Does keeping a cat cost a lot where you live?
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
India
June 6, 2008 1:05am CST
I must say this discussion has been inspired by some of the cat discussions on Mylot. It must cost some of you a lot to keep a cat. You have to spend for cat food, kitty litter, kitty potties, kitty toys, and what nots.
I live in India, and here, spending anything on a cat is unheard of. In fact, I spend only 20 INR per week on my two cats, and that is to purchase raw fish for them. They don't need toys....everything in the house right from my computer to a peice of thread is a toy for them. They don't need a potty or whatever... the entire garden is theirs. They just go out, dig a hole, and do their stuff there. I don't think they would even sniff cat food. I prepare their own food -- a mixture of brown rice, some meat, some curds, and some veggies. They love it. And they keep hunting all sorts of creatures and get a lot of treats that way. They are, I think, the happiest cats in the locality. I did not even have to spend on their spaying and neutering coz the animal shelter here does it free of charge.
So, how much do you spend on your cat? Is it very costly?
8 people like this
28 responses
@kykidd (6812)
• United States
6 Jun 08
First of all, I'd like to ask how much is 20 INR in comparison to US Dollars. It sounds like a lot, but maybe it is just like 2 dollars or something.
I personally don't have a cat, but I will tell you about my sister's experience. She has 18 cats at the present, mainly because 2 or 3 of her cats had litters at the same time.
She only buys cat food for them, as they are outdoor creatures most of the time, as it seems yours are the same.
She didn't really obtain the cats at free will, they came with the rental property she lives in. It is a farm house, so it is probably a good thing to have cats around to keep the mice away...LOL
So in all reality, I don't think she has to spend much to keep her cats around at all.
2 people like this
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
6 Jun 08
Hi kykidd, thanks a lot for your lovely response. 20 INR is about half a dollar :) Yup, my cats are half outdoor and half indoors. And they hunt a lot too.
Cheers and happy mylotting
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Wow, really half a dollar? Or did I misunderstand that? I don't know anywhere in the US where you could buy any fish for that, well ok maybe one of those tiny goldfish that you buy to feed to your other fish.
I buy kitten food, and litter for the kittens that I keep. I have bought toys but the dog usually tears them up and they have so much fun with each other so why bother.
1 person likes this
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
7 Jun 08
LOL, you haven't misunderstood. One dollar = 46 INR now. The rate had gone down once, but now it has risen. 20 INR is not much in India, but it is not that less either.
Cheers!
1 person likes this
@dierdre (2207)
• Philippines
10 Jun 08
oh is animal spaying free in india? that's nice to know coz in my country, its not. hehe. its very cheap to take care of a cat or any animal here, it really depends if you have them spayed or neutered, if you want them to have those anti- something shots (those shots i think, are the ones that you should give your pet for their own well-being and your safety) and if you want to give them "luxuries" such as toys and stuff and fancy accessories. i used to feed them cat food but now i dont coz whiskas caused my cat to get sick. so i just feed him rice mixed with fish, vegetables, fats of meat which i absolutely hate, etc. and as for my cat's litter box, i just use a little basin filled with soil.
1 person likes this
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
11 Jun 08
Well, spaying is not exactly free in India. But our local animal shelter does it for free because a lot of people donate money to it and they can afford it.
Cheers and thanks for the response.
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
7 Jun 08
We had our cat before we moved to these apartments and even though it cost us alot to have her...I wouldn't have it any other way. We had to pay a $400 deposit on her, we have $15,000 insurance on her (which is $75 a year) in case she damages the apartment or bites/scratches anyone. We also had her fixed and declawed (we have a waterbed) that was just over $100. She has her shots every year that is about $35.00 and her food which is about $5. for the cat food and about $10. for tuna for her so a total of $15. a month for food for her (total per year $180). Oh, and her carrier for when we have to take her out...that was about $25 and a box of litter a month at $5. a box (total $60 a year).
To date we've spent roughly $1200 in the last 2 years. We don't buy her toys b/c she has too many as it is. That's alot but she's worth it...it would cost us alot more to have a kid so it's all good.
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
1 person likes this
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
7 Jun 08
Wow, that's quite a lot! But then, keeping a cat is such a pleasure!
Cheers and thanks for responding!
1 person likes this
@ankilla (325)
• India
6 Jun 08
Keeping a cat doesn't cost a lot but the problem is that the family members might suffer with some allergies. When they are small kittens its big headache to keep them in home as they can't go out to do the digg stuff. When comes to cost recently we had taken our cat to a doc to remove a bone from its mouth which had struck'd there he just charged 50 INR that's all
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
6 Jun 08
Thanks for the response... I had an idea cats were clever with bones. Anyway, my Mom always laughs at me whenever I feel worried at the sight of my cat gobbling fish or meat. I always feel the bone will get stuck somewhere.
At home, my Mom is slightly allergic to cats. She never allows them to scratch themselves in her presence. Otherwise, she just loves the cats.
Cheers!
1 person likes this
@william2233 (225)
• Concord, California
7 Jun 08
Compared to where you live then yes, I have a 14 year old cat named tiger. It stays out for a day or two. I give her friskies canned food case $15.00 for two weeks, toy's about $2.50 each. I have two dogs also. One of my dogs had an emergency operation, hysterectomy cost $800.00 two months ago. so too me dogs more costly.
Oh, my dogs are very spoiled they eat what we eat sub ways, burger king, ect.
