Cats and cost to have a pet?
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Topic: Cats and cost to have a pet?
Posted By: SMoody
Subject: Cats and cost to have a pet?
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 1:42pm
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Landlord say we can get a kitty. But before we can get one I need to see what costs are here (as I am only use to SA stuff and over here it seems to be way way more expensive.)
So how much does a kitty cost. Mix breed one as such. Then how much does kitty sand normally go for? Food cost and what type of food. We use to feed our cats Royal Cain. And what does it cost to spade a cat? And how much does a normal vet visit go for or how much have you paid for vet costs? And vet insurance and what does it cover more or less? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 2:01pm
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We got our cat from the SPCA she was fully grown and house trained, she goes outside so no messy kitty litter.
We feed her Purina One and go through a big $15 bag every 3 months she gets fed twice a day. We sign up for the free 30 day challenge every year and get the free bags. She goes to the vet once every two years for her jabs, so she can go to the cattery which is less than $50 a visit. She cost $40 from the SPCA and we got her spayed for free at Massey Vets they have an arrangement with the students. We've had her for over 5 years now, and apart from her regular visit to the vet has only been 1 to get her teeth cleaned. She's a moggy, and we don't have insurance for her. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Mum2L
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 2:11pm
If you are going to get a cat, get one from the SPCA. If you get it from an SPCA in a major city (such as Auckland or Wellington), the cat is already desexed and vaccinated. The adoption fee (from memory) is approx $80. The cat is also dewormed and defleaed. This is a better option, as the SPCA do a lot of fantastic work in animal welfare, and you will be adopting a kitty that was abandoned 
I got my cat from the SPCA, and I just love her to bits 
Kitty litter varies in price, depending on what sort you want to get. The generic, budget stuff is about $10 for a very big bag, and normally lasts a month with one cat. The ones that clump and reducing tracking are a bit more expensive, but I think are worth it in the long run, as they absorb smells better. It is really up to personal preference and what price you are willing to pay. When it comes to food, I feed my cat Iams, which is about $15 for a 1kg bag. This lasts her for a month. I only feed her dry food, as it keeps her teeth in top condition, but also because I have to control her weight. You can buy cat food from the supermarket, but would recommend buying only Purina One. I buy my cat food from the vet every two months. I'm not entirely sure of the price to desex a cat at a vet, as I got my cat from the SPCA who had desexed her for me already. You will need to probably call some vets to get quotes. But for reference, female cats cost more to desex than male cats. I pay $50 a year for my cat's yearly health check up and vaccination. This cost can also vary between vets, depending the area that the vet is in. But whenever I have had to take in my cat for other things (such as she has got into a fight with another cat and needed surgery to get stitches), it can cost around $200. I also get my cat's teeth cleaned, scaled and polished once a year, and that cost is about $220, as they need to be put under GA. Normally over a the year, I take her to the vet about four times a year. I don't bother with pet insurance, simply because I put money aside each week for her vet costs. Vet insurance is only really good if you have pure bred cat, as they tend to have higher vet bills. It is really up to you. I have a friend who has vet insurance, and I think she told me that she pays about $40 a month for it, as she has three cats!!! You are best to shop around for pet insurance, compare costs, cover and policies on offer. Most have a $50 excess. You also have to take into consideration other costs of having a cat, such as using a flea treatment every month and also deworming your cat every three months. I use Advantage for my cat, as she has flea allergy dermatitis, and I pay about $35 for four months worth of treatment. For worming, I use to use Drontal, and you get four tablets for about $20 (and you only use one tablet every 3 months). I recently changed to Profender for worming, as it is a topical treatment. My cat is really hard when it comes to sticking tablets down her throat Profender is about $28 for 4 tubes, which is applied every 3 months.
Hope some of that info helps! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mawsal
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 2:13pm
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Hmm, well we've got 2 'girls' and they both cost us about $100 ( ish ) each - one from Cats Protection League and the other from Animates...both of ours don't use cat litter but think it's about $6 for a 5 litre bag ( rough guess! ) ....they both eat Hills Science Diet cat biscuits and one 3kg bag lasts the 2 of them approx a month, and that's about $28 a bag,...not sure on the 'spading' costs, $100+ ?...once a year to the vet for both of them to get their jabs so they can go to the cattery no problem, and don't think that's anymore than $60, no idea about vet insurance though sorry :) :)
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Posted By: miss
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 2:47pm
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You just have to be sure about what you are prepared to pay for if anything goes wrong - if they are seriously injured in a fight/by a car/by a dog, the cost can run up to the thousands (to return full quality of life).
