How much does it cost to keep a cat?

rita-rabbit

Proper care for pets is not a cheap thing. Costs can be minimised with forethought/planning.

Insurance
you are better off setting up an account for the cat (high interest) & regularly put money in there.

Go back 2 CPL and ask for a discount on treatments: flea/worm/microchipping - doubt they will refuse you as you are offering cat a home they approve of.

Get all/most of food/toys/litter/meds online & don't spend much on toys or bed/ing - generally cat will suit itself.
pets at home
zoo plus
http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/

TBeckett100

ashleyrossuk wrote: »

Hello i just bought two 7 month old male cats from the cat protection league yesterday. (after our bunny sadly departed, my son then wanted a cat, i then some how got conned into getting to cats).

I spent £80 on two cats.
£100 on stuff like beds, scratch post, litter tray, toys, bowls etc....


My vet said it would cost £76 per cat for vacinations, £30 on microchipping per cat (first injections tommorow).

The cheapest pet insurance i can get is £75 per cat, with no excess is from m and s.

Still have to get frontline, worming tablets and probably a million other things that i havent thought of yet!

You might have noticed that these are my first cats!

Any ideas how to cut any of these costs??????????

i somehow found this post disturbing. You have chosen to take 2 lives from a cats home (so they havent been given a good start) and you have spoken in monetary terms, albeit your post is about costs.

I bought two cats from CPL after seeingf a story featured in the Sunday People 2 boxing days back. The cats had been locked in a room with about 50 others causing their eyes to rot and other horrible things,

I didnt bother with insurance, and soon after Lolo was battered by the other cat so he was tempoarily blinded in his good eye. After that the cats lived happily in the house until we came back from hols to find one had fallen very ill. I spent £800 on an operation to save him but he died in recovery, so its just me and Lolo now. he is very affectionate and is half sat on my laptop as I type,

I am a believer that if you own an animal money should be be an object as that animal should receive the best as the poor things do not get a choice of owner when they are picked by a goofy toothed child in a pet shop.

so in terms of money, the start up costs my be a lot but once they are up and running it should peter out. Lolo insists on 3 pouches of roasted felix a day and will eat nothing that looks remotely cheaper.

The cat should be chipped and innoculated for the on the road price you paid.

rita-rabbit

Well like alot of moneysavers on here I can't actually afford a holiday without going into further debt. I am sorry you are disturbed @ the discussion about money - !!!!!! - this is the moneysaving expert site! I have 2 cats & they are extremely happy/healthy.

It's best that we share advice on cutting costs & mayb the cats will get the best people can give them (rather than people resenting animal expenditure & possibly giving cat back & stressing it about having 2 find another home or neglecting it). Please note that the UK pet owners have been reported as not being as caring as they once were so encouraging people to get as much value/stuff 2 care for them correctly should be your prime concern (in my opinion). It is not helpful to be disparaging about members children either (also in my opinion).

anyways back to the MAIN topic: cheapest stuff 2 care for cats. Go online & plan ahead - cheaper/better quality than supermarket:
Argos
&
there is another thread that gives sites for online meds & equipment - can't remember all sites off the top of my head.

some of us live in the real world

Ghost

Hi ashleyrossuk,

Firstly, well done you for adopting two needy cats. :T

However, having said that, I am slightly alarmed by your comment "I then somehow got conned into getting two cats". What do you mean by "conned" - by whom? Does this mean that you don't really want the cats and are just tolerating them? If so, what will the knock-on effect of this attitude mean for your cats?

No one would expect to bring up a child without incurring any costs, so why would it be any different for adopting pets? And pets are considerably cheaper than kids!

Just had a look at CP's website at http://www.cats.org.uk and they say:

If you have any queries, after taking your cat home, please give the Adoption Centre or Branch a call. Our National Helpline (08702 099 099) is also here to help you Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm.