Pics on www.flickr.com william_sawyers
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
8 Jun 08
Thanks for the link to the pictures, William. :)
1 person likes this
@YOULANLIU (311)
• China
11 Jun 08
There are may be some similarities in China.Here are a lot of people keeping cats.The city people willing to spend money take care of their cats,you can find all kinds of pet supplies store and pet hospitals here.But situation is different in rural areas,cats are feed there to catch mouse and people can not put lots of money on them.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
11 Jun 08
Keeping a cat anywhere is very costly. I find myself spending a lot of money per month on my cats, but I love them, so I do it. Per year, I am looking at a good $1,500 to $2,000.
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
7 Jun 08
i have three cats at home with me. i live in singapore and home is a high-rise apartment. i have to get litter pan for them as there's no where else they can do their business. that will cost me about S$28 for recycled paper pellets. i also buy dry food for them as it is better. less smell poo, helps remove tartar from their teeth and have enough nutrients.
all in i'd estimate about S$150 a month for my cats. that includes incidentals like vet visits and treats. i'd say that's a small price to pay for the love i get in return. cheers :D
1 person likes this
@bieke81 (1067)
• Belgium
9 Jun 08
I have one cat and it only cost me to feed her. That's around 5€ per week. If she wants a toy to play with she can play with the toys of the children. You have people around here that spend alot on their pets, but not me. She doesn't need it. I do put a little money aside every month in case she might get sick or something. So I have a little money for the bill, but I never needed it before, hopefully I don't need it for a long time.
1 person likes this
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
7 Jun 08
i shop once a month for my cat's food, every 3 months for cat litter; since he is adopted, i had his toys as well as my late cat's toys. but all he really plays with is scratch boards and scratch posts. his favorite toy as well as my late cat is the paper bag or anything that belongs to me and has my smell on it. animals are like kids...they are drawn to the cheap things and are more happy with that. his hobby is to explore...Gumby, PI.
1 person likes this
@tessah (6617)
• United States
8 Jun 08
not sure what the conversion is of 20 inr to US dollars.. but at best, including food, litter and toys.. i spend about 25 dollars per month MAX for three cats. litter runs about 3 dollars per week.. food i buy in an 18 pound bag once a month for 13, and toys that i buy for them consists of a package of 6 catnip mice once a year for a dollar. so that averages out to a few pennies per day for each kitty. i dont find that to be very expensive at all.
1 person likes this
@ShadoCat (92)
• United States
7 Jun 08
I don't spend that much (about 20 USD per month). That's on food and kitty litter. My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat but must be brought in at night and overcast days because of coyotes.
I've tried buying toys but any toy lasts for about 5 minutes or as soon as it stops moving (whichever comes first). So I just keep some string handy for when he's in the mood to play.
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I live in USA. I have three manx (without tail). Many places in usa they advise to keep pets inside. I keep mine inside anyway because of a special breed. In the begining when i only had 1 cat i spent a lot on cat toys but there so many now so i havent bought any for a very long time. I do buy kitty litter and dry food and wet food. Iam open to any recipes you can share with mi about what you feed your cats. I dont think i spend a lot even if there are 3 of them. Recently bought a book about training your cat to use the toilet. I had an aunt that had a cat that did that. She didnt train him though.
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
8 Jun 08
I think that here in the United States, we spend a lot on our animals. We buy them special food, trips to the vet, vaccinations, grooming, etc.
I could not tell you but I bet it's a lot more than what you are spending. I love my cats!!
1 person likes this
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
6 Jun 08
We tend to spend a lot of more money on our cats because we have quite a few cats. We don't spend a lot on anything expensive though. We buy all off the things our cats use from the dollar store to make sure we're not buying overly expensive stuff. We didn't have to buy litter boxes, we had containers here at the house that are perfect for it so we saved quite a bit of money there. They don't really have any toys, they just end up playing with each other. We usually only spend a lot on food and litter.
1 person likes this
@ceciliamilgate (157)
• Australia
7 Jun 08
In my country cat food is not a problem, we have 5 cats and never starve they are satisfied with our left over.Besides because they live outdoor they keep the yard mice free.they are friends with our big dogs.They never have toys,satisfied climbing the trees and scratching coconut trees.
While here in Austrslia I have the same no. of cats 5 of them, they are outdoor cat I train them to eat left over but still I buy them cat food $69 per can,and biscuit for cat.Ibuy them bed and cat scratcher, cat here are spoiled than our cat in the Phillipines.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169931)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Cats are alot cheaper than dogs. My cat is kind of particular so i have to somethimes buy canned food which is getting very expensive. it's like 45 cents a can here. other than that I don't have alot of expenses with the cat. The cat is strictly inside so all I have for hhim is a rabies shot.
1 person likes this
@edgyk8inmomma (2157)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Fortunately our pets don't cost us too much. We have one cat, one fish, and one guinea pig. All together I spend roughly $40 a month on all their necessaties.
I would love to be able to cut costs, but I'm already buying everything generic, and if I made their food from home, I would spend more than the $2-6 a bag from the pet shop.
1 person likes this
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
7 Jun 08
Hmmm. I have 2 cats and they do use a litter box. I'm really not sure what they cost us. One was given to us and was up to date on her shots and things when she arrived. They also gave us enough food to feed her for about a month and her litter box, liners and kitty litter. The second one came from a shelter. She cost $40 and was already spayed. My hubby gets paid twice a month and that's when we buy for the cats (and our 2 dogs). Perhaps we spend $50 a month on them. Not much. Plus the yearly vet check-up and shots - about $80 each per year.
1 person likes this
@snel27 (48)
• United States
7 Jun 08
it depends on how many cats you have. I myself have 5 cats and i spend about 50.00 a week for food and litter because they are inside cats. Then to get them spayed its 135.00 per cat plus 60.00 for shots. So it gets a little pricey. I dont buy them toys because like you said they can be just as happy with a crumpled up piece of paper.
1 person likes this
