How much does a kitten cost at the shelter compared to a pet shop?

Mi-Hyunnie: How much does a kitten cost at the shelter compared to a kitten at the local pet shop?
I really want to adopt a kitten, but I don’t know where a good place should be. I know if you get a kitten from a shelter you’d be rescuing them, but they’re probably not spayed/neutered or declawed. So I want to know how much the cost would be comparing the prices.

Answers and Views:

Answer by myfakeemailaddress77
shelters will charge you the cost of getting the cat fixed and for any shots it may need. a kitten at a pet store will have a purchase price and any shots that are required by your city at the vets office…. getting the cat fixed is your choice after that…

best just to call your local shelter, and pet store.

Answer by Elaine M
Every city has different costs, as do every store.

Your best bet is to adopt a kitten from animal control. Not only do they provide all the services that the shelters do, the fact you adopt from there means the kitten won’t be euthenized after 5 days.

We got two adult cats from animal control in 2009, they came spayed/neutered, microchipped, de-flead, de-wormed, vaccinated and health checked. The siamese was $ 88 and the gray long hair was $ 12. At the time they had 60 adult cats in the cages and almost 80 kittens. It was in November, AFTER the normal kitten season, so you can imagine how many they go through at animal control.

Answer by Jessy Onyx
i payed $ 50 for my kitten at the shelter last year! they got him fixed and gave him his first shots with that money!
where the same breed (russian blue) was @120 for just the purchase price without any shots and so on!

Answer by CareBear<3
In many shelters it’s required that the animal is spayed/neutered and you’re saving a life!

But in a pet store, you can’t trust that they were safely bred.

Shelters, even though kittens might be a little more pricey, are well worth it!

Answer by JaimieS
If you get one from a shelter you’re looking at somewhere around $ 100 when you add up all of the shots and everything. If you buy one at a pet shop you’re looking for anywhere from $ 100 to thousands depending on the breed. Certain breeds are made for putting in shows and are very expensive. Sometimes petshops do showcase pets from shelters and then it’s going to be close to the same price. Most petshops though to have some sort of guarantee on how long the animal will live. If the animal is sick and dies then you get a refund. But at the shelter you get what you get and have no way to complain about anything regarding the animal. The great thing about buying from a petshop or breeder is that most of them will mail you reminders when it is time for their shots and health checkups which is nice. They also do a better job of telling you what to expect from the animal as far as adult size and temperment and care. A pet from the shelter – you don’t really know what you got – until you bring it home to find out. Some cats go to a shelter because they were abused and they then turn insane. You can’t make an insane cat go normal again. It depends on the store/breeder and the area of the country you live in too. Sometimes you can get a good deal if it is a special at the petshop or if there is a promotion at the shelter.

Answer by Creation Detective
It’s better adopting them from a shelter. Sometimes if the cat isn’t spayed/neutered, i believe that is included in the adoption fee. A shelter pretty close to where i live, the adoption fee is about 50 dollars or so but some shelters are different.

Answer by Laura B
It’s going to differ depending where you are. My Humans Society shelter charges an adoption fee of $ 50, which covers spay/neuter, shots, plus a Home Again microchip. Our Animal Control (the pound) charges $ 25, but gives you the animal as-is. No shots, no veterinary checkup to look for diseases or worms. It’s a much better deal at the shelter. Of course, at the pound, they’re on death row.

Answer by Ocimom
Pet shops are the WORSE place to adopt an animal. Most come from puppy/kitten mills and are sick, not socialized and very poor quality kittens at a very high price. No health guarantee either.

Shelters are a good place – they spay/neuter, give shots and worming for the price of the adoption fee (this is a bargain compared to what you would put out if you got a “free” kitten). There are declawed cats in the shelters if you must have one. Please do not mutilate a kitten for no good excuse. Keep in mind that many declawed cats may have behavior problems due to the declawing (biting or not using the litter pan).

I strongly suggest you check out your local shelter and adopt the kitten you like. As far as prices – a shelter kitten can cost $ 50-125 most places (check Petfinder.com too for shelter cats). A pet shop will charge you $ 300-400 for very sick kittens.