On microchipping, they also state:

Did you know..
You can expect to pay between £20 and £30 for the procedure, which can be performed by vets, local authorities and trained members of animal welfare groups.

I hope the cats settle in with you quickly and that you really do want to give them the care and attention they deserve, even if it does have financial implications.

All the best.

TBeckett100

rita-rabbit wrote: »

Well like alot of moneysavers on here I can't actually afford a holiday without going into further debt. I am sorry you are disturbed @ the discussion about money - !!!!!! - this is the moneysaving expert site! I have 2 cats & they are extremely happy/healthy.

It's best that we share advice on cutting costs & mayb the cats will get the best people can give them (rather than people resenting animal expenditure & possibly giving cat back & stressing it about having 2 find another home or neglecting it). Please note that the UK pet owners have been reported as not being as caring as they once were so encouraging people to get as much value/stuff 2 care for them correctly should be your prime concern (in my opinion). It is not helpful to be disparaging about members children either (also in my opinion).

anyways back to the MAIN topic: cheapest stuff 2 care for cats. Go online & plan ahead - cheaper/better quality than supermarket:
Argos
&
there is another thread that gives sites for online meds & equipment - can't remember all sites off the top of my head.

some of us live in the real world

not sure what holidays and debt have to do with this. all i was saying, and i love my cat dearly is that cats, dogs etc shouldnt be costed out. they are part of the family

keelykat

Rita-rabbit was maybe looking at your signature?

sorry to butt in!

keely.

TBeckett100

oh, we thank MSE for that, everytime there was a cheap penny flight or free accomodation from easyjet i was there

keelykat

Don't blame you!

ashleyrossuk

Ghost wrote: »

However, having said that, I am slightly alarmed by your comment "I then somehow got conned into getting two cats". What do you mean by "conned" - by whom? Does this mean that you don't really want the cats and are just tolerating them? If so, what will the knock-on effect of this attitude mean for your cats?



After my rabbit died, i really wanted to get another one but my husband and son wanted to get a cat! I got a the cats because it was a family decision and not my own.

I am a responsible person and would never get any animal that i knew that i could love and look after properly. I understand why you have said this but i just wanted to clear up this issue.

The cats didnt come with injections and i have confirmed that they dont have the funding to do this. The cats were handed in when we were looking for a cat as they person who had them before had to return them as she was moving. the cats had only been in 15 minutes by the time we took them home and they were never mistreated before hand.

rita-rabbit

Good luck

pets can be costly, most normal people would be horrified if you viewed the care of pets above that of your own child. There are lots of threads giving advice on where to buy meds, food etc cheaply. CPL may be able to facilitate a discount voucher that you can take to another vet for jabs etc.

That said - & I do not give any vetinary expertise on this but I DID have a cat (moggie) for some 21 years & she was put down because the quality of her life was so poor & I was unhappy about the amount of medical intervention necessary to keep her alive - Lucy - she only started to have jabs after she was 12 & had lost her tail in a road accident. I do believe that vets scare us in2 lots of procedures that are not essential. I have heard that vaccinations are only REALLY essential every 3 years, I have not tried this since the demise of Lucy, my current cats generally get their jabs every other year (one is a housecat & other is semi - he goes on jaunts every other week or so & hunts). The vet was rather annoyed when I mentioned this & said that I was taking risks - I imagine as the older one gets to 10 I will consider insurance & annual jabs.

Before people go mad & say how irresponsible I am, I repeat I love my cats dearly (hence despite my low income I decided to get two 2 keep each other company whilst I am at work), they eat organic food (Burns) & if they seem unwell they go straight to the vet. Just having seen Lucy live to 21 with very medical attention for most of her life I do wonder about the growth in veterinary costs/intervention.

Last thing - don't bother to buy stuff from Supermarkets
food & litter is overpriced & not v good
meds - generally do not work as well as from vet/online

Sorry it was long one but I do hate people looking down their noses @ others

Enjoy

x