PICKING UP THE ‘TABBY’

Beware cat’s cost: survey

Make sure you check your bank account before you impulse-adopt that adorable furball: A new survey revealed that owning a cat will cost you $25,304 during its lifetime.

The average cat lives for 15 years and owners can expect to cough up almost $1,700 each year, according to the survey commissioned by Solid Gold and conducted by OnePoll.

And the costs aren’t always what new owners would expect. For instance, over the cat’s life a surprising $764 will be spent on replacing or repairing furniture that your feline friend has scratched up.

There’s also an average of $108 a year that will be spent on toys you just can’t resist buying.

Of course there are more expected fees, such as veterinarian appointments, which will cost about $111 out-ofpocket each year.

Then there’s food, which can cost up to $109 a month, the study said — but that figure is definitely on the high end.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), however, recently put out a cat cost estimate that, while less expensive, still shows feline ownership can be a hit to your financial kitty. According to the group’s figures, cat-lovers can expect to spend around $53 a month, or $634 a year on their cat, clocking in at around $9,500 in a cat’s life span. The ASPCA’s numbers might give future cat-owners a sigh of relief, putting the cost per month closer to an Internet bill. That’s because cats are relatively low-maintenance pets that require upfront purchases at the beginning like litter boxes, a collar, and hopefully some scratching posts or mats to save your couch from getting destroyed — but then grow more affordable. Cat insurance can be another additional cost, but might save you down the line should your pet get sick. In New York City, that could cost you around $30 a month, websites that sell insurance claim, but you might still have a high deductible. The Solid Gold poll was based on the responses of 2,000 pet owners, a tiny sample of the estimated 31.8 million households in the US that have cats. The average US family has 1.8 cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, which means the country’s residents spent more than $98 billion a year on their cats, if you use Solid Gold’s numbers.