Читать книгу Cats For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 39

Prices for cats and kittens vary widely: You can pay from nothing at all to the (generally) less than $50 to $100 that shelters charge (which may include start-up veterinary care and altering — such a deal), to $500 to $1,500 for an “ordinary” but well-bred pedigreed cat from a reputable breeder or a pet store, to more than a couple thousand dollars (or even much, much more) for a well-bred “show-quality” kitten or one of a rare or red-hot breed. In general, however, a registered “pet-quality” kitten of a common breed from a reputable breeder costs around $1,000, with wide variations by breed, region, and rarity.

Even if you pay nothing for your cat or kitten, you need to put some money into a few basics — a supply of food and cat-box filler, dishes, cat box, scratching post or cat tree, and a couple toys. Figure on spending from $100 to $200 for the bare minimum. If your pet isn’t already vaccinated, wormed, and spayed or neutered, figure another few hundred, give or take, at the veterinary hospital.

The true cost of a cat is in the upkeep, but at least you get to make payments on that. You can keep the cost of the most basic, proper care — food, litter, basic gear, preventive veterinary care, boarding or pet-sitting while you’re on vacation, and perhaps grooming for longhaired cats — to a reasonable minimum of less than $1,000 per year or so. Add in occasional veterinary emergencies (consider pet health insurance, which will add to your monthly bill but comes in very handy in an emergency) and the strictly optional, but enjoyable, addition of tempting feline merchandise — lavish toys, high-end, high-tech litter boxes, catios, books and magazines, and cat-themed goodies for you — and a cat can be a pretty pricey pet.

The important thing is not the cost but the health and temperament of your new pal. Better you should get a friendly kitten glowing with good health from your local shelter than a sickly or shy “bargain” pedigree from a poor-quality breeder. Whether pedigrees or random-bred, go to the source that offers healthy, happy pets, and you’ll save money in the long run.

Buyer beware! And we mean that most adamantly, even if you aren’t buying at all, but adopting a free cat or kitten. Stop, and do your homework.

All sources are not the same, which is why you should take your time in getting your kitten or cat and not just fall in love with the first fuzzy face you see.

You can get a good pet from any source, and many people out there can prove it. One friend of Gina’s, for example, had a wonderful cat she found as a half-dead kitten in an outdoor trash bin (and yes, she named him Dumpster). But your chances of getting a healthy, well-socialized kitten are best if you work with reputable shelters and rescue groups or reputable breeders. Nothing is more heartbreaking than falling in love with a kitten only to have your veterinarian tell you that your new companion tested positive for feline leukemia virus, a topic we cover in Chapter 17.