Ragdoll Cat Ownership Costs: Purchase Price & Ongoing Expenses Explained

In addition to the price of a Ragdoll cat, one of the other questions I get frequently through e-mail is the average monthly or yearly cost of a Ragdoll cat. The price of a Ragdoll cat is covered on this page – Ragdoll Cat Price – which is literally the amount you paid for the kitten or adult cat.

A Ragdoll cat cost really includes:

• Initial Costs – If you are buying a purebred pet, then there is the cost of the pet plus shipping (if they are being flown to you) – but there might also be the ethical responsibility of spaying/neutering, plus the optional costs of microchipping, vaccinations, etc.

• Veterinary Costs –  Wellness visits to the vet or for unknown illnesses – there might be a need for blood work, dental cleanings, medications (flea control), treatments, etc. as they age.
• Emergency surgeries – You never know what can come up – after all, you are dealing with a beating heart.  So there are never any guarantees.  Whether it’s a genetic disorder undiscovered, a disease undiscovered or because your cat ate something or got into something they shouldn’t have, this is something to consider.  This happened to my sister after adopting a rehomed cat.  Luckily, she kept the original owner’s pet insurance – which helped to pay 90% of the $10,000 cost that saved the cat’s life

• Pet Insurance – This depends on your state (location), breed of pet, species of pet, age of pet and any pre-existing conditions
• Necessities & Accessories – Cat carriers, collars, leashes, harnesses (not all cats need those nor do all owners want them to have them)
• Food – This will vary based on the diet of your cat.  But regardless of what type of food you feed your cat, this expense will always exist.
• Litter – Litter comes in many different kinds.
• Toys, Beds, etc. – There are many fun and useful cat products.
• Pet Sitter/Boarding your cat – Do you like to travel?  You will have to pay for a pet sitter or pay for your cat to be boarded at a facility
• Damage to carpet, furniture, etc. – whether it’s vomit, diarrhea, cats clawing furniture – they are all potential expenses that you might incur if you welcome a furry friend into your home.  Whether it be needing to reupholster a couch or bringing in a professional carpet cleaning company, the potential is there.
• A kitten is usually more expensive because of vaccinations and what not.  A cat can still be expensive because of food, litter, vet bills, etc.

A kitten is usually more expensive because of vaccinations and what not.  A cat can still be expensive because of food, litter, vet bills, etc. Do you have an idea of what you spend on or budget for your kitty every year?  

If you can include in the comments a breakdown of what you spend and also maybe say if you feed dry food, wet food or raw food (as the costs of those vary considerably), maybe where you live, the type of litter you use, the age of your cat, the health of your cat, etc.  You can break it down by the month or the year.