Kitten Cost

We believe in being transparent about what goes into every kitten, so you understand exactly why that number exists for our cost to take home a kitten.

There are no mystery fees, no “show quality” markups, and no sales tricks. Just real numbers, real work, and a whole lot of love (and litter scooping).

Our price isn’t pulled from thin air or “because they’re cute.” It’s the real cost of raising healthy, social, ready-to-love kittens from parents who were carefully chosen and properly cared for.

Taxes

When you operate legally and report your cattery income (as we do), every kitten’s adoption fee gets reduced before it even reaches the bank. Most people don’t realize that self-employment tax is 15.3% all by itself, and then you also pay your normal federal and state income taxes on top of that.

By the time everything is added up, about 35–45% of every dollar goes straight to the IRS.

On a $2,000 kitten, that means:

  • $700–$900 disappears instantly into taxes alone — before buying supplies, food, litter, medical care, or anything else.

And once those necessities come out, that “$2,000 kitten” usually leaves very little left over — and whatever does remain goes right back into maintaining the cats, nursery, genetic testing, supplements, show conditioning, and preparing for the next litter’s needs.

This brings the $2,000 down to about $1300

Veterinary Care & Costs

Every kitten leaves here with all age-appropriate vaccines, vetted and ready for their new home.

Here’s what’s already included in your adoption price:

Vaccines  

  • FVRCP × 2

  • FeLV × 2

  • FIV/FeLV test

  • Microchip

  • 1 month flea prevention

  • Deworming

  • Older kittens 4+ months – go home with 3rd round of boosters and rabies

This adds up to just over $500 in veterinary care per kitten, all completed before they leave. On top of that, we cover any unexpected medical needs while they’re growing up — including emergency vet visits if something comes up. Kittens who go home around 12 weeks old will still need their 3rd FVRCP booster at 14–16 weeks with your vet.

We do not spay or neuter our kittens before placement because flat-faced breeds can benefit from additional growth before anesthesia. Our kittens go home at three months, and altering at a larger size allows for safer airway management.

Now we sit around $600 left over per kitten

Raising Kittens

People see the final adoption fee, but they forget about the nonstop supplies and expenses that go into raising kittens. Here’s what it actually looks like behind the scenes:

• Bedding, blankets, washable pads
Constant rotation to keep the nursery clean.
$40–$60 per litter

• Laundry detergent & disinfectants
Everything gets washed daily.
$20–$30 per litter

• Wipes, gloves, trash bags
Used constantly for sanitation.
$25–$40 per litter

• Heating pads, humidifier refills
Needed for safe newborn temperature control.
$15–$25 per litter

• Kitten formula
Bottle babies or slow weaners or kittens who need supplimental nursing go through a lot. Our last litter of 4 kittens we spent:
$216

• Weaning trays, shallow dishes, bottles, nipples
Replaced often because kittens are… destructive.
$46

• Early wet food + kitten food
Kittens don’t all wean at the same speed.
$180

• Litter (clay or pine)
Kittens use way more than adult cats — messy babies = multiple box changes a day.
$30–$50 per litter

• Enzyme cleaners & odor control
Safe, kitten-friendly cleaners used nonstop.
$20–$30 per litter

• Toys, enrichment, feather teasers, wand toys
They get destroyed fast — kittens have no mercy.
$20–$40 per litter

• Small beds, cubbies, soft tunnels
Replaced often due to accidents or rough play.
$20–$30 per litter

Depending on litter size, bottle feeding needs, and how messy the group is.

~$582 per litter

Based on our last 4 kitten litter we are now at $455 left over per kitten

The Cost of a Cattery

Before any kittens even exist, there’s the foundation.

  • Importing top-quality breeding cats with strong pedigrees: $3,000 and up plus CFA registration.

  • CFA registration fees, microchips, genetic testing, and blood panels after getting the cats: ~$500 per cat.

  • Nursery setup: insulated nursery boxes, heat pads, cameras, scales, bedding, thermometers, bottles, gates and cleaning gear — $1,200+ upfront.

  • Cattery Registration Fees – $100 every 5rys
  • Website domains – $400/year

The startup year before any kittens were born our expenses were $13,557.86

In addtion just to cover care and food for our adult cats we had:

$1,895 in regular vetrinary bills

$1980 for food, litter and suppliments

That means for a regular year, not including startup, we spent $3,875. 

This means the $455 left over per kitten we had before leaves us around in the hole $1,820.

Why We Don’t Charge for Show Quality

Most kittens join wonderful pet homes, and pet families don’t worry about tiny show-ring details — things like slightly higher ear placement, eye spacing, or density of the coat. What matters most is that their kitten is healthy, confident, and raised with love, and that’s the standard we focus on.

Every breeder sets their prices differently, and many programs adjust for show quality, bites, structure, or overall type. That’s completely normal in the cat fancy world. Our approach is simply different, not better, not worse, just what fits our philosophy and our families.

We don’t charge more for kittens with show potential, and we don’t discount for minor cosmetic quirks. If we choose to show a kitten, that’s part of our own passion for the CFA ring and our commitment to continually improving the breed. The costs of showing — travel, grooming, entry fees — are our responsibility, not something we add onto a pet home’s adoption fee.

If a kitten is on our show team, they can still be reserved by a family at any time. You’re even welcome to follow their journey and meet them at a CFA show before they come home — it’s a fun way to see their personality shine.

And if you ever decide that you’d like to try showing your kitten yourself, we’ll happily support you. We’d rather see your energy go into entry fees, supplies, and the joy of the ring than into paying extra for something we chose to do.

Shown or not, every kitten leaves the same level of care, socialization, and preparation.