The Cost Involved in Raising Quality Cats

Quality has never been cheap and buying a quality kitten is no different. Remember, you get what you pay for and sometimes it's best to pay a little more to get what you want and have piece of mind down the road.

When I decided to start raising Bengals and Savannahs, doing it RIGHT was, and still is, my number one priority. Truly dedicated breeders spend a great amount of time caring for their cats and kittens. These hours cannot be scheduled around other obligations; other obligations must be scheduled around the cats. There are countless expenses involved in raising healthy quality cats, and even though it seems to some individuals that breeders are "making a killing" and "getting rich", this is simply NOT the case with REPUTABLE breeders. When done "right", daily, weekly, monthly and occasional expenses add-up to a LOT. When you purchase a cat through a reputable breeder, you have to remember that the breeder has already spent a good amount of time and money on regular veterinary care, pre-breeding health checks for both parents, prenatal care, shots, wormings, food, and all the other things that the breeder takes care of long before you ever get to bring your kitten home--these things cost a lot of money, and is reflected in the price of the kitten.

  • The initial cost for top quality breeding cats is very expensive. One can expect to pay anywhere from $4000 up to $15,000 for each cat.
  • Routine veterinary care, vaccines and health check ups for their adult cats and wellness checks for kittens. All of my adults go for a health check at least twice a year. Check the price of a veterinary office visit and you will see how MUCH this alone can cost.
  • Feeding a good quality professional food and fresh meat, canned food, and vitamins. Think about it...this adds up quickly when feeding multiple adult cats.
  • Maintaining a healthy, clean environment. This includes numerous cleaning supplies, disinfectants, trash bags, washing detergent (my washer runs daily for beds, blankets, towels,etc.), and cat litter ( litter boxes are dumped and disinfected daily).
  • Parasite control. This includes intestinal, as well as external fleas and ticks. Compare the price of those monthly medicines that control such parasites and you will find they are NOT cheap. Multiply the cost for one cat times multiple cats and you will discover it is rather costly.
  • Heart screenings and annual genetic tests have to be performed by a specialist which means additional expense that quickly adds up.
  • Emergency veterinary care is outrageously expensive. An unplanned c section can cost thousands of dollars. Cats and kittens that aren’t feeling well require diagnostic tests at additional cost.
  • Bathing and grooming supplies. This includes dental cleaning as well.
  • Beds and bedding, toys, bowls, litter boxes, climbing and scratching posts, etc.
  • Comfortable, temperature controlled environment. has to be built and maintained (heat in the winter and a/c in the summer). This includes additional cost on any and all regular household expense. I do not keep my adult breeders inside my home, they are provided a wonderful habitat where I spend countless hours every day. Intact (not spayed or neutered) adults are required to be kept separate to avoid accidental breedings, with no more than 2-3 cats per colony.
  • Registration of all cats and litters of kittens as well as membership dues to clubs, TICA, etc. Advertising, website, cameras for updating photos, cat shows, plus countless other additional expenses are required.

    • This is just a general list of expenses reputable breeders encounter.

A good breeders job is endless! It is 7 days a week, and often 24 hours a day. The costs of raising kittens is phenomenal when you raise and care for them properly. A good breeder does not make thousands of dollars and is certainly not getting rich. I know at this point you're wondering...."If raising kittens is so expensive and time consuming and you don't make much money doing it, then WHY do you do it?" Well, just like any other reputable breeder, I do it because I LOVE IT! I work harder than I've ever worked my entire life but I can’t imagine my life without my cats. It makes me a happier person. I am proud of what I do and couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Please Note: ALL of our cats and kittens are registered with THE INTERNATIONAL CAT ASSOCIATION ( TICA ), a domestic cat registering body. Our cats are purebred domestic cats, they are NOT hybrids. However, it is the responsibility of any interested party to determine the laws and regulations in your city, county and state regarding the private ownership of Bengals and Savannahs. Please check for your state regulations at : Hybrid Law.