my daughter has joined the pro-cat debate.
finally the wife has relented…so we’ll be looking for one soon 😀

best thing to do is visit a local RSPCA, they’ll let you have try-before-you-buy cat cuddle session with all inmates 🙂

Cats don’t need jabs. Especially annual ‘boosters’. When was the last time you had a BCG booster?? Boosters are nonsense dreamt up by shareholders to.keep profits up. Never had a jab for any of my cats of which I currently have three and never had one single problem with any of them as a result of no inoculations.

its really cheaper owning a kitten rather than a dog. 8)

its up to you, you can feed them what you eat for yourself. No need for cat foods on the market.

It would be unwise to feed your cat on what you eat yourselfs, at least only.

There are some things in cat food that a cat needs to avoid issues, taurine for example :

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_taurine_deficiency

I feed my cat on natural instinct raw food and decent meat based biscuits. It is important to avoid food with grain in or your cat get get dehydrated and kidney and liver problems follow.

The raw cat food does not work out that much actually, two pots for about a fiver and each lasts about 5 days, and his number 2s are all solid and non-smelly as a bonus.

Avoid rubbish like whiskas, it’s only 4% meat for a start.

Getting a kitten to keep my cat company this Sunday 🙂

What he said ^^

Didn’t know that about Whiskas though.

its up to you, you can feed them what you eat for yourself. No need for cat foods on the market.

Bollocks.

Cats are obligate carnivores and somethings that humans are happy to eat are poisonous for cats. Cats have different nutritional needs from humans and cannot, for example synthesise taurine.

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_taurine_deficiency

We pay £10 a month for flea treatment / annual check up & jabs for each cat.

Food costs maybe £5 / week for two cats (bag of kibbles).

We self insure, although that hasn’t proven a great saving as we’ve had three overnight stays in 5 years and probably spent something like £2k on vet bills for 2 cats over 5 years.

£21 a month insurance for Ty, will soon go up when the kitten arrives.

Already mentioned food costs.

But Ty has been exceptional value-for-money when you consider his entertainment value.