This cat cost calculator adds up what a cat costs you in an apartment, from your own receipts and quotes: food, litter, pet rent, the vet, insurance, sitters for weekends away and the things you buy once. It shows the month, the year and the first year, and leaves out anything you skip. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Apartment Cats earns a commission when you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no cost to you. Picks are made on published specs, never on commission. How this works
Without JavaScript, add it up by hand: the monthly costs times 12, plus the yearly ones, plus anything you buy once in the first year.
First-year shopping list
One top pick per setup item, each from one of our published guides. Price an item in the calculator and its card is marked as on your list.
IRIS USA XL Open-Top Litter Box with Shield
- What it is
- An open box with raised sides and back, 30.2 by 20 in (77 by 51 cm) outside and 13.1 in (33 cm) high, by IRIS.
- Why it leads
- The longest maker-published length in our large litter box guide, for a box that fits a grown cat.
- Skip if
- The spot you have is shorter than about 31 in (79 cm) once you leave room to scoop.
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.KONELCARE 50 in (127 cm) Tall Scratching Post
- What it is
- One sisal-wrapped post, 7.3 in (19 cm) across, on a 21.6 in (55 cm) solid wood base, 36 lb in all.
- Why it leads
- Our scratching post guide’s top pick: tall enough for a full stretch, heavy enough to stay put.
- Skip if
- Your cat scratches flat on the floor; a horizontal scratcher suits that cat better.
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Feandrea 37.8-inch (96 cm) Cat Tree
- What it is
- A 37.8 in (96 cm) tree on an 18.9 in (48 cm) square base with a two-door cave, a basket, a top perch and an anti-tip kit.
- Why it leads
- Our small cat tree guide ranks it first: of the square-based trees over 3 ft (91 cm), it alone comes with a published weight limit for each cat.
- Skip if
- Your corner is under 19 in (48 cm) each way, or nothing may be fixed to the wall for its anti-tip kit.
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.PETLIBRO Granary Automatic Feeder 3L
- What it is
- A button-programmed timed feeder for dry food, 11 in (28 cm) tall on a 7.5 in (19 cm) base, with battery backup.
- Why it leads
- Our feeder guide’s first choice for a single cat in a small home.
- Skip if
- You feed wet food only: it takes dry kibble alone.
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.PETLIBRO Dockstream 2 Cordless Fountain
- What it is
- A cordless fountain holding 3 L, set up in PETLIBRO’s app over Wi-Fi, with a steel tray that goes in the dishwasher.
- Why it leads
- It leads our cordless fountain comparison and runs on its battery away from outlets.
- Skip if
- Your cat drinks happily from a bowl now and you see no reason to change.
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.TRIXIE 5-in-1 Fun Board
- What it is
- A 15.7 by 11.8 in (40 by 30 cm) board with five food games on rubber feet, by TRIXIE.
- Why it leads
- Our puzzle feeder guide puts it first: a starter toy that also slows a meal.
- Skip if
- Your cat ignores food games; wand play may suit it more.
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.How the cat cost calculator adds it up
- Each month: food, from your price and how much a day; litter, from your bag price and bags a month; pet rent; insurance.
- Each year: those months times 12, plus vet visits and weekends away, which is your trips times the sitter’s quote.
- The first year: the year plus what you pay once, a pet deposit and the setup items.
For food, the cat food calculator works out grams or cans a day from your cat and the label, and the litter calculator turns your boxes into bags a month. Bring those numbers here with the prices on your receipts.
The cost of owning a cat, line by line
We print no averages. Food and litter prices move by store and by week, sitters charge by city, and a vet bill depends on the clinic and the cat. Any figure we typed would be wrong for most readers, so the calculator uses yours and leaves out what you have not priced yet.
In an apartment, two lines can outweigh the rest. Pet rent repeats every month, and a pet deposit lands at the start, so the first year usually costs the most. The terms come from your lease, not from us: ask your landlord what each charge covers. Our renting guides deal with the home itself, from shelves without holes to scratching that spares the furniture.
Cat cost questions
How much does it cost monthly to own a cat?
It depends on what you feed, your litter routine, pet rent and insurance, plus a twelfth of the yearly vet visits and trips. Prices differ too much by place and store for one honest number, so enter yours above; the calculator shows the monthly figure next to the yearly one.
How much does a cat cost per year?
Twelve months of food, litter, pet rent and insurance, plus vet visits and any weekends away with a sitter. The first year runs higher, because the box, scratcher, tree and other setup items and a pet deposit come on top. Enter your own amounts and you get both.
Is it costly to maintain a cat?
The steady costs are food and litter, and in a rented home often pet rent as well. The swings come from the vet and from trips away. Pricing each line once, as the calculator does, shows which ones drive your total and where a cheaper litter or a longer-lasting bag would matter.
How much does a cat sitter cost?
Rates vary by city, by visit length and by how many visits a day you book, so ask two or three sitters for a quote per trip. Put that quote and your trips a year above. For one weekend, the weekend-away calculator sets a sitter against boarding and against gear.
How much does cat litter cost?
That turns on your bag price and how many bags your boxes use in a month. Work out the bags in the litter calculator, then enter them here with the price, and litter joins food and rent in the same totals.
Related: all our tools, the cat water calculator, renting with a cat and the weekend-away cost calculator.