FurryLittleThing.com

I would go to a rescue organization. Many have "adoption fairs" at Petco or Petsmart. The typical adoption fee is anywhere between $50 and $150, and it will include all of their vaccinations and spay or neuter. (Pets that have been fostered or have been living in pet store cages are more likely to be healthy than those at the shelter. You would be opening up a spot at the rescue for one from the shelter, so you’re still saving a life!) You may get a discount if you choose to adopt a pair. If you go there, you’ll have more cats to choose from, and you can find one that is a better fit.

Some things to keep in mind:
Black cats are the least likely to be adopted.
Cats 6-8 months old are just as frisky as younger kittens, and are less likely to be adopted than their younger counterparts.
Many cats are fostered together and have already bonded. Try not to choose one that is bonded without also choosing its friend.
Cats under 5 months or so shouldn’t be alone while you are at work…they need either human attention or an animal companion.

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As far as regular costs go, the first year, kittens will need dewormed, have two sets of distemper shots, and have a rabies vaccine, plus be spayed or neutered by the time they are 6 months old. These costs shouldn’t be more than $200-$300.

After the first year, the cat will need an annual rabies shot – this should cost between $28-40.

Also the first year, a kitten needs to eat, specifically, dry kitten food. At least the first year, they should also have canned or pouch food. You can choose not to continue the wet food later.

I hope this helps!

I personally would go for one in the shelter because you know they have been vacinated and are healthy. You would pay just as much taking your cat to the vet and getting all the shots and quite often the ones at the shelter are already spayed or neutered.

As far as sex, I have a slight preference for male cats. But I have had some wonderful females too.

Cats do better if you buy them in pairs because they get lonely when you are gone.

the minimal fee that rescue centers charge is well worth the cost. the kitty will be vaccinated and spayed or neutered, and will be healthy. you never know what condition the animal will be in when you get it from an individual. it may be sick or have worms, which is sad but true. i tend to "donate" a little extra money when i adopt a rescue because they do so much for the community and for animals. the gender of the kitty doesn’t really matter. I believe that you will know instantly when you find the right child for your household. good luck and enjoy your search!

think about maybe adopting a cat rather that a kitten first off. Trust me I know! I adore all animals but have always loved my cats like they were people ( I know a little sad!) An adult cat will already know most things without needing to be taught and trust me teaching is hard work! I always rescue animals too, and not breeders animals as there are so many unwanted cats in the world. getting them vaccinated and all the other stuff is vital but also expensive, so if its already done it’s probably best. especially if this is your 1st cat. that’s another reason i say maybe go for a adult one 1st as i promise you’ll be tearing your hair out with a kitten! So much love but a real handfull! good luck and enjoy whatever you get! p.s they need vaccinations every year, and worming and fleaing about every 6 weeks.

My wife made us go to the local pound to get a kitten. But when we were there she fell in love with an orange and white cat and then we brought him home and he solved the problem that we had with mice. Don’t set your heart on a kitten exclusively and do go to the pound. The price is worth every penny. They will give you a coupon to take to a local vet and they will give you a reduced price on shots and fixing the cat (or kitten). As for $200, that is steep. We paid $45 for adoption and then we paid another $50 for shots and testing on the cat (because he was a stray he could have been very ill). But this was also in KY. Getting shots for two cats (both strays originally) is now about $75. Call a vet that someone you know says is very good and find out what they charge and if their prices are reduced if you adopt from a pound. Food and cat litter and a box will be your biggest expenses for a year. We spend about $6, for a bag of litter every month – but it is for two cats (and their boxes which unless they get broken do not need to replaced in the lifetime of the cat) and is a 50 lb bag. Cat food also lasts about 1 1/2 to 2 months and runs about $10 a bag (about 20 lbs). As to male vs female – males tend to be more social because in the animal kingdom the male cat gets to lie around while the female does all the hunting (that does not mean a male cat cannot hunt – just that they won’t if there is a female around) and so the female is more standoffish, unless they were raised by someone who handled them a lot when they were kittens. The more a cat is not handled as a kitten also affects their socialization. Now remember one thing my wife told me – cats were once viewed as gods and they have not forgotten it.

