Being a responsible cat owner comes with some financial obligations. If you are not in a good situation or are not willing to face these costs, it may be best not to adopt a cat. If your budget is limited, but you’re willing to make some sacrifices to have the pleasures of a cat in your life, then you may be able to make that dream come true.
It’s hard to resist that cute kitten in the box «waiting for a good home» or that friendly stray on the street begging to come home with you, but if you can’t afford to provide the basics, you’re probably not doing the animal any favors. Fortunately, you have options when your love for cats far outweighs the means to properly care for them.
The cat’s primary needs
Cats have some basic needs that often make the difference between a stray on the street and a cat in a home with a responsible caretaker. These needs include:
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- The food, of the highest quality you can afford
- A safe environment for internal use only, with few exceptions
- Spay or neuter, provided by a veterinarian
- Basic vaccinations, provided by a veterinarian
- An annual veterinary visit
- Emergency veterinary care when a cat is sick
If you are not willing to pay them, you cannot afford to own a cat.
The costs of cat care
These costs vary depending on the location, size, age and health of your cat and are only rough estimates, but will give you an idea of the costs you will incur:
Quality food: Good quality cat food can range between 60 and 90 lei per month. Consider that you would spend more for a restaurant dinner.
Litter and Litter: You can buy a luxury self-cleaning litter box for around 3500 lei. An 8 kilogram bag of the best cat litter costs around 90 lei and should last a cat for almost a month.
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Neutering or sterilization: there are many low-cost spay and neuter clinics that could offer the service for less than 300 lei. This cost is miniscule compared to the cost of treating an abscess caused by a fight in an unneutered male or aborting or treating pregnant female cats and newborn kittens resulting from an unexpected pregnancy.
Basic vaccinations: the cost will vary depending on the risk factor affecting the cat. As with spaying and neutering, there are many low-cost vaccination clinics available. Expect around 200 lei for the entire annual series.
Annual veterinary visit: a thorough examination, including dental and blood profile, will cost around 1000 lei.
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Emergency veterinary care: there is no real way to estimate these costs as they vary based on age and overall condition. Set aside money each month for a «veterinary emergency fund» of at least $200 and put it in a drawer to be used only for cat emergencies.
Difficult times
There will come times when illness, the death of a partner, or a sudden loss of income will drastically affect the type of care you can provide your cat. Explore areas where cat care costs may be compromised.
Cat food costs: Of course, food choices can be compromised somewhat by purchasing less expensive premium cat foods, purchasing larger bags of dry food, or even supplementing with premium grocery store brand cat foods until finances improve.
Ask your vet for payment terms: Some vets will allow you to pay an emergency bill in weekly or monthly installments.
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Loan: borrow from family, friends or your local bank if possible. Ask your credit card holder for a temporary limit increase, but make sure you make at least the minimum payment in the following month.
Pawning or selling assets: look around your house and see what you can afford to let go of, then host a garage sale or sell your items online.
Veterinary expenses: Some cat owners have extended the interval between annual exams for younger, healthier cats. Some basic vaccinations can be administered at home with significant savings, especially in a multi-cat household. Note: Do not attempt vaccinations at home unless you are fully familiar with the process and risks. Emergency veterinary treatment is a little more difficult to deal with. If you have previously established a collaborative relationship with your vet as a team, you will be more likely to make concessions when it comes to emergency care.
Volunteer rather than ownership
If you love cats but can’t afford to give them responsible care, do the truly altruistic thing and volunteer at a shelter instead of bringing a cat home. Most shelters couldn’t function without volunteers, and volunteers quickly learn the realities of pet life and the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership.
It would be a win-win situation where you can enjoy being surrounded by your favorite animals and the shelter cats will benefit from your loving care.
Read also: The best premium dry cat food
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