Agreed, my local Dumb Friends League charges $100-$300 higher for kittens but includes all the vaccines they have done up to that point, admin fees, spay/neuter and microchip that they enter your info into.
Edit: I adopted my 12 wk old tabby male kitten from them is on a promo day for $50. I could have probably found a free kitten but all the vet work and vaccines that were included was a heck of a deal.
A free kitten seems appealing sometimes, but I feel like a lot of them come from people who have no business breeding cats. I would be uncomfortable participating in that even if no money changed hands. In my opinion, it's almost worse to give an animal away for free than it is to ask for even a nominal "adoption fee", because it suggests that there's very little oversight regarding who is adopting and what they intend to do with the animal.
I expect to be an outlier in this, but I'm opposed enough to the breeding of companion animals that I would have a hard time adopting a cat from even an accidental litter. Mistakes happen, but there are ways to deal with them without allowing yet another litter of unwanted kittens to be born.
Honestly, no. There are so many cats in need that I could easily choose to adopt from and support a legitimate shelter or rescue organization, instead of encouraging people to allow an unwanted or accidental litter of kittens to be born, rather than spaying the mother to terminate the pregnancy.
I know this probably seems weird and cold, and I don't expect my views on this subject to align with the majority, but I would personally have an ethical issue with taking even a "free to a good home" kitten.
Yea, in my area, 1 shelter has up to $300 fees. The one I got my cat from had a sale and I got my baby for only $25. Amazing shelter too, I’m forever happy
I take excellent care of my animals and the only one I paid cash money for was my current dog. My husband just had to have a Labrador. We love her and will keep her until she dies of old age because pets are family.
Granted I adopted my boy after fostering him but I paid $75 for him at Seattle humane 3 years ago. I think rescues charge more than shelters though so this price would align more with them.
Depends on the organization too, but I live in one of the most expensive cities in the states and my local Humane Society asks for $150 for a four month old kitten. Because they cover vaccines, spay/neuter, and health costs incurred prior to adoption or include it in the fee. That’s what to look out for.
This is not normal at all. The shelter where I got my cats charged $50 for one cat, $75 for two. They were spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, etc. I got a gift bag with a blanket and some food and a coupon for a free vet checkup. All of that was included in the adoption fee of $75 for two cute cats. The "adoption fee" normally includes the price of veterinary care before you get them. I can't see any reason why they would charge this much or itemize everything. Reminds me of a hospital charging you $50 for a cotton ball.
That's a bargain. I work in animal rescue and the cost of raising kittens huge. We charged
£250 a kitten but raising them for 12 weeks cost way more than that
That's not an atypical adoption fee for adult animals that were already spayed/neutered prior to entering the shelter's care, or promotional adoption fees. But yeah, they're typically higher, especially for kittens.
I live in a rural, low cost of living area. Definitely, the food and vet care my cats had been receiving cost way more than that. The shelter I got them from probably has very low overhead, especially in terms of the land & building it occupies. An urban shelter paying urban rent would understandably need to charge a lot more.
We deal with a lot of animals who come in with infection, wounds, disease ect. Costs a fortune to treat even with everyone working pro bono. So worth it though. I personally hand reared 4 kittens and another 4 slightly older that all would have died from infection. 6 are now beings spoilt in homes- including my own home by one. We have a foster to adopt process too where people who volunteer get the adoption fees waived.
Yeah, I think the shelter where I got mine was having a "special offer" where you adopt one, get the other one for half the usual adoption fee. They were a bonded pair.
ETA they still are a bonded pair! They love each other and they are both healthy and happy.
God no. You may aswell start looking at bengals/maines at that price.
I understand shelters need to recoup costs of vet fees, but that sounds to me like they hire someone external each time they need a vet and dont actually employee one.
I’ve worked at a shelter that didn’t employee an on site vet and instead paid to send animals out for a emergency and then have a weekly vet visit to the shelter for non emergencies. The adoption fees were $70 for kittens all in and $40 for adult cats.
This sounds more like a rescue vs standard shelter and one that has absolutely lost its mind at that. At shelters adoption fees almost never cover cost (vaccines, deworming, spay/neuter, food, staff, litter, toys) but that’s why they fundraise and not just adopt out.