Go to the shelter. More benefits as you have already mentioned, plus you will be saving a life. As far as I know, you are more guaranteed with a shelter as well. Most check for feline leukemia when they recieve animals. Either gender would be fine as long as the cat gets fixed. A female will draw in loads of males if she isnt fixed and a male cat loves to spray Ur furniture and go out for days on end. 200 is quite a bit to ask for an adoption! We only pay 40 around here. I do think it will cost you more though to do it through the newspaper though. Best of wishes and good luck!!

I adopted my 4yr old cat from the SPCA last summer. It only cost $70 and that included shots and getting her spayed. Really I don’t think it matters if you adopt from the SPCA or from a local ad. They all need homes equally. You could first look at your SPCA to see if any catches your eye, then respond to a local ad if you have no luck, or try local then SPCA. Shelters don’t always have kittens available.

I would definitely adopt one from a rescue center. The initial fee to adopt one is a bit high but like you said it includes all those things which added up, if you pay on your own, would be more then the fee. Not only that they seem to know that you have saved their life and show more love and appreciation then the ones that you get out of a paper. I have one cat that i got out of the paper and one that i adopted. The one that i adopted from the shelter is more loving though it may just be his personality though. As for the sex of the cat i have found that most female animals prefer male humans as their person while most male animals prefer female humans as their person. Just remember either way that you go a person don’t pick their cat, a cat picks their human so spend time with a lot of them and choose the one that seems to favor you.

I have 2 wonderful cats (they are both around 1 1/2 years old) that are looking for a new home if you are interested. They are both female and are fixed and have had their shots. They are great pets but my boyfriend is so allergic to them. The only thing is that one of them has asthma so if you are a smoker that wouldn’t work. Let me know if you are interested (I’m not sure what area you are in, I am in Michigan).

The rescue shelter is a great place to get cats/kittens. We adopted our first kitten from the Humane Society and he had his first set of shots and deworming. However (and my vet said this was pretty common for shelters) he had a parasite and we had to give him pills the first week and a half of his new life in our home. The second kitten we adopted from the vet and she also had her first set shots and deworming medications. The vet charged us less than the humane society (around $75 less) for the adoption and she has (so far) been healthier than our first kitten). As for expected bills, if you get a kitten the first years vet’s bills are going to be pretty high, around 5-600. You have to take them in for an initial exam (very important if you adopt from a shelter because they could have a parasite because of the large number of animals housed there) and 2 sets of booster shots. Plus the neutering/spaying costs. It’s pretty pricey the first year. If you go for an older cat 6+ months the vet’s bills won’t be as high. At this age they should be neutered/spayed and have had most of their shots.
As for the sex of the kitten, I always go with the one that suits our personality the best. Our first kitten is a male and he has always been very outgoing and active so when we adopted our second kitten we wanted another active kitten, we ended up adopting a female.

I am very happy that you will adopt one kitten.
I would recommend you to do to a shelter or look at the local adds. I have never been a fan of buying cats. It’s so many cats that needs good homes, so why on earth will people sell them?
If you want a cat for indoor only, then you should think about another kind of cat. Like a Persian or something.

Anyway, what sex is not easy to say. The female cat needs more than a male cat like vet trips, birth control etc. The male cat don’t need this. Please fix your cat, what ever sex it is.
When the cat is fixed and has his/hers first two vaccines, the only thing you have to do is to go to the Vet once every year to give the vaccine again.
We have two cats and one dog, and we pay 45 Euro for all 3 animals. Also we will give them worm and fleece/tick cur about 3 times the year. We use Fronline drops, and for one normal cat that costs like all together in one year, 36 Euro.
If your cat is fixed, he will not fight that much, hence, the Vet bill is cheaper. I also keep the cats inside at night.
The first your will cost some money. The kitten needs all the vaccination etc (cat flu, rabbis, etc). You should also fix the cat. The prices for this depends on the VET you will use.

I would suggest that you get a kitten from a rescue centre. Remember the fee is a donation! These kittens will be less succeptable to any diseases. Also spayed/nuetered cats have been proven to live longer. I’m a volunteer at a cattery in the U.K. Also if you need help and advice the rescue centre can help you whereas the local ads, may have no idea! Kittens at a rescue centre desperately need homes yet careless owners may let their cats breed again I know which 1 I would choose however this is your decision, hope I have helped need anymore advice let me know!