Those of you with pets, what do you guess they cost you per year?

[Irishgrrrl]

Gwen, I could tell you how much I spend on my pets per month/year, but it would scare you! LOL! DH and I have three large dogs (two black lab mixes and a Great Dane) and a horse, so we spend WAAAAAY more than you would be with just a kitty or two. However, I have owned cats in the past, and they are wonderful pets! (In fact, I miss having one around the house!) Cats are relatively inexpensive compared to dogs and horses, in my experience anyway. I do think pet insurance might be a good idea, as some others have mentioned. That way, in case anything really expensive comes up, you''re covered. Good luck, and have fun kitty shopping!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 11/8/2008 7:29:30 PM
Author: omieluv
Gwen, many apologies if you answered this previously, but, will your cat be an indoor cat or outdoor cat? I ask because if it is an outdoor cat, you could have higher vet bills if something were to happen to the cat if it spends the majority of its time out doors.

Hello, m''dear! No, I forgot to say--my cats would be indoor cats.

Thank you all for your input--it is absolutely invaluable!!

 

[kcoursolle]

A lot...but she is worth it!

 

[Lynn B]

Hmmm... lemme think. I have one young cat (my Ragdoll, Boo)... and I probably spend...

$15/mo on litter
$20/mo on food and treats
$60/year on routine vet visits, immunizations, etc.

Of course that doesn't count any emergency medical care, but thankfully, we haven't had anything like that yet, and there's just no way to predict it anyway.

When we first got him, we had the usual start-up fees

... you know, litter box, toys, dishes, bed, etc. But you really only have to buy that stuff once. (Well, except for the toys... I am helplessly addicted to cat toys for him! But fun kitty toys don't have to cost a lot of money, or even any money at all!)

I honestly think I could probably even spend less... I could buy his food in bigger (more cost-effective) bags, etc., buy less "wet food", treats, etc. Honestly, Gwen, I think you can provide a kitty with a wonderful life even on a pretty tight budget. And given the overwhelming number of pets out there desperately needing homes, I encourage you to open your home and heart to one if you possibly can.
Keep us posted! How exciting!

 

[Clairitek]

I have two cats and I spend about $20-$25/month on litter (I buy the jumbo 40 lb bucket from a wholesale club and my kitten poos a lot) and $25-30/month on food (but I buy Nature''s Recipe which is fairly pricey... About $30 for a 14 lb bag). My kitten is a glutton and eats all the time. The adult doesn''t eat that much... maybe 2/3 cup a day.

I am about to declaw (please refrain from nailing me on this procedure, I''m doing it because my adult female whom I worship is already declawed and the kitten attacks her constantly- not a fair fight) my kitten and it will be about $200 to get it done with a laser. I''d say that I bring my healthy adult to the vet once per year and that is anywhere from $35-$45 per visit. I do their vaccinations at a low cost vac. clinic which sets me back about $40/cat per year.

From my experience dogs are much more expensive. I''ve had my adult female for over 4 years and I think she has cost me just over $250 total in vet costs. A large chunk of that was a chest x-ray because I thought she had an infection or asthma.

Hope this helps. Good luck on finding a kitty or two!

 

[Elmorton]

Our cats are really not expensive per year - it was all of the vet bills etc when they were babies that were outrageous. I think I dropped about $600 on Morty the first three months, but not a whole lot after that.

They have their yearly vet appointment (about $60-90 each), and then we buy food and litter in bulk. I''d say we buy litter once a month ($20) and food once every two ($30-35). I may be delusional on that though, since DH is the one that does the litter duty.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

This year we have spent $4000 on our two dogs. The usual cost is $2600 a year for food, preventive care,meds, and grooming. We had a hard year health wise with one dog and the other is getting a chest x-ray tomorrow and blood work due to a new heart murmer the vet found today.

