What goes into a kitten’s price

The difference between a classifieds kitten and a cattery kitten is not a mark-up for the word “cattery”. It is a different amount invested in one kitten, and almost everything the breeder pays for happens before the kitten is born.

Paid before birth

• Breeding cats. A breeding animal costs more than a pet, often comes from another city or country, and is not mated before eighteen months.
• Genetic tests. Every breeding cat is tested for breed mutations; the results are kept and handed to the buyer.
• Club and registration. The cattery is registered with a feline registry, and club fees are paid for every litter.

Paid after birth

• Food. A nursing queen and her kittens eat premium food — the biggest expense in the first three months.
• Vaccinations and treatments. Every kitten is vaccinated twice before moving, plus parasite treatments.
• Microchip and papers. Chip, pedigree certificate, vet passport.
• Three months of life. The kitten leaves not at two months but after the second vaccination: all that time it eats, uses the litter box and needs litter.

Why kittens from one litter cost differently

The price depends on how closely the kitten matches the breed standard and on the terms of sale. A pet without breeding rights costs less than a kitten with breeding rights or of show quality. That is not “worse” or “better” as a pet — health and temperament are the same.

What happens when the price is low

A cheap kitten means something was skipped: the parents’ tests, the food, the papers or the age of handover. A two-month-old unvaccinated kitten is cheaper — and more often ends up at the clinic in its first month. The difference in price comes back as vet bills.