There are also illnesses that can cost a fortune as they age (which is over a shorter time period than us of course), so what are you prepared to pay there. If you are aware of possible one off costs like that and accept that if it happens, it happens and you can pull the money out, it makes it a lot easier to cope if something does happen. Alternatively, loook into the insurance, though I am not sure what the costs ar -when we last had a cat it was still pretty high, but I believe it is coming down as more people use it. -------------  
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Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 4:11pm
I have insurance for my cat - won't go without it now after him getting a blocked bladder which would have cost me $1,200, but I got 80% back. The insurance I have is through Ellenco and their webpage is www.petplan.co.nz and I think I pay approx $55 quarterly so works out to be approx $220 a year. Even just getting an abcess treated was $120 
I don't have to pay any excess. |
Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 4:50pm
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I used to laugh at people with pet insurance.
But then I got Womble. He's an SPCA moggy who is now 8yrs but was my nana's kitten, and mum took him in when she passed on. He came with me as soon as I was allowed cat. As far as I remember he has always been in good health. This year however he cost us about $650ish with a reoccurring abscess that required 3 vet visits then surgery, and then he decided to go and be an active puddy as they do, and as a result of jumping around too much he has arthritic kneecaps that slide in and out of place. They will need surgery in the next few years, but are sorted for now - $400 later. He's now completely insured except for his kneecaps, and it costs us $20 a month with Ellenco. I would say I put money aside, but thats pretty much it, money aside ends up going on baby or power or something, and $5 a week is much easier to budget for then a $500 bill at once! -------------  http://lilypie.com"> |
Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 5:34pm
| Yep, people laughed at me .... don't care cos I know how valuable it has been and has paid for itself now! |
Posted By: JadeC
Date Posted: 21 September 2008 at 8:54pm
We keep thinking about getting pet insurance, but haven't gotten around to it!  Ours haven't been to the vet in a while, but each time it usually runs us $80-200 (ours were fighters for a while).
So I have 2, both were free!! One was a stray, who then got pg, so we kept one kitten. Cost to spay/neuter was $80-100 I think - just get it done quickly if you have a girl! We left ours and thought she was too young, and suddenly she pops out 5 babies! We don't use litter either, I find it pretty icky to be honest. Our house is small, so you could smell a poop through the whole thing as soon as it was done. Ours were trained to go outside. We spend money on cat food each week, maybe $10-15 for two? But honestly, we love them to pieces. They are so special to both of us, esp now with ttc problems, it's nice to have someone to "mother". ------------- http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 22 September 2008 at 3:59pm
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We paid $10 through the buysell, he was housetrained already. Costs $5 a fortnight to feed (biscuits), was $70 to get neutered and doesn't go to the vet regularly cos he's a cat lol. We just de-flea him and worm him regularly. All issues we've taken care of (absess on his back from fighting etc).
We take our cat camping with us so don't have to pay for a cattery etc so he's pretty cheap to run. Most expensive things have been cleaning the carpet from the birds, rabbits, pigeons, mice, rats, ducks and eels he brings in! 
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Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 22 September 2008 at 8:25pm
Gosh, I never realised cats were so expensive We got both ours free as kittens from other people we knew. They have only been to the vet once (to get spayed) and eery now and then we have wormed and de-flead. We feed them the cheapest food too, sound like we really love our cats ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 23 September 2008 at 2:31pm
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We really ought to get our lot insured once I'm back working...it really is worth while. Vet visits can rack up a lot of money and I refuse to be one of those people who put thier pet down just because it's cheaper. A normal vaccination and check up is around $60.
We vaccinate each year (though again we are behind this year) and all ours are speyed. Our lot do get pretty cheap food but more because they turn their collective noses up at Iams brand which is my preferred brand. It's like living with four teenagers!!!! Our lot are also spoiled with toys and cat treats and we've shelled out for stuff like brushes to help keep the fluff and hairballs at bay as well as flea collars and treatments and worming. Once I'm working we're going to set aside a separate account for our pets...because we have so many and only the cats can be insured it will be worthwhile. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 September 2008 at 3:00pm
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I'm pretty much the same Daizy. Although we got Oscar from the vet and paid $100 for him (including de-sexing and vaccinations). For the first couple of years I took him in every year for vaccinations but havn't in the past few years. We feed him supermarket cat food and I buy worming tablets and flea collars from the supermarket too. -------------  
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Daizy wrote:Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 23 September 2008 at 4:47pm
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Whereabouts do you live? Toni in the TTC thread is looking to re-home a cat, maybe you can PM her and see if that's something that would work for you both. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |