# How much money a month do you spend on your cats?



## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

I feel like I am just spending way too much, and I can't figure out how to make it any lower. I've told a couple people how much I spend on 2 cats and they say I'm crazy.

I average around $80-90 a month.

I spend around $70 on food alone. I use canned and dry. I use the big economical cans that everyone says is money saving, and buy online with free shipping.

People have told me they use Blue Buffalo wet and dry and don't spend near the amount I do for FIVE cats of their cats. How is that possible? I don't understand.

Then I spend around $10 on litter a month.

What am I doing wrong?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

If you were feeding just canned it seems about right...but with dry in there, it's kind of heavy. What brands are you feeding? How much are you feeding and what do your cats weigh? Seems like you could be overfeeding. 

On the other hand...5 cats on BB for less than what you're paying...I think that person has their head in the sand and doesn't really want to know how much they're spending.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

doodlebug said:


> If you were feeding just canned it seems about right...but with dry in there, it's kind of heavy. What brands are you feeding? How much are you feeding and what do your cats weigh? Seems like you could be overfeeding.
> 
> On the other hand...5 cats on BB for less than what you're paying...I think that person has their head in the sand and doesn't really want to know how much they're spending.


I tried out Dave's cat food, but they don't seem to like it.....so....next I'm going to get a couple cans of Evo and see if they like that. Dave's and Evo's prices are comparable. I really haven't found a cat food cheaper than Dave's or Evo.......there's Evanger's but reviews aren't too good so I don't want to waste money ordering it and have the cats hate it.

I try making a 13 oz can last 2 days between them and free feed dry at the moment. They like the crunch.

Honestly I am not sure of their weight but it's average. I have a 6 month female and a 1 year old male.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Two cats and I spend....
I spend between 90 and 120 a month on JUST food.
Litter is about 20
Feliway about 18

So I spend between 128 and 158 per month for two cats.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

Okay well now I don't feel as bad :wiggle What food do you buy?


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

I spend about 80-90 dollars for canned food
20 dollars on litter
+ toys or treats

...monthly for my two cats.

So it sounds normal to me!


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## threecatguy (Aug 25, 2013)

123 bucks a month.


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## DeafDogs&Cat (Mar 27, 2013)

Well, I'm not sure what I spend on my cat as the dogs and cat share the raw and canned foods, but I spent 120 on food and 10 on litter. The litter'll last a month, the food, a couple of weeks. I have 2 10 lb dogs, a 35lb dog and a 10lb cat.


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I spend between $120 and $150, most of it is in food. I feed them mostly canned food, Avoderm and ProPlan, and Avoderm dry food. The rest of the money goes to litter, toys, etc.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

Guess I'm not spending as much as I thought I was!


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

$80 food, $30 litter - divide by two cats

I have health add-ins, Lysine and Tumil-K, that add another $5/mo or so (if I did the math right in my head).


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I made a food rotation list to make sure I don't over do on food expenditures for Jasper. I probably am not following it that closely since I'm not feeding the foods in the order I wrote down and some foods take longer than three days for Jasper to eat a 13 oz tin since he clearly would rather eat kibble all day long... but in general I'd worked it out to about 25 dollars a month on wet food, if I was to only feed larger tins on the setup I have. I'm totally _not _doing that though so he's ending up with quite a few meals of ~2.00 a day food mixed in every month. There's also supplemental kibble but it'll last a long long time so no idea on how to factor a 23 dollar 5.5 pound bag into all that.

Blacky gets Friskies for the most part along with various tins I've bought for Jasper when there's no Friskies. She probably costs about 20 dollars a month, on wet food only. She does not eat kibble at all.

A bag of 40 lb litter lasts a few months and only costs about 8 dollars. Blacky goes out doors so that only leaves Jasper... and I don't replace litter, only top it up.

Sooo, ~60 dollars a month for two cats?


