How much does it cost to keep 2 (young) cats?

bexbex

oh, mine always have a bowl of cat biscuits down too so they can get them whenever they like, just cheap ones will do but I stock up on the better ones when on special offer.

Wickedkitten

keatergreyhound wrote:

All supermarkets brands are full of fillers even the likes of whiskas and felix (the more expensive tinned food)
Weight wise the 47p a box stuff is a lot less then the likes of go cat
I guess it works out to buy a own brand is about 50p per kg cheaper
If you study the nutrition of it all theres very little in it until yuor talking brands such as Iams and Hills which when fed correctly to the manufacturers guidlines can be a slittle as 19p per cat per day.
Personally I feel that the amount of Hills to give loooks tiny (or is it that my 2 kitts are piggies)

I meant ingredient wise as in four of the first five ingredients are vegetable based rather than meat.

helen_caslass

i have two kittens both have to be "done", i pay about £10 a month on food
and about £5 on extras need to way up pro's and cons of insurance but putting a bit away each month at the moment just in case, my two are strays, well kind of the mother cat moved into next door neighbours house and then started bringing him kittens over four nights four kittens, they were walking and eating normal food at the time but still feeding off mother, they were outdoor cats at the start but we have kpt them in bad weather and so they got used to the house... would have got cats from a rescue place if these two little monsters :rotfl: hadn't turned up

Cat72

I got two kittens from the cat rescue 5 years ago now. When I got them they had their jags also they gave us forms to get them neutered for free - so ask about this as it is essential to get them dressed.
Initally you will need a litter tray ( get a large sized one as they are less likely to kick the litter about and poo outside it by accident ). These are about £3.00. Also two little food bowls and one water dish- a few pounds ( try the Poundshop ) .
It depends if your cats will be indoor cats or outdoors ( i have one of each ! ).
INDOOR
If they are indoor you dont need to get them flu vaccacines or flea treatments after the ones the rescue centre gave them ( however if they go outside at all you will need these jags ).
Cat litter is cheap I usually gets aldis at about £1.59 or asdas cheap make.This should last about a month when they are young- maybe need two bags as they get older.
Food, I feed my cats James wellbeloved dry cat food ( you get it at pets at home & good pet shops).This costs £9.99 for a 3kg bag which should last just over a month for the two but the differance in the cats coat & teeth is brilliant and it will save you vet bills in the future. I always relied on the poo test for cats - whiskas etc give my cats the runs and Iamas has a tendancy to cause kidney crystals. James wellbeloved do some free samples here it isthe best food I have ever gave my cats and I wish I had found it earlier.
OUTDOOR
Insurance is up to you I have had cats for 15 years and only had one big vet bill which was £135 for dental costs. You will need flu jags once a year (£35 ) and regular flea treatments (£20 ).
Personally I find cats very cheap to have and very easy to look after. Good luck.:T

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

It realy is a good idea to insure ,we always had insurance for our cats.Our last two old boys not related but we got them together and both were the same age.One had asthma and allergies and had a lifetime of treatment which would of cost thousands of pounds,the other one apart from an abcess on his paw had nothing wrong with him.Then at the age of fifteen they both started within weeks to develop totally different symptoms.Turned out they both had cancer one was lymphoid cancer another had a tumour in btween the roof of his mouth and the inside of his nose.The tests and treatment for this in the four weeks before they died would have cost me I was told over 2 thousand pounds,so it realy did pay to insure,that way I could give my boys the best that could be provided when they realy needed it.Sad thing was they died within 10 hours of each other.They were so close I don't think they would have been able to do without each other after 15 years.So do insure it is worth it and I always found that cats are affordable and extremely adorable.

Pink.

When I was looking at insurance for my cat I found Martin's article, Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System really useful.

Pink

indiechickuk

If you're getting cats, please think about having them microchipped. The vet will inject a small chip into the loose skin at the scruff of their neck, which has your name and contact information, and any important medical data. Then, if your cat gets lost and picked up by a dog warden or someone takes him to the vet/RSPCA, they will be able to reunite you really quickly and easily. Lots of councils offer cut-price microchipping (around £10); and it really is worth the money!

As regards the cost of keeping cats, so far our cat has been fairly economical. Apart from the initial vets bills for vaccinations & chipping, the only expense has been litter and food. Dry food's a lot more economical than wet, we use James Wellbeloved, and stock up whenever it's 2 for £15 at Pets @ Home. A lot of people give away things like toys, beds, climbing frames on Gumtree and Freecycle, and don't be afraid to email every cat food manufacturer you can find on the net asking for samples - I got enough food to last 6 weeks doing this! The food he liked best was Applaws, and they sent 4 little tins (http://www.mpmproducts.co.uk/) but it's really too expensive to buy regularly!

TheBannister

When I got my cat from the shelter, she was already neutered, chipped and vaccinated. I think a lot of animal shelters do this - it's in their best interests to reduce the potential population! We had to pay a small donation, but I think it was worth it, saved us a lot of time and money. As other posters have said, the thing that costs money is the yearly injections, but if you can get a friendly vet (or even take them back to the shelter to get them done), they shouldn't cost too much. The other handy thing to have are friendly neighbours / family for when you go on holiday. My parents have been keeping cats for thirty years, and they've always gotten someone to go into the house and feed the cats - saves money and reduces the stress to the cats. And I would definitely consider either getting pet insurance or setting up an account to pay into each month - vet bills are absolutely ridiculous.

Just a quick question, are you determined to get two young cats? The problem a lot of shelters have is homing grown animals, because everyone wants a kitten or puppy. I got my cat when she was five and I've never regretted it.

flee

Are flea collars a suitable alternative to the injection thingy? Are they any good in comparrison?
Ive got two kittens and will sonn be letting them outdoors and I hate fleas!!!

Tuttifruitty_Theresa

flee wrote:

Are flea collars a suitable alternative to the injection thingy? Are they any good in comparrison?
Ive got two kittens and will sonn be letting them outdoors and I hate fleas!!!

hi i've never had my cats injected for fleas but i do use spot on it's drops that you use on their necks, you can either get monthly ones or three monthly ones. hope this helps.


xxx
ps i don't use flea collars as my boy is always climbing and i wouldn't want him to get caught up in tree branches.