Hmmm... depending on your area and vet costs, a healthy cat might cost $75 a year to see the vet for his/her annual shots and such.

I would say litter might be $5-10 a month, depending on brand and type you chose

a few scratching posts can be as little as $20 (maybe cheaper if you make your own) and as much as $200 for a cat tree scratching post.

Beds also range in price - you could just simple use an old blanket and they'd be as happy as can be or you can have a special bed just for them

Toys are important to keep them active (especially if older so they don't gain weight) so get a few inteactive toys like feather wands and such. These are fairly cheap, about $7 and mine last a while, even with 5 cats.

Food can really range in cost. The better the food, the less they will poop and less poop is a good thing in my book You can spend $3 on a 7 pound bag of Cat Chow that would last 2-3 weeks, and you can spoend $15 on a 7 pound bag of Nutro Natural Choice will last 3-4 weeks (they also eat less of the better food because there's less fillers and more "real" food... think of it like Cat Chow is McDonalds and the Premium foods are an expensive healthy restaurant. You certainly can live on McDonalds but its not going to be the best thing for you.)

Of course there is never a gaurantee a cat will always be healthy. In the past 3 months, I've spent nearly $1,000 on my perfectly healthy Pouncer. They get sick just like you do for various reasons. Allen is 4 years old now and I've never had to take hi to the vet for anything more than his once a year physical.

Also many healthy adult cats need dental treatments at the vet. This will run you $100 and more. You can combat it at home with cleaning his./her teeth reguarly and giving dental treats (about $5 a package) but she/he might still need the professional cleaning just like you would.

You're being very smart about this! For the most part my cats don't cost me too much, but those emergencies sure do take a chunk out of my pocketbook Best thing you can do to keep vet costs and such down is preventative care, like brushing their teeth and feeding a better quality food. It might cost you mre money at the start but it does save you in the long run.

All that said, I buy in bulk (5 cats... I have to! ) and only when things are on sale or I have a coupon. I usually spend about $100 a month on all 5 food food, treats, toys, litter, etc. Shhh.... don't let hubby know that!