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## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

The amount I spend fluctuates from month to month depending on the number of fosters and ferals I'm caring for and what I need to buy, but I spend quite a lot. It's not at all unusual for me to spend upwards of $250 a month. Eeep! Food for my 5 probably works out to about $150. People who have told you that they feed 5 cats on Blue Buffalo for the price of your 2 are obviously not doing a very good job of tracking their spending.


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## Flauros (Dec 17, 2012)

For a while last year I actually kept a ledger for what I spend on my Claudia. I'd save reciepts for every purchase related to the cat and would enter everything I spent in a spreadsheet. I even had graphs and a running total to show how much money she cost me per day. Sounds totally crazy, I know, but it was part of my budget system at the time.

Ironically I stopped keeping up with it after I lost my job. You'd assume I would have gotten MORE picky about recording everything? But I was on such a tight budget that I didn't want to know anymore, if that makes sense. My cat also had a bunch of medical expenses around the same time I became unemployed. I just got too stressed out and depressed when I looked at all those expenses in the cold hard light of math... so I stopped looking at them. Claudia was costing me over $30 per day at one point. It was way too depressing to face that. Instead I threw my reciepts away. :\

I'm working again so I might go back to the spreadsheet, but it kinda sucks that I've lost so many months of data now. I could have an accurate lifetime record.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

$30 a day? Oh my lord. Why did it cost that much?


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## Venusworld21 (Oct 23, 2012)

Wow I'm getting off easy. I have five permanent kitties and it probably costs me $70 or so per month total just for those guys in food/litter/extras. But I buy litter at Costco, break up my frontline from the large dog size (so $15 for all 5, instead of $20 each), free feed Kirkland brand dry food, and only give wet as an occasional treat. 

Right now though, with fosters (9 of whom are kittens and get wet food daily), I'm up to 16 cats and probably going through closer to $100-120 per month, even with the shelter giving me some crunchies and litter for the fosters.


Ugh, I don't want to think about how much I'm spending on them.

We went xmas shopping at petsmart a couple years ago and JUST in treats/toys/extras for the 5 cats and 1 dog, with a 20% discount, we spent over $120.


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## Flauros (Dec 17, 2012)

Auroraei said:


> $30 a day? Oh my lord. Why did it cost that much?


Just a lot happened within the first few months of adopting her. She used to be a stray, so she was in rough shape when I took her in. There were all the first time costs, basic cat supplies, a physical exam and vaccines and general health tests. Then to actually get her into good health, she needed some expensive surgery, deworming and several months of flea treatments because she came with fleas too. Back to the vet a few times for more minor health issues. As well as monthly food and litter, etc., and I moved and had to pay a pet deposit on the new apartment.

Individually everything was a routine expense. Maybe not the surgeries so much, but that's not really unusual for a former stray either. Spread out over a whole year it becomes unremarkable. The $30/day peak sounds so bad because so many of those high expenses occured within the first four months. So at the time I would look at that figure and feel horrified, but it was a running average of everything I'd spent and it naturally evens out over time. Looking only at the costs of food and litter, her daily expenses drop to a couple of dollars per day.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

I spend about $30 per cat per month, but I do a lot of coupon clipping and buying things on sale. I'd be paying more if I got everything full price. What you're spending sounds reasonable.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

I need to find vet coupons.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

cinderflower said:


> I need to find vet coupons.


Man, I wish! 

Sometimes there are small ways to save money at the vet, though. For example, my vet gives a 5% discount if you bring in two pets at once and they share one appointment slot.


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

I've got 3 cats and spend what is equivalent to $61.00 per mo. per cat

That includes:
wet food
dry food
treats
cat litter (indoor/outdoor litter costs are minimal)
flea drops
worming (once a quarter adjusted for monthly tally)
pet insurance
annual shots and check up

I shop online and at the local pet store for foods and litter.
I am a hawk when it comes to coupons and discounts, I RARELY pay full price! lol
and the litter I buy a 40L bag for equivalent to $30.00 (on sale lol) so it lasts a year, easily.

