Questions about getting a kitten or cat - Paw Talk

bryan123 · #1 05-12-2009, 10:29 AM

Hello!

My birthday is coming up soon and i may want a little cat or kitty. But i was wondering if they gonna cost me and my mom alot. like over $500 a month/year for the food and toys and etc.
Thats question 1. #2 is how much will the vet bills gonna cost me? i will probably think of more questions as i go along. but if anyone can tell me more information about getting a cat or kitten please post here. it would be greatly apprecatiated.

Kendalle · #2 05-12-2009, 11:48 AM

It depends i guess on what brand of food and things. I think less than 500 a month though that is more than i eat. good food runs about 20-30 a bag for a 18 lb bag that will last 2 or so months.

vet bills will vary a lot, from 40-120 to spay or neuter and shots and things but if you adopt a cat that has already been neutered and up to date on shots it will be cheaper.

canadiancritter · #3 05-12-2009, 03:07 PM

Look into getting a cat from a shelter or rescue where it will or should come vet checked and spayed. You should save a bunch there, where as if you get a free kitten or brought one you would need to pay to have it fixed and vet checked.

As the above poster said cost really depends on how you want to care for your cat. A bag or food can run from a few dollars to well a lot more. But using a higher quality food will be cheaper in the long run.

Toys don't have to cost that much, they can even be made out of things you find around you house. Like a box with holes in it, a brown paper bag, and old sock. Its really all up to your imagination.

Vet bills are going to vary from place to place. Put some money aside every month in case of emergencies.Try finding a good vet before you get the cat/ kitten.

~ Kayla

BlueFairy07 · #4 05-16-2009, 10:46 PM

Having 5 cats of my own here I may be able to help. If you decide to get a kitten, one that is not yet spayed or neutered... you're looking at various charges from the vet for anesthesia, the procedure itself, room and board if you choose... a more recent estimate that included declawing (not my cat i don't declaw) was around $250 for everything for a male kitten. However, you could probably go to a shelter and get an older kitten that has already had shots and been spayed/neutered for anywhere between $40-100 sometimes more or less if they're trying to clear out some space.. As for cat food: it varies from place to place what you will spend. Do NOT try to buy cat food at any rite aid or anything like that as they price a lot more than grocery stores. You may also look in your grocery store for the store itself's brand as they are usually cheaper but have the same ingredients as the more expensive brands do. Right now at the grocery store I think fancy feast (what i feed my cats in the way of wet food) is around 55 cents a can, at rite aid it's about 95. Also look around for pet stores like pet supplies plus, petco, petsmart, any of those will likely have deals on their food a few cents cheaper than the grocery store. Also, as for dry food if you so choose: there are varieties of foods that range from a couple dollars to like twenty dollars for a much pricier brand of the same weight and size as the other bag. I'd try the friskies stuff like indoor cat or dental diet or such. It is also nice to get a big bag at first of one thing, use it up and then mix two like dental diet and indoor formula together. Just be careful what wet food you start on your cat as it may end up only wanting that food and nothing else. I hope this helped! OH, and for toys... if it's a kitten you really will not need to buy much in the way of toys. There's a saying I use sometimes: if it isn't tied down it's a cat toy. Kittens will play with just about anything. String, feather, pens and pencils, laying on papers because they crunch, socks, shoe laces, etc. I would try getting the kitty at least a package of little colored mice with beads inside for them to bat around.

canadiancritter · #5 05-17-2009, 07:36 AM

Have you decided on anything yet?

Usually any pet food you can get in a grocery store is going to be pretty crappy. Cat/kittens need protein not grains. I great wet food that is to add to their normal food as a supplement (it is not a complete diet) is plain old chicken,tuna,quail,beet etc... in water in a can. I can't remember the exact name right now.

Just remember that kittens up to a year need kitten food and cats over a year need adult food.

Another toys that is super easy (and cheap to make) is beads on an elastic string with a feather or something at the end.

Just make sure that it is only used under supervision. You can find a video in some of the kitten threads and see how it is made and how much the kittens are into playing with it.

BlueFairy07 · #6 05-17-2009, 06:47 PM

Contrary to your belief canadian, the pet food isn't crappy. You can get the super expensive stuff at a grocery sotre just as well as friskies or fancy feast. And if you look at the ingredients they're pretty much the same. The only difference is eukanuba and all that has special stuff in it because it's primarily used in animals for show, not as pets. If you feed them the right food their coats will be nice and soft and shiny and they will grow up to be nice and healthy.

canadiancritter · #7 05-17-2009, 08:30 PM

Usually most cheap food is full of grains and other things that really aren't good for cats. Same with alot of the cheap dogs foods.

I good places that sell good quality food are stores that just sell food and other supplies and are not huge chains store.

Buying a food because it is low cost isn't always low cost in the long run. For a good and healthy cat or kitten you want to feed them good stuff that is grain free.

Meat needs to be the first ingredient. And if corn appears in the list look for another food.

BlueFairy07- I just think that if you are going to own a pet that you should get them the best food you can afford (not saying that you don't). And as I said before a 'cheap' brand of food isn't always going to be the cheap route. Friskies and Fancy Feast aren't really a great food. But all to their own.