Offers on meals and do-it-yourself toys: seven methods to chop the price of cat possession

Think about the breed

The price of proudly owning a cat varies relying on the breed you get. It’s going to set you again a minimum of £11,100 to look after the common cat over its lifetime, in keeping with pet charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). This contains the price of insurance coverage however doesn’t embrace extra vet payments for sickness or harm.

Nonetheless, the breed you select will have an effect on how a lot you spend, each on the outset and all through its life.

Cats will be rehomed from shelters for beneath £100, whereas costs to purchase pedigree cats from breeders fluctuate extensively. Maine coon, bengal and persian kittens can price £800 or extra every from breeders. They’re additionally within the high 10 most costly cat breeds to insure in 2024, in keeping with the value comparability web site GoCompare.

You will discover out extra in regards to the different ongoing prices of proudly owning a cat on the PDSA web site, together with data on grooming, meals, and gear. There are many recommendations on caring to your cat on a funds on the Cats Safety web site.

Get insured

Failing to purchase pet insurance coverage might go away you with hefty vet payments in case your cat has an accident, develops a well being situation or will get injured in a combat. The price of a cat hip alternative will be as excessive as £8,000, in keeping with the web site Pets4Homes, whereas treating an open wound can price as much as £350.

Lifetime pet insurance coverage is often the most costly kind of canopy, but it surely offers you the best peace of thoughts. It covers most vet payments for sickness or harm, with the duvet restrict resetting every year. Time-limited insurance policies are cheaper, however they’ve an annual cap on what you’ll be able to declare for every situation.

Anna McEntee, a director on the worth comparability web site Examine the Market, says: “Insurance coverage insurance policies typically received’t cowl pre-existing well being situations, so it’s essential to insure your cat as early as attainable.

“Test the surplus charges [how much you have to pay towards each claim], which can embrace percentage-based and stuck funds. For those who personal a number of cats, search for discounted multi-pet insurance policies.”

Discover cheaper meals

Use the Trolley.co.uk web site to match grocery store cat meals costs. These reminiscent of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl promote their very own cat meals, which will be less expensive than well-known manufacturers. For instance, a field of 12 packets of “full and balanced vitamin grownup cat combined choice in jelly” prices £2.99 at Tesco. This compares with £4.50 for a similar quantity of Felix cat meals.

Nonetheless, it’s value having a look on the elements before you purchase. Axel Lagercrantz, the chief government of Pets4Homes, says: “Select meals with larger high quality meat content material and fewer fillers like cereals and grains to maintain your cat wholesome. weight loss plan, wealthy in nutritional vitamins and acceptable to your pet’s life stage, is crucial for sustaining well being and high quality of life.”

You could discover it cheaper to purchase cat meals in bulk. Test low cost outlets reminiscent of B&M and The Vary or bulk-buy shops reminiscent of Costco. On-line retailers embrace Pet Supermarket and Pet Planet. Dry cat meals is often cheaper to purchase in bulk than moist meals, and often simpler to seek out in bigger packets.

Some retailers supply a greater worth when you join repeat orders. At Pet Planet, for instance, it can save you £2 on 3kg bags of Purina Pro Plan dry food when you decide to subscribe to its ”repeat and save” scheme.

You can also make wholesome cat treats at house which might be cheaper than the packet choices. Test the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home website for recipes to make your personal cat treats reminiscent of beef jerky and tuna balls.

Reduce vet prices

Vet visits can shortly turn into expensive. Charities reminiscent of PDSA and Blue Cross supply reduced-price providers for pet homeowners on sure advantages. In any other case you’ll need to pay a personal vet. Evaluating prices is just not very straightforward as most practices don’t publish a worth checklist on-line, however you possibly can name and ask how a lot every cost for a session or vaccination.

Gemma Renwick, a PDSA vet nurse, says: “Keep on high of preventive healthcare reminiscent of annual vaccinations, common flea and worming therapies, and neutering. Many veterinary practices supply month-to-month preventative well being care plans protecting regulator therapies and annual vaccinations.”

Typically these plans work out cheaper than paying individually for all the components.

If you must pay for costly therapy and can’t afford to take action abruptly, your vet might have a plan that permits you to unfold the price of therapy over months. This works equally to a mortgage, permitting you to pay to your pet’s therapy in instalments. Many include an interest-free interval however verify the small print rigorously.

Shopping for treatment on-line may also prevent cash. As an example, six months of Advocate flea therapy prices round £60 on the vet however solely £21.49 from Pet Medicine On-line.

Make your personal toys

Cats don’t want fancy shop-bought toys to remain entertained. Get inventive and make your personal utilizing objects you have already got at house. Crumpled-up paper balls, cardboard containers, and even previous socks full of catnip can present hours of amusement to your cat. They love to cover and chase.

Take an empty rest room paper tube, minimize a number of holes in it, and stuff with scrunched-up paper – your cat might love batting it round. You possibly can additionally create a easy chasing toy by tying a feather to at least one finish of a bit of string.

Purchase secondhand and repurpose

Seek for low-cost or pre-owned gear on on-line marketplaces reminiscent of Gumtree, eBay and Fb Market. You could discover a cat tree that was costly when purchased new going totally free as a result of a cat has determined to not play with it.

If you’re on the lookout for one thing particular that your cat wants, ask your area people. Put up on Fb pages devoted to your space, Nextdoor or different native on-line teams.

Think about repurposing objects you have already got. As a substitute of shopping for an costly cat mattress, a easy cardboard field lined with a mushy blanket may fit – it’s typically sufficient to fulfill a cat’s want for consolation and safety.

Save on litter

Litter trays are a necessity when you’ve an indoor cat, however shopping for high quality litter will be dear. Save on cat litter by bulk-buying or making your personal from wooden chippings or previous newspaper.

For those who would like to purchase, Morrisons and Asda promote a 10kg bag of clumping litter for £2.19, the most cost effective choices we discovered. You may also stretch your litter provide by eradicating clumps each day and topping up the tray reasonably than absolutely altering it every time.