I was recently asked “how much does it cost to feed your cat,” and found myself giving a generic off-the-cuff answer. I obviously have an idea of how much I spend, but I’m also that crazy guy who buys tuna for my kitties.
So in fairness, I’m not sure I’m your average guy …
So I did some digging … and after an hour or so I still couldn’t quite find the answer I was looking for.
Just how much does it cost to feed a cat?
And why is it so hard to find the answer?
So I decided to do my own research by asking my neighbors and friends.
[amazon bestseller=”tuna for cats”]
16 Interviews Later …
So I interviewed 16 people to get a hard number, something I’d feel good about the next time a friend asked me about the cost of feeding a cat.
Frankly, this wasn’t hard as I live in an apartment complex where seemingly everyone owns a cat and most of my friends do too.
And here’s what I found.
The following table captures my interviewee’s responses and arrives at a hard number, something I felt was accurate.
(Note: The below values are from folks in the United States so if you’re in a different country, prices could vary.)
| Cost Breakdown |
|---|
| $35/month (this person said she used lots of coupons, so maybe it’s a bit low?) |
| $40/month |
| $50/month (this person added that she bought dry and wet food, wet food being more costly) |
| $100/month |
| $10/month (dry food only — poor kitty) |
| $50/month (this person bought a name brand dry cat food so maybe it too is a bit more costly) |
| $33.33/month ($100/month but for 3 cats so I listed $33) |
| $5/month ($40/month but for 8 cats, this was most definitely an outlier) |
| $25/month |
| $50/month (wet and dry food) |
| $40/month |
| $62/month |
| $37.50/month |
| $20/month |
| $45/month |
| $100/month |
| So the average cost of food for a single cat in the United States was $43.93/month. |
[amazon bestseller=”cats food”]
In summary …
So there you have it.
$44/month is what you should expect to pay to feed a cat. At least according to the cat people I interviewed!
If you splurge, of course, you’ll pay more. But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.
We’re all cat lovers here!
"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."
-- Terry Pratchett
Hmmm… interesting how much difference there is in how people treat their cats.
Mine are pampered and I spend a lot!