 

[that_someone_special]

I''d say the upfront costs are a little more, but I have two kitties and the bf has two kitties and we each spend about $35 a month on food and litter, or more, depending on how much they are peeing

The first year is the most expensive. Shots, supplies, eating more and more food, getting them fixed-- but I would never go back and not get them! They bring so much laughter and silly-ness that I can''t imagine my life without two little fur monsters! They have so much personality-- they win everyone over!

They are well worth the cost.

I also recommend two cats. They keep each other warm, play with each other, and just seem happier. Though, some older cats want to be left alone and get annoyed with bitey kittens. If you choose to get two, littermates are a good way to go! My boys are not littermates, but they are only 5 months apart.

 

[that_someone_special]

Forgot to mention, we brought in a stray kitty over the weekend that was in the freezing cold. He ended up going to a friends to live (hopefully forever). However, it''s the little things that can cost money! The poor baby had ear mites, flea eggs (uggg) and stomach parasites... when it was all said and done, me, the bf, and the friend that took it, spent over $350 in 2 days for the guy. AGAIN, worth every penny. HE IS ADORABLE. I couldn''t stomach him going to a shelter to be killed... *sigh*

 

[trillionaire]

Dog food is about $35 a month or so, toys/treats another $5-10 a month. She gets a lot of ice cube treats these days

We all have to make our sacrifices for the economy! lol. Heartworm and flea prevention are about $20-$25 a month (for both) but I try to by it in bulk (3-6 mos worth). Vet is only about $150 for annual check-ups and shots, and her spay surgery was $160 or so (but can be up to $300). Start up costs are a little higher, because puppies/kitties need all of their initial shot series (estimate $250). However, I have had my dog for a year and spent at least $750 on emergency services/vet trips, and she hasn''t even had any "major" problems. (I tend to panic and order extra services ''just in case'', but I am getting better!) My dog is purebred, so that was pricey, and my pet deposit for my apartment was another $375! Ugh!

Honestly, I think the itemized costs look really intimidating (they do to me, and I have the dog already!), but I think of it sort of like a child... you never think you are ready, or that you have enough money to do it, and then the child arrives and everything magically works. Seriously. I go shopping a lot less, because I have a companion to spend time with, so that saves me most of the money that I now direct towards her.

Everything just sort of falls into place.

(My dog is a 60lb Rhodesian Ridgeback)

 

[movie zombie]

our 5 cats are indoor cats and echo the above about keeping them in.

movie zombie

ps if for no other reason that reducing vet bills due to injury.

 

[Haven]

I just got off the phone with our vet and thought of your thread, Gwennie!

I didn''t respond earlier because I have no idea what we spend on our cats per year. We feed them a mix of raw food (the prepared patties) and Instinct wet food. We buy litter made of corn that we can flush down the toilet. I don''t know what any of it costs, though, DH buys it all.

BUT, I just paid a $516 vet bill for our little geriatric kitty, Bootsie. She''s the 18-year-old with hyperthyroidism, and yesterday morning hubby saw blood in her stool so he took her straight to the doctor.

After an exam, blood tests, two radiographs, and an ultrasound, this is what we learned: her thyroid numbers are a bit elevated and she''s lost another pound, so she only weighs 4 pounds. So, now we need to up her medication a bit. (The meds cost about $100 per month already.)

ANYWAY, I know I should be very happy that there isn''t something else horrible going on, but I''m so irritated that I just spent that much money to find out nothing at all. Just remember--hopefully, your kitties will live long lives, but when they get old, they get very expensive.

 

[gwendolyn]

Awww, thank you for thinking of me and my future kitties, Haven!

So sorry to hear that your baby gave you such a scare! It is good that there wasn''t anything more serious going on, but yikes, that''s a lot of expensive testing to find out there''s nothing to worry about! I remember how it was with the cats from my youth--both Siamese beauties, both with kidney disease, and both very expensive towards the end of their sweet, loving lives. I hope you still have a number of happy years left with your precious Bootsie, darlin''.