This does not include costs for toys or cat furniture lol


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I spend about $130-150 on food alone, for three cats, (not counting the fancy feast I feed my feral 2x a day), probably $40 a month on litter (3 litter boxes - two of them are breeze which I think makes it cheaper than regular litter), I don't apply Advantage monthly, more like every few months, but I do order it at Pet Supermarket online, WAY cheaper than in the stores. I probably spend another $60-80 on my dogs food too. No wonder we are always broke  But I wouldn't have it any other way, only the best for my babies. Everyone eats wet food, btw, with dry given as a snack a few kibbles at a time.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

You are not spending as much as you think it should be! I have 5 indoor cats and I spend over $200 a month just for food and litter. Don't ask me about surgeries, eye drops, thyroid meds and follow up visit costs. DH and I look at it this way: we love our cats, consider them family and would rather be with them than do just about anything else. They have given us SO much in return. We don't do cruises, rarely go anywhere for more than 2-3 days, we don't do vices - no smoking, no fast food, no gambling; no Starbucks or equivalent. (Notice I didn't say no wine!) We spend *$$$* on the cats because it makes us happy....but that's just us. I think what you are spending is reasonable and if you consider her a part of the family it's easier to accept!

I stopped worrying about the cost of them a long time ago. I used to fret, but don't any more. I buy what I need using coupons and sales and the cost is just what it is. I can't make it go lower unless I scrimp on quality or quantity and I'm just not going to do that.

If someone is spending less than $90 on 5 cats they are either lying or feeding garbage. Period.


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## littlecatblue (Sep 3, 2013)

My cats are on prescription food, so it is pretty expensive. I also spend more on litter than I would like. 

My monthly expenses for two cats:

Dry food $35 a month.
Moist food/treats $15
Litter $25
Veterinary care $20 a month (they are both healthy)


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## siameseloverr87 (Jul 6, 2013)

I spend AT MOST 40$ a month for my one cat. 
Used to be less but im switching him to a high quality food.
About 25$ for food
His litter is $14 but probably lasts more than one month
And then toys/collars/cleaning wipes 

Things that can save you money: dont free feed. Scheduled feeding times/amounts will not only keep your cat slim but also make your food last longer! Also scheduled eating means you will know what time they will use the bathroom so you can scoop it out!
ALSO scoop the box everyday! This will save on litter. If you keep it clean every day, then you will not need to change the whole thing as often. 
AND always buy in bulk!!

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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

I spend about $13 dollars a month in dry food for Mia. About $10 a month for litter. And $3 a month for treats which she only gets a little of when I wake in the morning.
So around $26 a month.


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## TinyPaws (Jun 23, 2013)

I spend roughly on average £7 per cat per week. So roughly say about £20 a week on my cats that includes cat litter and cat food. In reality I've spent a heck of a lot more the past couple of months as two of them are kittens and it's been all vaccines and spay and neutering. That aside I'd say about £80 a month for me and my lot!  Crumbs just did a quick calc and that means roughly $124!!! 

(I have 3 cats)


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## wolfheartmoon (Aug 3, 2013)

I spend about $40 a month on her food, and about $8 for her litter, and then for various treats and such, about $10, plus her little carbon deoderizer probably $10, so about $70 a month. She gets Fancy Feast 1.5 cans a day, and Special Kitty 28lb cat litter.


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## NOLAKitties (May 30, 2013)

I spend about $100 for 2 cats between their food, treats/supplements and litter. Also set aside some fund for the health. I justify it by not buying junk food like cookies, chips, soda and coffees. I lose weight and cats get good food.