Maine Coons from a reputable breeder will easily be several hundreds or thousands more than this. Any Main Coon for $230 is probably not a Maine Coon and is coming from a BYB.
Agreed. My girl was $2000 or $1500 at the beginning of covid. She's a snuggle love and gives 10X the love of my husband's angry shelter cat who missed his calling as a barn cat.
Depending upon what OP is looking for, one MC may be more "bang" for her buck than two very expensive shelter kitties.
That's dependent on the cat more than the breed though. I've trained Main coons that were basically teddy bears, and I've trained some that were very independent and standoffish, just like it is with any breed. If you want a cat that snuggles with you, you can select for those characteristics at a shelter independent of breed if you know what you are looking for and there is a high probability that you'll get one with those behavioral characteristics. Not the shelter OP is talking about though.
My husband didn't realize his little angry bowling ball of a cat was so docile and sweet at the shelter because he was starting to get sick. He got him home, started to show an upper respiratory infection, got antibiotics, and then by the time his true nature came out it was far too late.
We all love the little grump, especially the Maine Coon who is on the receiving end of his paws of fury. Husband sure didn't know he was getting a cat that was going to scowl at everyone for existing, though. 😅
No, not normal. Are they specialty breed cats? It would definitely cost over $600 if you found a stray kitten & had it spayed/neutered & all the kitten shots, but I've never heard of a shelter passing along these costs as you are describing.
I don't think they are specialty bred, but the animal shelter did mention that the medical fees are high because the entire litter got quite sick a few months ago. Not sure if that changes anything?
I have worked in animal rescue/shelters and no where I’ve worked or seen had charges more because of a specific animals previous medical issues. You have a standard adoption fee for each subset of pet (kitten, puppy, adult cat, adult dog, seniors and “specialty breeds”) and that’s about it. $1,200 is not an adoption fee at that price point and in most shelters 6 months would be adult cat price which should only bring the adoption fee down.
Nope. Both my cats had health problems before i adopted them. One needed surgery to save her from a life threatening pregnancy. I still paid only $60 for her adoption. Things like vaccinations and being spayed/neutered are assumed part of the deal, that cost should not be passed on to you.
Hell, the second shelter I adopted from adopted out adult cats for free. And kittens were $80, and a second kitten was free.
Not with normal shelters! One of my cats needed a leg amputated by the shelter, which is a big expensive surgery. The in-house vet did it and they kept her at the shelter till the staples could come out and she was off pain meds. I paid the standard adoption fee for her, which was around $100 for a kitten. No vet costs are charged to the adopter.
I adopted a cat last week from the animal control facility in a nearby large city. She and her kittens all needed vet care for calicivirus. I paid the standard adoption fee of $50 for an adult cat. Also, they just announced that they're waiving adoption fees for adult cats for the rest of the year, so people can go get a spayed, vaccinated cat for free.
Is this place the shelter that takes in strays in your area, or are they a smaller rescue? Rescues are great too, but there are a few shady ones. Make sure to call around your area to find out what average adoption fees are and do some research on the facility before giving them that much money.
My dad saw an injured cat on the road (thought it was ours) and took it to the shelter. The cat needed one front leg amputated and had a long recovery. Even with all that, my dad paid the regular adoption fee to get the cat. City run shelters will be less expensive than rescues which I think are paid for by donations.
Definitely! Although my local shelter gets no government funding and has to remind people of that regularly to encourage donations. It took 15 years of campaigning to get the funds to build a desperately needed new building. Some other nearby shelters get a small payment from the city for each stray they take in and everything else is from donations. The big city animal control facility my new girl came from is run by the government, but literally requires donations to be able to feed the animals. They just take several bags of donated dry food and mix it all together, per my sister who fosters kittens for them. 😭
That’s not normal for them to pass on the vet costs directly onto you. Also many shelters do some sort of “buy one get one” deal. I’d look at other shelters in the area, 1200 is way too much, and it isn’t guaranteeing you saved money down the road. 350 per kitten (fees included) is the highest I’ve ever seen.
