Or do you pay? And if you do how much should I expect to pay? Nothing to fancy just a standard domestic cat.

If you want a standard domestic cat, go to an animal rescue place (RSPCA or Cats' Protection League) and get one for free. We've had three cats/kittens and never been disappointed. Other people may have had different experiences, but personally I'd never buy a kitten from a pet shop (except possibly Harrods, but I can't afford them!). If someone has a litter for sale, you need to check them out carefully before you buy, and don't go for the runt because it's cute unless you're prepared for a lot of vet's bills! Go for a lively and curious kitten who's into exploring everything, and check for bright eyes with no discharge, good coat, no swollen stomach, strong legs and general good appearance.

Whats a litter? And what's the average price. I don't really want to be taking it to the vet every day, as my parents are already unsure about getting me one.

It sounds like you need to do a lot more research before you get a kitten. No matter what your cat will need vaccinations and flea treatments this plus food all adds up. So I would do some proper research first

As opposed to a lion cub??


A litter is what the 'group' of kittens borne to a mother cat are referred to. So a cat gives birth to a litter of kittens.

How old are you???
Are you sure you are ready for a kitten? They are a lot of work, need a lot of time and attention and yes will have to make occasional trips to the vet.

In answer to your question - I paid £150 for my kitten. And yes I did get her from a pet shop....

We both work so were unable to go down the adoption route, we had kind of decided to get a kitten and per chance wondered into a pet shop a year ago and they had a litter. (I didn't even think they were allowed to sell kittens any more ). The whole litter were pure white apart from one - who was calico {ginger, black and white}. We took her home within 10 minutes of seeing her.

She went straight to the Vet's the next weekend and we found out she had cat flu - I dread to think what would have become of her had we not taken her that day (and I try not to think about the rest of the litter - all were re-homed though, as I actually called pet shop next day to find out little one's D.O.B and they told me all kittens were gone!!)

The point is OP - yes you can go out and buy a kitty but that is the start of things - I'd not be without my beautiful little girl but as I say they need a lot of time and attention!!

Plus cost is an issue - you would be looking at aprox £60 to get the kitten vaccinated, £100 for them to be neutured and microchipped. Plus you will need to purchase a litter tray, a bed, a good cat brush, lots of toys, a scratching post, food and water bowl. Not to mention the weekly cost of litter and food plus you may need to take kitty to vet is he/she gets poorly.

I don't regret a penny spent on my girl - and I am happy to provide for her and love her for as long as she lives - which could be up to 20 years!! OP are you really ready for that commitment??

I look in shop windows and get ones for nothing. I don't see the point in paying for a kitten if you have to pay extra costs.

If the injections.neutering ,microchipping and dewormer have already been done,then I suppose it is worth paying around 100 pounds for as that is only fair.

I've left school, and have plenty of time on my hands. When my Uncle went away he left his cat with me, I took care of it for 8 months and was sad to see her go. I have done my research, just didn't know it cost that much. I am willing to provide it a nice home food, litter (although my uncle's cat went outside ). So, if I get "pet insurance" does that cover the "worming" etc...?

Do vet's charge per visit? Like if it had a flu like the above posters would they charge me for seeing them? I know I will probably pay for the medicine.

My vets charge around 29.95 for a check up/consultation, then what ever ontop the medication (if needed) costs

Over here the vets always sem to have 2 or 3 kittens in their waitng room who are looking for homes for free. Try phoning round the vets as some might have one for you. If not, then go to the local animal rescue centre who will gladly give you a kitten.

Ooh. Might have a look.

Do the insurance company's pay for the vet's then? The check-up's etc.. I wouldn't mind paying just asking.

My friends cat had kittens 4 weeks ago, when are they ready to come away from their mother?

No - I got my vet to de-flea in de-worm the kitty first time and I do it monthly now with Advantage (costs about £10 a month for the combined flea and worm capsules - this is just put on the back of her neck!!) I forgot to put that on my list!!