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

To keep cost down I get a lot of my stuff from Amazon. Petsmart sells the big bag of Avoderm for $42.99 and Amazon sells it for $25.99. We have AmazonPrime so there is free shipping. I also buy their wet food from Amazon or locally when I find it on sale, and then I stock up on it. The litter I buy locally, but I use the high end, clumping, Multi cat formula. A lot of times I can find it on sale at Petsmart or Petco, and I buy the 42 pound bags ( that is when being a powerlifter pays of!). For toys, I always check the clearance rack. I always score right afterChristmas, the cats don't care about playing with Christmas themed toys anyway. We have been using the same vet for years, so they give us a 10 percent discount.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

So from reviewing this thread, kibble is <20 a month for _multiple_ cats, wet food is 20 for low end and 60+ for high end for _one_ cat. I think it's hard to have much wiggle room in prices... anyone that says they're paying way less must not be keeping track or maybe was mostly only feeding dry with very occasional wet food.

The thing I find surprising is how much many here are paying for litter every month. Litter is a disposable item, so I pay as little as possible for clumping non-scented litter. I buy 40 pounds for about 8 dollars from Super Store, if I bought the exact same brand in a cardboard box I'd pay 3 dollars more for_ less_, but buying it in the plastic bag is cheaper for a few pounds more litter! When I get home I transfer the plastic bag of litter into an old plastic litter jug. One large jug downstairs and one (~15 pound jug) upstairs.

There is no smell -- better not be as I keep it in my room! I scoop once every day -- before bed. I do not entirely replace the litter, I only top up the litter when it starts to get low... I find replacing litter is wasteful. That 40 pound bag of litter I buy lasts at least 3 months. That's like 3 dollars or less a month for one cat.

So, looking to save 7+ dollars monthly, buy it like I do.


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## KaBOOM! (Jun 14, 2013)

After a couple calculations I average in at about 50 euro a month for my spoiled kitty  that's just food and litter, she generally gets a couple new toys whenever I order her food or else gets a few cans of a slightly more expensive brand of food so say... 55-60 euro. Which according to the interweb equates to around $72-79 at the moment lol now add in any cat furniture or other things I may decide she needs. Plus flea and worming meds, and she still needs to be spayed, pretty soon actually. Whoops  Oh well, she's worth every cent!


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Carmel said:


> So from reviewing this thread, kibble is <20 a month for _multiple_ cats, wet food is 20 for low end and 60+ for high end for _one_ cat. I think it's hard to have much wiggle room in prices... anyone that says they're paying way less must not be keeping track or maybe was mostly only feeding dry with very occasional wet food.
> 
> The thing I find surprising is how much many here are paying for litter every month. Litter is a disposable item, so I pay as little as possible for clumping non-scented litter. I buy 40 pounds for about 8 dollars from Super Store, if I bought the exact same brand in a cardboard box I'd pay 3 dollars more for_ less_, but buying it in the plastic bag is cheaper for a few pounds more litter! When I get home I transfer the plastic bag of litter into an old plastic litter jug. One large jug downstairs and one (~15 pound jug) upstairs.
> 
> ...


There is noooo way I can make the 40lbs bag of litter last for 3 months! It gets lower and lower as my two produce 7-10 pee clusters per day. At the end of the month, it gets really low.


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## Lotu (Apr 26, 2013)

I don't think I'm spending as much as others for my 2-6 month olds, but maybe they will have bigger appetites when they are bigger? I might not have this right, but it seems like they go through about 1 bag of food (Earthborne, grain-free) a month...which is under $15. The guy who runs the pet store gave me $3 off last time, so they were only $11.99/ 6 pound bag + tax. They get a little over 1/2 cup each a day and about 1 oz of wet food. We either give 1/2 of a 5 oz can or a full 3 oz can each time for them to share. That averages @25 cents/day. I just buy the grocery/discount store wet food and use coupons/sales. The other day I bought 3 fancy feast at 50 cents each and used a buy two, get one free coupon...so $1.00 for 3, making it 33 cents for one serving, but I can also get a 5 oz can for either 30 cents that lasts for 2 feedings, so I think 25 cents a day is fair. So, this month for 2 cats, I'd say @ $20 and I think I use a container of litter @ $12/month...again, I watch for sales/use coupons. There are also the treats, but they are cheap and last at least a month for a $1.50 bag. I use litter liners, but keep the liner in for a couple months...so not that much of an expense...50 cents or less/month. We have purchased other less necessary items like clothes/toys/collars/tree but those aren't really a monthly expense. The start up vet costs were additional costs as well as when one got sick and we ended up with a vet bill @ $300? If just food/litter, I'd say @ $35/month for 2 young cats, but I don't really keep track of when we open a new bag, so we could be going through them faster than I think?