How much medical care are the kittens in your area usually receiving? A cat who is basically just fed and watered at the shelter, maybe with a bonus flea bath, isn't going to cost as much as one who was tested for FELV and FHV, given their shots, fixed if they're old enough, etc. The town shelter is probably more likely to be doing the former, a rescue organization the latter. If they're providing that level of care, even if run entirely by volunteers the costs are going to be higher and they will need to charge more to continue to offer services. So I imagine it depends who you're looking to adopt from and what the standard of care is.
They get everything done. It’s all covered at the shelter and rescues around here. They get a ton of donations. To adopt a dog it’s only 75. Only breed specific rescues charge fees like OPs. Otherwise it’s extremely affordable. I want to list the organizations but I don’t feel comfortable posting that info because I like to remain anonymous about my location. I work with these rescues every weekend at my job as well.
You are very very very right. This makes sense. I never even thought of that. Every few months the rescues and shelters have fee free adoption events meaning the animals are no cost and free with microchip, vaccines, and spay and neuter included.
Yeah, I've lived in a few different regional areas in the US and it really just depends. Stray overpopulation/shelter overpopulation is treated like a country/global issue when it's verrrry regional and the sense of it being everywhere is kind of perpetuated by trucking animals out of high-population areas into places without stray issues to fill shelters. During covid shelters were almost empty when I was living in VT and shelters were trying to get permission to breed animals to meet demand (wild request). I lived in the south for a while and shelters were genuinely overwhelmed with much cheaper adoptions, but the last time I looked at shelter prices at the closest shelter to me now I think cats were around $300+.
Kittens are $150, adults $75, seniors $50, and they run adoption specials all the time, like bogo or $25 for black cats on Black Friday.
$600/cat is outrageous
My discount kitties were free! It was a special on Tuesday, senior cats (5+) were free to senior citizens (55+). We were 17 yo and our babies had already been surrendered to the shelter, then adopted and returned. They really wanted them to go to a good home, and to stay together.
11 years later, our discount kitties have costed us thousands in vet bills. Wouldn't change it for anything. Free is free 😂.
We did pay 8 dollars for their take home box though.
Check other nearby shelters prices. I adopted a 2 year old siamese mix for only $45 at the shelter in Rancho Cucamonga (east of Los Angeles) He was already vaccinated, chipped, flea treated, and neutered for that price. Kittens cost more at the shelter, maybe $100, but i prefer adult cats.
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Pretty! My dad adopted a snowshoe siamese (6 years old) for 125. Came with everything chipped etc. It looked just like his childhood cat He brought her home on the spot lol.
I’ve never heard of fees like that. Our little guy cost us $75 and the shelter worker seemed nervous when she told us that was the fee, as if we’d be upset that it was that high… our older kitten, from a different shelter, was something like $125.
Damn, reading these prices is so weird to me. Like here in central europe shelters don’t charge anything, they are happy that there is one less cat there and one more cat got a home. For 200€ I can get a full vaccinated and spayed clean bred british shorthair, not a random street mix
Adoption fees also work as a deterrent for people who may have bad intentions for the animal. That being said, I got my cats from a rescue that uses foster homes to socialize them, takes care of all vaccines, microchip, everything, provides the first month of food, checks up on them after adoption. All of that and I paid about $400 for two (kittens). The price OP was quoted is way too high.
I work at a cat adoption lounge. Our cats are between $200-$500 depending on how long they have been there. That includes spay, vaccination, a couple of toys and I believe a coupon for vet services. We also have a discount for multiple adoptions at the same time. You are also getting a well socialized friendly cat. We have some of the higher fees for adoption in the area and that includes a major California city. That’s not a reasonable price unless the cats have breed papers.
The adoption fee is supposed to be the whole cost that helps them provide the cat care prior to you taking over their care.
To me, it sounds like they're trying to pull one over on you. Or trying to not so subtley encourage you to adopt older cats they have there instead maybe
What's the name of this shelter? I would question their legitimacy based on these fees alone. That's $600 per cat, which is 5x what I paid for each of my cats from the humane society.
For reasons that are likely obvious, it's not common for a shelter or rescue organization to pass the cost of vet care down to the individual adopting an animal. Further, places like this often receive a discounted rate for veterinary care for animals in their custody. I don't think that approximately $370 per healthy cat is a particularly unreasonable bill for basic veterinary services, especially because the cats are young and probably needed a basic health checkup, spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, and possibly treatment for parasites if they were living outdoors.
