Cat Supplies! Cat Supplies! Cat Supplies!

Now, being a cat lover. I thought I’d write a post about cat supplies, what does a cat need, beside, a loyal, dependable human slave like me.

Just the other day, I received an email enquiring about TIGER, if she is for adoption with a cage, cat food, cat litter and etc … she said she was low on budget but would like to have a cat. You do not have to be wealthy to have a cat BUT you need to be prepared to apportion your budget accordingly, eat a little less, so that your precious kitty can have better cat food. A cat is for life, be prepared to buy cat food, cat litter for the next 10 years (or even more!). I seriously, wouldn’t let my TIGER be adopted by such a person, who is not ready to part with her moolah, yet looking for a cat with goodies, I guess she is probably more interested in getting a free cage!

Back to the main topic, what about Cat Supplies? What are the basic stuffs that I need to give my furry kids?

First would be, of course, CAT FOOD (dry kibbles, wet food, raw food and etc.). We need to be able to provide our kitties with decent meals, so that they can be healthy, happy and try endlessly to trip us over whenever they can! I buy a big pack (15kg) of Royal Canin FIT 32 at RM186 (previously) that would last me about 4 months, RM 186 / 4 mths / 2 cats = RM 23.25 one cat, per month.

So, now, what’s the next “must” cat supplies? It is none other than ….. CAT LITTER! Yes, it is very important to maintain a proper cat litter, for the general happiness of cats, yourself and the neighbours! CAT LITTER prices vary according to types and brands. We have got cat litter made of wood pulp, synthetic crystals but common ones being sand, clumping or non-clumping. CAT LITTER surprisingly can be as expensive as CAT FOOD! Yes, what goes in cost $$$ and what comes out cost $$$ too! At the moment I am trying out several CAT LITTER brands, no favourites yet. Currently, on average, for two cats, I spend RM 25 on a 10L CAT LITTER, cost wise that will be about RM 12.50 one cat, per month.

In my case, the basic cost of keeping one furry kid per month is RM 35.75

That does not include bug (flea control). If you have indoor cats, then you can skip the flea control part. However if your cats are exposed outdoor, you may need to consider flea control measures like bathing your cats with anti-flea shampoo, anti-flea cat collars, anti-flea sprays or spot-on product (like Frontline for Cats / Advantage for Cats). My cats are using Frontline for Cats which cost RM 50 for three pipettes and each application can last up to 6 weeks. Another mathematic challenge, RM 50 / 3 pipettes / 6 weeks x 4 weeks = RM 11.11 per cat per month. One pipette is for one cat.

Now, cost of keeping one furry kid per month with bugs control is RM 46.86

What about the other stuff like cat treats and cat toys? That can be kept minimal, so no worries. Just spend within, maybe a budget of RM 10 a month for two cats. RM 5 one cat per month.

Of course, we have other extravagant cat gifts that we wish we can give our cats like cat furniture, cat trees or cat condos, which can be expensive and can cost up to hundreds of Ringgits! Sorry, no bank offering loans for cat condos yet, or easy payment for cat furnitures, I guess my kitties just have to wait till this human mummy gets more money!

But apart from the above mentioned “extravagant” cat gifts, we do need to incur the following “capital” expenditure for our kitties (preferably before getting a cat) :-

Cat Cage, at least a small one – RM 70
Cat Carrier, at least a small one (to transport our kitties) – RM 70
Cat Bowls – water & food, IKEA – RM 3 x 2 units
Cat Litter Box (a decent one) – RM 30
Cat Comb – RM 10

A total of RM 186.00 initial capital expenditure in getting ready for a CAT!

I am not trying to discourage anyone into getting a CAT as a pet. Trust me, it is all worth it. I love CATS. I just want potential cat owners to understand what they are getting into. A CAT (or any pet) is for life. Lifetime commitment!

So, in summary – be prepared to spend at least RM 186.00 even before getting the cat home! Be prepared to fork out another RM 50.00 in cat food, cat litter and bug control a month, for one cat!
Also, do not forget to setup a fund for vet visits too!!