# Budget for adopting an old cat?



## sisal (Sep 21, 2013)

Can anybody suggest a reasonable budget for looking after an old cat? I live in London.

I'm thinking about adopting a cat that's about 10 years old, but am not sure whether I can afford it now or maybe wait a few years.

Particularly interested re insurance since presumably that's quite expensive for an old cat, depending on level of cover? I'm of the view that one shouldn't try too hard with medical treatment for animals, though (for one thing, quality of life for the cat is important).

Thanks!

These are the things I could think of, how much do you pay for them for your oldster?

Food
Litter, if the cat is accustomed to that
Insurance
Vet bills for things not covered by insurance
Furniture replacement


----------



## MCWillow (Aug 26, 2011)

sisal said:


> Can anybody suggest a reasonable budget for looking after an old cat? I live in London.
> 
> I'm thinking about adopting a cat that's about 10 years old, but am not sure whether I can afford it now or maybe wait a few years.
> 
> ...


Not quite sure what you mean by that to be honest.

I'm glad I sent my cat off to the hospital, for a week, to be diagnosed and treated. He was diagnosed (very rare auto-immune disease, that no-one had seen before) and has been successfully treated. His meds are reducing by the month, and he is back to his normal self.

He has used up about 95% of his 7k yearly allowance to get where he is today (he fell ill and was diagnosed in Feb this year).

So how much will a cat cost - how long is a piece of string?

Its impossible to say I'm afraid.


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

You are correct to be concerned about insurance. Firstly, at 10 your cat will be much more prone to illnesses and old-age frailties. That means, basically, that insurance premiums will be much higher than for a kitten. But, more importantly, you will almost certainly have to cover an excess which will consist of a fixed amount PLUS a percentage of any claim - usually up to about 30%. So if you have a fixed excess of £100 and a 30% excess and you claim for £300 you will get £300 - £100 - (30% of £300) = £300 - £ 100 - £90 = £110.

The other problem you will have is that there aren't many companies that will take on an animal over 8 years old. Some of those on my website (link below) do - but I doubt if you will find anything that's cheap


----------



## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

personally I wouldn't bother with insurance, just put money aside every month in an account just for the cat for any emergencies. Also I wouldn't bother with vaccination boosters either, especially if the cat stays indoors or only potters in the garden. Obviously I'd still take the cat for a vet check once a year. I think the food is the mostly costly thing here - mine have a bag of dried food specially for hairballs which costs £30 every three months, and then the whiskas pouches two boxes of them last a fortnight which is usually two for six pounds. You'd still need to do preventative treatment on fleas but cheaper versions can be sought online.


----------