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## koneko_otaku (Jul 22, 2010)

$55 a month for cat food for cat with urinary tract problem (Gateway had blocked bladder many years ago) and $20 a month for litter. I also have about $20 a month in generic cat food to feed the cats in the barn, most of them are feral cats that comes and goes. They often nest during winter to beat the cold but in summer they are great for keeping mice and rabbits out.

Vet bill comes and goes depending on who needs what. Last month I had to pay $137 to help a rescued kitten who got burned and eye infection (http://www.catforum.com/forum/41-meet-my-kitty/208641-kitten-rescued-again.html) and he's doing great and getting along with Tux, like brother and sister. He'd be back in the vet in a few months to get fixed.

I would have had him fixed already but my old car blew up (head blown, 225k miles on '01 Malibu) and I had to get a loan to get a replacement car so I am clean out for this month's budget.


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## Aerona (Aug 9, 2013)

For Isa I spend roughly $10 a month for litter (she has two large-ish litter boxes) and biodegradable bags for disposal. Then about $10 for dry food and $10 for wet food. I use about 2/3 of a 5.5 oz can wet food a day and less than or equal to 2/3 cup dry. Lately she hasn't been eating all of the dry so I have been decreasing the amount slightly. Plus $15 a month for flea treatment (once I know for sure she and the house are clear I will stop since she doesn't go outside...I don't think she even has fleas right now but the vet said to treat her for a few months just in case). So roughly $45 a month.


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## MollyMailbox (Aug 15, 2013)

I think for just one cat we spend $50 per month. That's roughly $36 on wet food at $1.20 per can and $15 on litter. We haven't bought a new bag of dry yet so when the dry runs out, it'll be around $80 that month. But with 1/2 a bowl of dry per day, our bag of dry will last quite some time.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

Carmel said:


> I think it's hard to have much wiggle room in prices... anyone that says they're paying way less must not be keeping track or maybe was mostly only feeding dry with very occasional wet food.


I used to think this when I was living in Canada, but having moved to the United States I've found it's a _lot_ easier to comparison shop and get deals in this country. Or maybe I'm just lucky in where I live - by going to an independent local store rather than a chain pet store I shave off 10 to 20 cents per can, for example, and I'm on the e-mail coupon mailing lists the stores in the area and for all the brands I buy regularly, so I'm often getting discounts or free cans.


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## wallycat (Nov 10, 2012)

Not sure what I spend since I buy canned when I see it on sale and I have coupons. Then I also order on line only to discover they dislike the food so I donate it..at least someone is eating it.
I am just grateful we have not had any emergency vet visits in over a year *smile*


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## 0ozma (Sep 22, 2012)

For one cat, maybe $15 for a bag of litter, and $45 on a pack of canned food. Minus a 10% discount I get, give or take $5 so around $60 per month? Plus treats, toys, catnip... Yikes, why did I add that up.... much happier when I didn't even think about it haha.


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## Hinterlander (Jul 19, 2013)

I have no idea. I've been trying to keep track but I always end up forgetting when was the last time I bought the last bag of food XP

I have also been experiencing with raw food (had to trow away most of it) so that's at least 100$ that did not work out. 

