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Please understand that a free kitten really isn't "free".
Free kittens need their shots, they need to be wormed, they need to be spayed or neutered, they may need flea treatments, and sometimes they even have illnesses that require a vet visit and medication.
It's much cheaper to adopt from a rescue group or a shelter because the small fee they charge covers the vet visit to make sure the kitten was healthy, any medications it may have needed if it was sick, flea treatments, worm medication, shots and the spay or neuter.
It will cost much more to have a vet do this if you decide to get a free kitten.
If you are looking for the cheaper route, I'd suggest adopting.
If you want a free kitten and you're prepared for the cost, I'd suggest looking in the classified section of your newspaper or calling around to vets offices to see if anyone has kittens they're trying to give away.
[edit: Every once in a blue moon you may come across a free kitten that has already had shots, wormed, etc, but it's very rare.)
If you don't know how your dog will react around cats/kittens, you could try introducing him/her to a cat/kitten before you actually get one.
A vets office, a shelter, or a rescue group would gladly help you with this.
If you don't know how your dog will react around cats/kittens, you could try introducing him/her to a cat/kitten before you actually get one.
A vets office, a shelter, or a rescue group would gladly help you with this.
wow, I can actually do that! That's awesome, thank you.
what is the avg expense (monthly) for a new kitten, btw?
I am planning on spending $50/mon, hope that's reasonable.
go to the humane society and they have many pets. Im not sure how much they cost. And
for the cats shots, take it to the humane society because they are way way cheaper. If you take your cat to a vet before you take it to the humane society they will not treat the cat. Least that is what i am told. They feel that you should stay with the vet and im sure there are other reasons.
Initial cost: Bringing home a new kitten will cost you about $305. This includes $10 for cat food, $100 for shots, $7 for sundries such as collar and tag, $10 for toys, $5 for treats, $15 on grooming supplies, and $30 for the kitten itself.
Maintenance: Each year you will spend about $75 on cat food, $120 on vet bills, $10 on sundries such as collar and tag, $25 on toys, $25 on treats, $20 on grooming supplies, and $70 on medications like flea treatments or ear mite oil, for an average of $355 per year, or $7 per week.
They also point out that these are basic costs, and you can spend much more, depending on what kind of food, toys, treats, etc. you give your pet. I will point out that they do not have any money budgeted for a scratching posts/cat trees, which I think are essential for cats. I have three cat trees... the cheapest was about $175, the most expensive (iirc) cost me about $350. Along with several cardboard scratchers, which are in the $10 range.
I am also concerned what if my dog won't get along with the kitten? does this happen to you guys?
Is that a good idea to keep both?
i don't mean to be harsh here, but, as nature has it, some dogs see a cat, or a kitten in this case as a play toy that is to be chased, caught, and played with very ROUGHLY, often resulting in the death of the cat/kitten. i think it will be determined on how old, and the breed of your dog. some dogs seem to be more aggressive to cats. my parents own two shih tzus and they have always played with the outside cats when they would go out to use the restroom. and then i owned rat terriers, that any time they could get after one of their cats, ohh, boy, the race was on. and if they caught the cat a fight would ensue. try introducing the two animals slowly. and some dogs will take very kindly to a kitten if it is young and sort of adopt it and protect it. and even allow it to curl up against its chest or belly and sleep.
I have been pondering the amounts I posted earlier, and think that they are low. I have two cats, that weigh about 16 pounds when you add them together, so I think that the food costs should definitely be higher.
I feed a good quality food (California Natural, if anyone cares), and estimate that's about $20 per month, at 2/3 cup of food a day. (Keep that in mind if you go for cheaper food. It may cost less per cup, but you may wind up feeding a lot more of it.) They also don't include any costs for litterbox and litter in their estimate. I'd estimate about 10/month for litter. So that would change the numbers above by app. an additional $295.
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