Do mutiple cat homes receive regular vet care?

I have 5 cats and all cats go in for an annual vet visit and vaccinations. Unfortunately with Ripley's kidney failure and constant UTIs he has to go in more frequently.

I can tell you in comparison my dog Disney costs much more in vet care and prevention than Ripley has because she had to have heartworm check and pills, fecal exams, flea and tick medication and her vaccinations cost more. She also had rotten teeth and had to have a dental about every two year (more frequently towards the end) plus she had allergies that would act up in spring and fall. Since my cats do not go outside they don't require near as much stuff as she did. I still miss her though and I'd do it all over again (hopefully I will someday soon). :(

Even though I only have two cats, I thought I'd reply.

I have a piggy bank in which I deposit all my days leftover change and regularly put in large chunks ($20-50) so if I have a high vet bill then I am not incredibly worried.

Soni was a rescued stray and Isis was from a litter than an acquaintances cat had birthed. Soni has had his inoculations and was given his heartworm/flea preventative yesterday. The vaccines cost $40 plus a $20 booster. The preventatives are $15 each but come in boxes of six. Isis has not been inoculated, yet. She does get the preventatives, though. We spend about 30 dollars on food (Royal Canin hairball formula) and about 15 dollars on litter (Feline Pine) every month. Throw in ten bucks for treats and five for canned food.

Our vet is very nice, knowledgeable, and reasonably priced. But having the piggy bank helps! :)

Edit: I forgot to add that Soni has been to the vet once a month since we've had him for one reason or another (He will be one year on summer solstice and Isis is ten months) and Isis has had a couple. I will probably take them in for wellness visits twice a year, still. I have never had vets ask me for fecals so I've never brought them in.

Thank you all for your replies.


I guess it all comes down to kitties being cheaper!

My dogs' food it $50 for a 35lb bag which I haven't bothered to pay attention to how much it lasts. :eek:

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

I guess it all comes down to kitties being cheaper!

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No, I think it all comes down to "there are good pet owners and there are bad pet owners." People could have 1 cat and not take it to the vet for 15 years. Same with dogs. Responsible people do the right things for their pets.

Half of my cats are 10 or over now, so get a baseline senior panel when they turn 10, then every other year if nothing unusual symptom-wise shows up. Moby's diabetes was caught on the biennial senior panel. It's tough to gauge how much I spend, but everyone gets one vet visit a year with staggered distemper and rabies shots; I plan on having the seniors titrated rather than getting them distemper shots. It's about $100 a head for baseline visit (office checkup and shots.) Moby needs to go in every other month or so for about $200 of blood work. Pink Nose's post-cancer tests are $300 each, twice a year. Moby's diabetic supplies will run about $600-700/year. Ebony, my old timer, was half a grand because he needed dental work, grooming, senior panel.

I'm glad I have a very good job so that I can keep my cats in the lifestyle that they are accustomed to! The above is just a sample of a year's vet bills. Food is roughly $50/month; litter $20/month for high quality scoopable. Moby's special litter is roundoff error since it lasts a LONG time!

It also pays to let people know you have a cat with special needs like diabetes or cancer. I have gotten donations of a special litter box, insulin syringes and a test kit from folks who had them and no longer needed them.
Thanks to all these folks!

We have three cats. We take them for yearly check ups & vaccinations. Those visits are not cheap (in my opinion), but we get a 10% discount for multiple cats (which doesn't amount to much). Our cats are older, so we have the usual older cat problems. Our oldest one had a cyst removed and dental work last year which cost quite a bit. We spent a lot on our old girl who passed on 2 years ago. She had some health problems but she lived to be almost 20, with a good quality of life. Having companion animals can be costly, so I would advise people to consider carefully before making the big commitment.

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Originally Posted by jenluckenbach

No, I think it all comes down to "there are good pet owners and there are bad pet owners." People could have 1 cat and not take it to the vet for 15 years. Same with dogs. Responsible people do the right things for their pets.

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I don't quite understand what you're trying to say.

My main question was HOW so many of you are able to pay for vet care for so many cats - when I have a fairly nice paying job and help from my parents and can bairly make it with three dogs!


So, cats ARE cheaper to care for from what everyone's posted here.

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

So, cats ARE cheaper to care for from what everyone's posted here.

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At my house if you are comparing straight basic annual vet care then yes, cats are cheaper (they don't go out so heartworm meds and flea meds are not required) but when one gets sick they are just as expensive as a dog.

As for month to month expenses I think it's fairly even because premium cat food cost just as much as premium dog food by the pound plus you have the added expense of litter. Of course 50 pound dogs eat more than 10 pound cats but the litter makes up the difference.

I would have to agree, pound per pound, cats ARE cheaper. Maybe that is why I have so many? LOL, I couldn't afford this many doggies. ;)

My cats don't get yearly vaccinations but they do see the vet for checkups. My vet once told me that my cats are some of his best looking patients (health wise). I was very proud that he gave me and my cats such a compliment. It made me sad though to think that all cats aren't being cared for in the same manor.

I honestly don't pay any attention to the cost, if I did I'd probably faint.

Roxy was my expensive cat because she had a neurological disorder and had to see the vet more often than the others. She also was often on meds and she used dog pee pads rather than a litter box (she couldn't get into or stand in a litter box). We also ended up buying her a baby pack n' play. She was without a doubt my most expensive cat thus far.

Now that Roxy has gone to RB Oliver has taken over as my expensive kitty. He's not too bad though. He gets checkups a little more often than the others and he's on a special diet.