But before raw I fed kibble with a few cans here and there and it cost me about 50$ max for 2-3 months. 
Litter is 15$ since my cats are very stinky (the few weeks on raw were magical)
Plus a toy or whatever at about another 15$ because I cannot stop myself.

For 2 cats~


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Lets see...7 cats and 2 dogs...
 I don't want to know!!!


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

7cats2dogs said:


> Lets see...7 cats and 2 dogs...
> I don't want to know!!!


I just realized that I also have fish, birds and now a tortoise and they also like to eat and that they need maintenance, treats, etc. I guess my brain blocked that other expense! Darn! 8O


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## BartBuzz (Aug 17, 2013)

I just got a second cat, but I already placed an $80.00 order with Chewy and spent 186 at the vet yesterday. Yikes! I am their slave. They live better than I do! LOL


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## RV-Kitty (Jul 31, 2013)

I'm not sure what we spend on feeding our 4 cats. It seems like my husband said something around $60 a month. Add another $12 for clumping litter. Ours eat canned and mostly grain free dry. Ten to fifteen percent is assorted raw meat. Dry is mostly a snack at night so they don't wake us up at 5 AM to feed them. They like Little Friskies canned and almost any dry kibble, Purina Kitten Chow being their favorite.


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## Feriation (Sep 8, 2013)

With Moose I go through about 2.5 bags of raw food. Each bag is $20.49 to $24.99 depending on which protein I go with. So on food I average about $55 a month.

With litter, I cheap out and go with Costco brand. It's $7.99 for a HUGE tub. I'll use between one and two depending on how many full changes of litter I do. Dependent on how broke this student here is each month.

So I guess after taxes I'm spending between $65 and $75 a month. Cat doesn't get many new toys or other treats because I'm poor. 

Oh, and I try to put away $20 or so for the vet fund. He likes to eat small plastic pieces. I feel as though he is going to have a VERY $$$ vet bill sometime down the road, no matter how vigilant I stay......


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## Tiliqua (Jan 22, 2013)

I just did the math and I'm actually really surprised that I don't spend more on the cats... I have four adults plus one adult foster right now and I spend about $150 / month on cat food / litter / treats / etc.

I feed mostly raw and canned foods and don't really worry too much about the cost so I figured it would be more. It fluctuates depending on # of fosters as I buy food / litter for them as well (it's easier than trying to feed different foods / cheap kibble that the shelter would provide).


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## pkbshrew (Feb 13, 2013)

FAR. TOO. MUCH.:love2:wink:smiles


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## CharlesD (Jun 12, 2013)

I really don't know and don't care. I have food on an auto order from Chewy to ship automatically every 2 weeks. I'm also almost done with that basement remodel and I've already sunk a couple grand into that with an expected remaining budget of another $1500. If we really say pets are like family, then no expense is too much to assure the animal has a good home and things are as easy possible for the other humans in the household.


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

CharlesD said:


> I really don't know and don't care. I have food on an auto order from Chewy to ship automatically every 2 weeks. I'm also almost done with that basement remodel and I've already sunk a couple grand into that with an expected remaining budget of another $1500. If we really say pets are like family, then no expense is too much to assure the animal has a good home and things are as easy possible for the other humans in the household.


Good to hear from you! Your kitten is going to be a spoiled boy in the man/cat cave. Please post pictures when you get a chance, I bet he has grown a lot.


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## pawpaw (Jul 4, 2013)

I think i also spend around $70 per month for food and litter (1 cat). If i decided to buy toys for her that will cost more... It happened quite often when i order her food/litter i'll go pick up ome toys lol

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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

CharlesD said:


> I really don't know and don't care. I have food on an auto order from Chewy to ship automatically every 2 weeks. I'm also almost done with that basement remodel and I've already sunk a couple grand into that with an expected remaining budget of another $1500. If we really say pets are like family, then no expense is too much to assure the animal has a good home and things are as easy possible for the other humans in the household.


...why are all the good ones married?


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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

^ LOL. Ain't that the truth!


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