How much does it cost to own a cat, as far as vet bills or pet insurance?

[DebJ]

I've been wanting a cat again, but I really can't afford to take on more expenses.

The cat food and litter wouldn't be an issue, but I am concerned about outrageous vet
bills. How much is pet insurance? Is it worth it? What do deductibles run?

If I get a cat, I would have it as an indoor cat only. Part of me objects to this as unnatural;
the other part of me remembers the $1000 in vet bills twenty years ago (before pet insurance)
when my cat was attacked by a fox, and that was in an even more urban setting than where I am
now in Pa. We have two groundhogs, some skunks, and yesterday, a really large fox trotted through
the neighborhood in full daylight hours (wish I'd had my camera...all I recall was that he was light-colored
and much much larger than smaller red foxes I've seen before in my life). Our house does have lots
of windows for sunlight, something my previous apartment cats didn't get to enjoy as much as could
be done here. Plus, I'm home almost all the time; before I worked crazy hours...which is to say I'd
feel less guilt /less leaving the cat alone. I used to have two cats so they had company from each other.

Thanks for any input.

[Sanity Claws]

1. Cat food, chronic diseases

I know you wanted to focus on vet bills and insurance but food is a related item.

Get high quality cat food and make sure that the cat eats canned food, not just dry food. I had my cats on high quality dry food and it turns out dry food is not that good for cats. Dry food is high carbs. Cats need high protein.
That's why cats on dry food can get so obese. My orange kitty developed diabetes and the vets attribute it to his obesity, which I attribute to his food.

Once a cat develops a chronic condition like diabetes, the vet bills and medication get very expensive.

Before that (for about 12 years of their lives), my cats had low vet bills, not worth getting insurance for. If I had to do it earlier, I would have switched the cats over to good quality canned food years ago.

[DebJ]

4. Thanks. I learned that the hard way several decades ago.

I have always in the past fed my kitties a mix of dry and wet food. But I also
had been using Purina Cat Chow. When my last cat had urinary problems
that ultimately were going to be her demise, the vet THEN told me that Purina
has a very high ash content that destroys cats' kidneys.

From then on, our entire family has only fed the cats the high quality cat foods like Iams.

[sammytko]

2. If there is any doubt about expenses - don't do it

I have seven cats. None have required major surgery besides the usual spay and neuter. But there is always the possibility. Only two venture outside during the day, but they were born feral and the others were always indoor. They are fine.

I have dogs also. I spend about 5-700 a month on their food and care.

They live a long time. My oldest is almost 14 years old. I will not be replacing any pets once they start to die off. I figure I have 10 more years of being a pet owner. I will be involved in different ways.

[Sweet Freedom]

3. I typically pay

$200 per year in vet bills for each cat (yearly check up with shots). I don't bother with pet insurance because my vet takes Care Credit and gives me 0% financing for six months. (Even when I didn't have CC, I never had pet insurance.)

One of my kittehs was a Humane Society rescue, so I think it cost me $100 to adopt, spay, vaccinate and microchip her.

Hope that helps!

[DebJ]

5. Thank! n/t

[marzipanni]

6. Could what appeared to be a large light colored fox have been a coyote?

I googled images of "coyote trotting through neighborhood in pennsylvania"

This isn't in PA, but shows the size of the coyote-


(from......http://homosapienssaveyourearth.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html)

[DebJ]

14. That animal is way too dark. This one was very light colored,

almost white with darker patches here and there. Long legged like that coyote in the picture though, bushy tail held high,
delicate leg movements. Interesting thought. I always connect coyotes with the west.

[marzipanni]

19. I used to connect them with the west, too.

I lived in Massachusetts from 1955-1969, 12 miles from Boston, and was not aware of their presence, probably because they started appearing around 1970.
Two of my brothers live there still and have seen coyotes in the area for quite a few years, as well as heard them yipping at night, an eerie sound.