Yes they do - initally when you get a new kitten I would advise taking to them to the vets - even if you are advised they have been vaccinated etc - breeders are not all ethical and pet shops certainly aren't!!. My vet charged £30 for seeing her initially, as she was poorly it cost £70 for the anibiotics and another £10 for him to deflea and deworm her. Then I paid £60 for her vaccinations when she was better...Then £100 to to have her spayed and microchipped, she will be due her booster vaccination att he end of Aug and that will be another £60.... None of this is covered by insurance!!

Pet insurance doesn't cover things like de-worming and de-fleaing nor does it cover getting then spayed or microchipped. I also think if they get poorly there is always an excess you have to pay before the insurance covers it!!

The really shouldn't before aprox 8 weeks!!

As per my post a moment ago insurance doesn't cover the basics - initial check up, neuturing, de-fleaing and de-worming etc...

Animal shelters generally charge for kittens, they are not free of charge. My local one charges £75 per kitten. It goes towards the costs they incur in rescuing and looking after the animals.

Pet insurance is only useful for major incidents or long-running illnesses, as there is always an excess to pay - i.e. you have to pay the first (say) £50 of any claim. And as others have said it does not cover routine stuff like worming, neutering, or teeth-cleaning. I've currently got three cats, costs a fortune, bless them

I second looking for a rescue kitten over buying from a breeder. There are plenty of kitties out there that need a good home. I don't think they're free though, when I adopted two guinea pigs I had to pay a donation, but it really wasn't much at all. Depending on the age of the cat, they may have already been neutered, most rescues do this.

You do need to expect visits to the vet though, I've spent a small fortune on the two piggies I have. If you are on low income and in the catchment area then you could go to the PDSA as they accept donations so you only pay what you can afford, if not then pet insurance really is the way to go. I also hear that the RSPCA do vouchers for neutering cats that are a tenner or so, so maybe go and see them?

It does sound that you need to do a lot more planning though, you will be taking on a very big responsibility that could end up costing you a lot of money. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I bought a kitten for £5.

So what do the PDSA do? Like all the things I need but isntead accept donations? there's on in Old Trafford which is 15 minutes from my house, so that should be ok. It's a PDSA PetAid hospital.

I work for a local cat charity. We don't rehome kittens for free, we charge £60.

All in all though it is a good deal (in my eyes) as that includes the kitten coming back to the shelter at 6mths old for its neuter/microchip,+ 4wks free insurance and the kitten's first vaccination when it first goes out to its new owners. We also offer 10 days vet cover so if the kitten has a problem (not eating etc) it can come back for a check up free of charge. Generally we get no problems as they would have been assessed before they are available for rehoming but it's good to offer as a back up.

Ditto others on here though, I would do some research and talk it through with your family before deciding to take on a kitten. Vet costs don't tend to come cheap and it's very important that they receive prompt treatment if necessary (as with any animal)

Out of interest does your shelter do home inspections? And have critirea that has to be met in order to re-home kittens?

Yes, it does sound like a very good "deal" though - and of course re-homing a kitty is one of the most rewarding things you can do!!

I cannot imagine actually PAYING for a kitten ?????? There are always hundreds of people trying to get rid of unwanted ones.

Ask around and see what you can find locally.

We don't tend to do home visits for every kitten no, although there are exceptions. Same goes for adult cats. We ask to see ID/proof of address and a landlord's letter if the person is living in privately rented accomodation.

As far as requirements go, for kittens under the age of 16wks we ideally like them to be left for no more than 4hrs during the day (mainly due to them needing a lunchtime feed) but it's discussed on a case by case basis so if you can pop home from work at some point during the day or a neighbour/relative is willing to feed and check it for you that's usually ok.

Quite honestly we have no proof people will actually do as they say they will once kitten is home so it may well get left longer with food down or a timer, but staff are aware of this and to be honest our main priority is that it will be well looked after so we kind of let that one go If you are in the job a reasonable length of time you know who you get a good 'vibe' off so to speak.

The other requirement is that we like them to have access to the outside once old enough and that new owners sign an agreement that the kitten will be brought back for neuter etc at 6mths and not used for breeding- the latter point we are very strict on and will do a home visit as a last resort if someone persistantly ignores our calls/letters/emails after they have missed the appointment given to them.

