Kim, Don't be shy about asking an adoption fee, and add a few dollars to make up for your time and other expenses. After you have operated your shelter for a while, you can calculate what it costs per pet to keep each pet (including utilities, meds, and food,and spaying and neutering). And then after you figure that out, add 20% for a "fudge factor" expense. (To add 20% to any figure divide it by 0.8).
For example, if you take in 35 furkids over a 3 month period and your expenses amount to say, $15.00, per month(= $45.00) for bulk dry food, $1225.00 for spay and neutering and vaccination services, and your utilities have gone up, say $35.00 per month(=$105.00) for heating and cooling for the cats, and you have spent, say, $ 165.00 for flea meds. Add all of these expenses up = $1540.00. Divide this by the number of furkids, whether you have adopted them out or still have them, = $44.00 per cat. Now divide this by 0.8 = $ 55.00. is your expense for keeping and adopting out each furkid. This does not include any special insurance or other "hidden" costs. I think you can see that the $50.00 fee is not asking too much.. These figures are only approximtions and the actual expenses will probably be different, and are meant to be for example only.
Also, since money equates to time in our western society, that a prospective customer paying $50.00 for a pet cat will also take the time to seriously consider the cost of purchasing and keeping the furkid. Like it has been stated, charging a fair fee for your expenses will keep out the rif-raf.
......wayne
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks