How Much Does a Cat Cost? Monthly, First-Year, Annual and Lifetime Breakdown

The median cat costs $82 a month, $984 a year and $14,930 over its lifetime, with a first year of $2,287, across the 75 cat breeds in PetBudget's cost model. A Domestic Shorthair sits below that at $822 a year, and a Maine Coon above it at $1,322. This guide breaks the cost of owning a cat into the monthly, first-year, annual and lifetime numbers, by line item and by size.

Photo: Erika Augusto / Pexels

Key figures at a glance

Every figure below comes from PetBudget's breed cost database. The middle half of breeds runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile, so a few extreme breeds do not stretch the range.

Figure	Median	Middle half of breeds	Lowest to highest
First-year cost	$2,287	$2,204 - $2,462	$1,869 - $3,876
Annual cost after year one	$984	$914 - $1,098	$797 - $1,322
Monthly cost after year one	$82	$76 - $92	$66 - $110
Lifetime cost	$14,930	$13,656 - $16,525	$10,737 - $22,164

The totals include pet insurance. The median typical lifespan in the model is 14 years. The pet cost calculator shows your cat's number with and without insurance.

How much does a cat cost per month

How much do cats cost per month depends on the breed's size and coat. The median is $82, and the middle half of breeds fall between $76 and $92. The cheapest breed in the model costs $66 a month and the priciest $110.

The monthly cost of a cat is a smaller number than the first year suggests. The $2,287 median first year works out to $191 a month, because it includes the purchase, vaccines and supplies. After year one the monthly cost falls to $82, so budget for the higher figure only once.

For comparison, the median dog costs $201 a month after year one. Read the monthly cost of owning a dog or cat for the line-by-line split.

First-year cost of owning a cat

The first year combines one-time setup and twelve months of care. This table shows it for three cats: a Domestic Shorthair, a Ragdoll and a Maine Coon.

Line item	Domestic Shorthair	Ragdoll	Maine Coon
Purchase or adoption fee	$800	$1,900	$2,000
Initial vet visit and vaccines	$300	$318	$318
Starter supplies	$260	$299	$299
Training	$40	$40	$40
Food	$214	$271	$325
Vet care	$221	$336	$303
Grooming	$24	$96	$156
Pet insurance	$273	$508	$435
First-year total	$2,132	$3,768	$3,876

The purchase line is the biggest swing. The Domestic Shorthair line assumes $800, which is a model midpoint and not a shelter fee. Adopting from a shelter can cut it sharply, and our cat adoption cost guide shows typical fees.

For the Domestic Shorthair, $1,400 of the $2,132 first-year total is one-time: the purchase, the vet series, supplies and training. That is 65.7% of the year. The other $732 is food, vet care, grooming and insurance, which repeat every year. See the kitten first-year cost and supplies checklist for what to buy.

Cost breakdown by month for the first year

A cat's first-year cost lands mostly in the first few weeks. Using the Domestic Shorthair as the example, $1,400 of one-time costs arrives up front: the purchase, the vet series, supplies and training. The recurring costs of food, vet care, grooming and insurance then run about $61 a month for the rest of year one.

From the second year, the recurring bill is $822 a year, or about $69 a month, once supplies and toys are counted. Set up a savings pot for the first month and a smaller monthly transfer after that. The cost breakdown is front-loaded, so a household that can afford $69 a month may still struggle with a $1,400 first month.

Cat price and adoption cost

The cat price is the line owners control most. The model assigns each breed a purchase price from a health-tested source. The median is $800, and most breeds sit at one of three levels: 45 at $800, 13 at $600 and 13 at $1,000. Only a few reach $1,900 or $2,000: the Ragdoll, Maine Coon and Persian.

Adoption is far cheaper. Best Friends Animal Society reports that 2.3 million cats entered U.S. shelters in 2025 and 59% were adopted, about 1.4 million cats. Shelter fees are set locally, so check your own shelter before you plan on a number.

Cats are also a growing share of homes. The American Pet Products Association reports that 49 million U.S. households own a cat, up from 40 million in 2023.

Cat cost per year after year one

Once the setup is paid, owning a cat costs a recurring amount each year. The median is $984, or about $82 a month. The annual cost of a cat splits into food, vet care, grooming, insurance and supplies:

Annual line	Domestic Shorthair	Ragdoll	Maine Coon	Persian
Food	$214	$271	$325	$193
Routine vet care	$221	$336	$303	$317
Grooming	$24	$96	$156	$228
Pet insurance	$273	$508	$435	$471
Supplies and toys	$90	$103	$103	$90
Annual total	$822	$1,314	$1,322	$1,299

Insurance is the largest annual line for the Ragdoll, Maine Coon and Persian. Grooming is the line that separates breeds: $24 for a Domestic Shorthair against $228 for a Persian. A long coat adds about $200 a year. Skipping insurance and building a bigger emergency fund is a legitimate choice, since it swaps a predictable premium for a lumpy risk.

How the ASPCA table compares

The ASPCA publishes a cost table for cats. Its 2021 update lists a first-year total of $1,904, an annual total of $1,149 and initial costs of $455. That is useful as an independent reference, with one caveat: the table is from 2021.

PetBudget's model puts the median first year at $2,287, about 20% above the ASPCA figure. It puts the median annual cost at $984, about 14% below the ASPCA's $1,149. The ASPCA annual total includes items our annual figure leaves out, such as a $348 insurance line, $25-a-day boarding and a $15 license. The first-year gap is mostly the purchase price, which the ASPCA table leaves out.

The two sources agree on the shape: a cat's first year costs roughly double its later years. Use the ASPCA figures as a floor for a shelter cat and the PetBudget figures as a planning number for a purchased one.

Lifetime cost of a cat

Lifetime cost is the first-year total plus the annual cost for the rest of a typical lifespan. The median is $14,930 across 75 breeds. Size class sets most of the spread:

Size class	Breeds in model	Median first year	Median per year	Median lifetime	Typical lifespan
Small	13	$1,991	$919	$13,154	13 years
Medium	47	$2,272	$962	$14,765	14 years
Large	15	$2,744	$1,190	$18,634	14 years

The cheapest breeds over a lifetime are the Aegean ($10,737), Singapura ($11,693) and Havana Brown ($12,062). The priciest are the Norwegian Forest Cat ($20,739), Savannah ($22,162) and Ragdoll ($22,164). The spread of $11,427 between the cheapest and priciest is bigger than the lifetime cost of the cheapest cat. Use the breed directory to see a specific breed, and the compare tool to set two side by side.

Is a cat cheaper than a dog

A cat costs less than a dog on every measure in the model. The median cat is $984 a year against $2,414 for a dog, a ratio of 2.45 to 1. Over a lifetime it is $14,930 against $32,110, a ratio of 2.15 to 1. The first year is $2,287 against $4,641, a ratio of 2.03 to 1.

The lifetime gap is smaller than the annual gap because cats live longer. The median cat in the model lives 14 years and the median dog 13. See the lifetime cost of a dog vs a cat for the full comparison, and the cheapest pets to own guide for cats next to small animals.

Where a cat's budget usually slips

Most overspending on a cat comes from three places, and none of them is the purchase price. The first is food. A cat that eats a premium or prescription diet can push the yearly total toward the top of the range, so price a bag per month before you commit to a brand. The second is litter, a small weekly cost that adds up over 14 years. The third is dental and senior care, which arrive after the first few cheap years. The ASPCA table lists $300 for dental in the first year alone.

A simple habit helps: write down what you spent each month for the first three months. Compare the total with the ranges above. If you are already near the top, change the food, the litter or the insurance choice before the numbers compound. The teeth cleaning cost guide and the spay and neuter cost guide price two of the larger single items.

Get your cat's actual number

National and model ranges are a starting point, not a plan. The pet cost calculator takes your cat's breed, age and location. It returns a first-year, annual and lifetime estimate built from the same published vet, food and insurance pricing behind this guide. If you are still deciding whether you can afford a cat, read can I afford a cat.

How these numbers are built

The figures here are modeled costs, not surveys of what owners spent. They combine published vet, food and insurance prices with breed size, coat and health-risk ratings. That makes them consistent across breeds, but a specific cat can land above or below the model. The methodology page explains each input.

Cite this data

Quoting these figures? Please link to the PetBudget guide How Much Does a Cat Cost? (updated 2026-10-27).