Adult cat rules are quite different and would be assessed based on the individual needs of the cat, though outdoor access is generally important for most of them. Most cats aren't that bothered if their owners are out at work all day so we aren't too fussed as long as they get at least some time spent with them each day as well as fed, checked etc.

Sorry I do seem to have gone on a bit but yes it is very rewarding matching animals up with suitable owners, particularly the older or more long term residents

You are not going on - I found all of your info very helpful.

As I admitted earlier in the thread I did actually get my girl from a pet shop. However she was poorly and needed a fair bit of treatment - who knows if someone else would have "bothered" (or could have afforded it) so in a way I did my good turn.

She's now 14 months, has been living with us for a year on Saturday and has us both wrapped around her little finger (paw!!) - we adore her and couldn't imagine our home or life without her!! So it worked out OK in the end

You really do have to be aware of the costs of a kitten, they aren't cheap animals by any means. In fact purchasing the kitten will probably be the lowest cost you'll pay.

We have a pedigree cat and, until recently, a moggie. I shall tell you the costs of moggie ownership.

Our moggie cost £50 to buy from a local family, there were no suitable cats in the shelters and no free ones. She needed a course of vaccinations, this cost £75. Then microchipping, £20. You can get worming and flea medicine cheaper if you order off the internet, but I would budget about £4-5 a month for them. If your cat is going to go outside then they will need worming and fleeing, and the vaccinations, as they will be mixing with other cats.

Toys can be cheap, cats love ping pong balls and crinkled up paper and tinfoil. You'll need food and water bowls, a litter tray and litter (litter costs vary from £2 a bag for fullers earth clay to £8+ a bag for the posher, dust free stuff). They will need a scratching post so that they don't use your furniture instead, they can be from £5 to £150 depending on size and quality. You can buy a bed but my cats have always ignored them, preferring our furniture instead!

Food can vary in price, and I won't lead you into a discussion about whether cats need all the grain in them or not. Lots of cats do live happily on the cheaper food. Unfortunately one of our cats has a grain intolerance so needs special food which costs up to £30 a month. They often need special, easily digestible food when poorly too.

When they are 5-6 months old they will need neutering. This costs between £80 and £120 usually. Neutering is very important, you don't want to bring unwanted kittens into the world.

I recommend pet insurance wholeheartedly. We use pet plan and the For Life plan was £8.50 a month for our moggie. It does not pay for worming, de-fleaing or neutering, you need to find the money for them yourself. Our plan has an excess of £65, which means that you have to pay the first £65 of any illness and the insurance will pay the rest, though they look through your bill with a fine tooth comb and inform you of anything they won't pay for. You will often have to pay for the treatment at the vet before claiming, and then they refund you when the insurance company pays them.

Each time you visit the vet it will cost you £25-£35 in consultant fees, plus any medicine (can be £10 for an injection, £20 for a course of tablets etc).

There are emergencies which you need to factor in, and this is where insurance helps BIG TIME. Our moggie kitten developed a very rare, terminal illness called FIP. She was only 8 months old. For two weeks we battled to cure her, but there was no hope and she was put to sleep before she got worse.

The two weeks of treatment included vet visits, medicines, 6 days in the vets on a drip, emergency appointments on the bank holiday, special food, many blood tests, a trip to the big veterinary university and a biopsy. The cost came to over £1200, thanks to pet insurance we had to pay only £95 of that. Pet insurance gave us the opportunity to do everything we could to try and make her better without worrying about the costs. Pet Plan were very good to deal with and I recommend them.

Another thing you need to think about when taking on a pet is the amount of time they need. Unless a friend, family or neighbour can come in to feed and scoop their poop twice a day when you are on holiday, then you will need to put them in a boarding cattery. This can be very expensive.

Please do some thorough research before getting a kitten of your own, the library will have some books that you can borrow!

Wow seems theres more to taking care of cats than meets the eye. I'll have a read ofa few books on the weekend, thanks for everyone's help

I think you do need to do a lot more research into both cat care and costs. The annual "maintenance" costs for a healthy cat at the vet's are about £60, and insurance won't pay for it. When you go on holiday, you might need to put the cat in a cattery, or pay someone to look after it. It all mounts up.