<snip>
Coyotes are usually a grayish brown with reddish tinges behind the ears and around the face, but coloration can vary from a silver-gray to black. The tail usually has a black tip.
http://www.urbancoyoteresearch.com/About_Coyotes.htm

[KamaAina]

7. Your premise is faulty.

One does not own a cat. Dogs have owners; cats have staff.

[DebJ]

15. So true.

[davidpdx]

20. So true

Cats have attitudes. Mine usually gets the water bottle turned on them when they have too much of an attitude.

[tabbycat31]

8. Depends on the kittteh

I've had two kitties in my life (one was when I was a kid so vet bills were way over my head then). There are several factors that depend on the cost of pet medical care.

1) Age of the cat when you get him/her. Just as humans require more medical care at the beginning and end of their lives, so do cats. A kitten will require spaying/neutering, shots at various states of life, and more well visits. A senior will also require more vet care depending on health.

2) The quality of your cat's food

3) Will you let the cat outside? (If the answer is yes, there are most likely more medical expenses such as fights with neighborhood cats, risk of injury, etc).

[DebJ]

16. I would want a kitten.

I talked about the food in response to another post. And no, I wouldn't let it outside.

[Arugula Latte]

9. I have a suggestion for you for how you can have a cat "on the cheap" -- and do a good thing.

We have a no-kill shelter nearby that relies on foster families to take in some of the kitties. Some of them have diabetes or feline HIV (which is no danger to humans). Some need a little socializing. Some are older. But, if you are a foster mom, almost all of your expenses, including the really big vet bills, are covered. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find an organization near you with a similar arrangement. It's true that your kitty could be adopted, but then you would have space to open your home to another kitty (or bonded pair of kitties) who need help.

Also, some of these kitties stay in their foster homes for literally years.

Good luck!

[Captain Stern]

12. Great suggestion

We've took in an older cat that had kidney problems. He needed Subcutaneous fluid treatments every day (it's no big deal..it's just an IV bag, and you don't have to get the needle into a vein..just under the skin..takes about three minutes). The shelter payed for his fluids and his medicine. He lived a lazy three years with us, and died in his sleep when he was 14.

[Arugula Latte]

23. Aww, I wish there were more like you.

We recently lost a 15-year-old kitty to that damn kidney thing, too. I gave him Sub-Q fluids off and on for a couple years until we decided he'd had enough discomfort. I'm glad your kitty went peacefully.

[DebJ]

17. I couldn't bear losing it. I want a lifetime attachment. Also,

my husband has medical needs that are already demanding and will be growing as his condition worsens (CKD).
My mother and father are ageing and need a lot of help, and my son has bipolar disorder. My life is so full
with these responsibilities, I wanted something happy and healthy just for the pure love. I couldn't handle
an animal who might be taken away so soon, or who was ill. I'm going to lose both parents soon (in their mid-eighties)
and my husband too early, and my son...well, a huge percentage of people with bipolar attempt suicide, and far too
many succeed.

But I admire and thank those with the hearts to adopt or foster. Real heroes!

[Arugula Latte]

22. Yeah, I get that.

[notemason]

10. $35 spay fee unless raising kittens.

Cats in heat can have you looking for do-it-yourself instructions.

[DebJ]

18. Ha ha my son was just remembering last week about one of our cats

whom I had not had spayed. The constant noise all night long was terrible, and was a competition
it seemed between the Tom cats outside and our female inside to see who could make the most noise.
I would definitely spay or neuter!

[riderinthestorm]

11. Foster a cat. No expenses, all the fun. nt

[UTUSN]

13. "Cat" = YOUR SOUL!!!!!!!!!!!1 That's what it costs!!!!!!!1 n/t

[davidpdx]

21. An indoor cat would probably be better

When I was growing up we had outdoor cats, but we lived in a small city. One of the cats made it out to the highway and didn't make it back.

In terms of costs it really depends on the quality of the cat food. My mom uses the cheapest cat food she can find, which is fine I guess. My wife buys Royal Canine which is pretty expensive.

We have two cats and they fight like dogs. The one cat is kind of a bully and bites the other one. He's got a bit of a temper about him that I've never seen in a cat.