How Much Does it Cost to Own a Cat?

Okay, I’ll admit it … I have a soft spot for animals. Really! It’s true! I’m not joking … In spite of the fact that I can joke around with the best of men about how annoying animals can become. I do love animals. I know some men are dog guys and others are cat people. I know some men love animals only when they are coated with a generous portion of barbecue sauce. However, I’m a little different. I love a wide variety of animals; and this love definitely costs!

Meeting a New Cat: Her Purr Got Me!

Recently, my love of animals was put to the test. For about the past two weeks a stray cat kept hanging around the outside of my office. This young tabby cat appeared to be in relatively good health and fairly sociable. So one day, for no particular reason, I tried to call her over to me. To my surprise the cat immediately came prancing (I know … not a very manly word) over to me. So I knelt down beside her and offered my hand for a quick smell. The cat without hesitation began to seek a rub down and affection.

Shortly after I started to pet her … I realized the gig was up! Her gaze locked me in tighter than my wife’s hold on her coupon book! Her internal purr machine started putting out, what can only be described as, a hypnotizing rhythm of sounds. For those of you who have cats you already know what I’m talking about. For those of you who don’t have cats you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon at some point in your life. For those of you with cat allergies … God bless you! (I think I heard you sneeze.)

My Bright Idea

After two days of bringing cat food to my day job and sneaking in a few moments now and again with the cat; I decided to take the cat home with me. This was simply going to be an attempt to find her a good “permanent” home. I realize now this was not your average stray cat. Thankfully, God has blessed me with a wonderful wife who loves animals even more than I do. As a result, my wife wasn’t the least surprised when I told her about my idea to take the cat to a no-kill shelter or find it a home. She probably figured out something like this was coming since I was sending her a text photo of the cat almost daily.

So where should I keep the cat until we take her to the shelter? “I know, I’ll just keep it in the garage!” This was my bright idea! I called my wife and told her to have some food, water and a makeshift liter box ready. This wasn’t very difficult since we already have three cats and one dog … that all get along just fine. When I got home I took the cat straight to the garage. Although a little nervous she quickly gobbled down the food and began to make herself right at home. This should have been my first warning.

The Cost Of Cats

For the next two days, whenever I couldn’t find my wife or kids all I had to do was look in the garage! They constantly checked on her and provided heaps of affection. My wife began talking about how we should make sure she was healthy; and the kids wanted to introduce her to the rest of the animals. Finally it happened. The cat’s purr machine hypnotized my six year old daughter - I would constantly hear was the word “please” over and over again; instead of the deep “purr.” It should be noted both are just as effective on me.

So that was it. I fell into the stereo-typical daddy dilemma. The decision was made clear when my kids and wife picked out a name for the cat - “Nue” - Because this was our “New” kitty. Two days ago my wife took Nue to our vet for a checkup. Fortunately, she is in perfect health! Nue was estimated to be about 7-8 months old. She received all of her vaccinations and we are planning on having her fixed in a couple of months. When I got home from work that evening I asked my wife how much this cat costs. The grand total … about $190! Believe it not this didn’t break the bank. We actually have a line item in our budget for unexpected vet costs.

For more information on what it may cost to own a cat, see this article. Some estimate well over $7,000 per year! Yikes!

A Man’s Perspective

A real man with money knows what he’s getting himself into. In reality, I had a pretty good idea from the minute I decided to take the cat home with me that the good home she would find would be mine. I’m also fully aware that bringing a new cat into my home means additional annual costs. As a real man I can estimate the costs both financial and emotional of helping an animal. Taking on a new pet is NOT something I recommend for anyone who is struggling with debt or who doesn’t have an emergency fund in place. But for those who have the budget a new pet can certainly add value to your home life!

When was the last time an animal pulled on your heart? Have you ever had an “stray” make it into your family? How do you budget for pets?

Cat image by hkase