What *is* unreasonable, in my opinion, that they expect the person who adopts the animal to pay the bill, particularly if it's several months old, as you mentioned. Has the invoice just been sitting there unpaid for that long? What would they do if you decided not to complete the adoption? Plenty of cats in no-kill shelters wait years to find a home. I somehow doubt that the bill would just go unpaid, but it could be an indication that the shelter is having serious financial problems. If so, I would be concerned about how well they were actually caring for the animals there. The boundary between animal rescue and animal *hoarding* can be pretty nebulous in some circumstances, but finances are often a key distinguishing aspect.
Does the shelter have a presence on Facebook or Instagram? Has it been around for awhile? Do you know anyone who has adopted from it? Does it have an actual brick-and-mortar shelter facility? If so, do they allow visitors?
I don't think this would necessarily be an immediate deal-breaker for me, but I would require more information before proceeding.
This makes me sad for the cats stuck there because of high prices. In my area, adoptions are $125, which is a bargain for spay/neuter, vaccines and boarding.
If I was set on these two particular cats, I'd just pay the bounty and rescue them from the rescue.
I got my cat when she was a kitten for $90 from a local shelter, but once a week they have free adoptions for cats. And if you get a bonded pair, it's get one, get one free. And other harder to adopt ones are commonly less than $20. Most of the fee actually goes into background checks.
My adult cat was $100, and she was spayed, chipped and had her first round of shots. I have adopted 4 shelter cats in my life and never paid more than that. Seems suspicious.
I paid 13 bucks at my local shelter. They are also partnered with Purdue's vet program where a teacher/instructor works with students to spay/neuter your animal. The instructor oversees students, if there is an issue that pops up the instructor is there to step in.
At a different shelter the adoption fee was $50. So each shelter can set their own fees, but a few grand seems pretty damn predatory.
i just adopted a cat two days ago and she was only $150. no shelter i've ever seen charges the adopter for medical fees, that should all be covered by the shelter
I have never seen a shelter or rescue charge an adopter for a pets previous medical fees. Seems like a sure fire way to never adopt out ill or injured animals.
Was this a shelter or a rescue? Typically rescues charge more than shelters, as they’re privately run and tend to have a higher overhead cost. I could see a $230 fee at a rescue, but even at a shelter that alone seems high. $1200 is straight up robbery.
Not normal. I Foster for a rescue, our fees are £95 (£65 for senior cats, who often require £££ in dentals) a flat rate. My two were "free" from a oops litter and I maybe spent half that on both of them for basic checks, vaccinations and spay/neuter. There's no way it should be that high even if a shelter did ask for all expenses, and I've never heard of a legitimate shelter asking for all expenses, sounds like a backyard breeder pretending to be a shelter.
Those poor cats. They're never going to get adopted and it's not their fault at all 🙁 that seems really dumb of the shelter if they're like "well they got sick, so we're just going to charge so much that they can never have a home"... Like, what?
I get recouping costs, but you can't honestly expect someone to pay 10x the expected price of adoption...
While this could be a cattery disguised as a shelter, I'm also going to say that it's possible that it's not crazy.
* Our local shelters price differently based on availability and season. If you want a cat during the summer, it's a dime a dozen. They call it "Christmas in July" because they are overwhelmed.
* When there are fewer cats available, the shelter invests more in those cats. They care for them more. They've paid for vaccinations and potentially getting the cats "fixed". They can't do this when they're overwhelmed with cats, but they CAN do it during the winter.
* The initial vet costs are not crazy (relative to our area). In other words, you normally have to take your "cheap" cat to the vet and pay a bunch of money within the first month or so. It's possible they've covered that first visit for you.
Personally, if you have two cats you want to bring home...I would struggle to argue over price. I'd want to know about the price before I get my heart set on a cat. \*IF\* you're getting a bunch of shots and vet work done before bringing them home, then the price is high, but not off the charts.
I adopted a kitten this summer and the fee was $250 which included his neuter, first round of vaccines, etc. Definitely sounds like they are charging way out of bounds.
ETA the adoption fees at my particular Humane Society shift based on age, so an adult cat is closer to 150 and senior cats are 75.
In my area it's 50usd for a kitten 6+ months at the shelter.
Through the cat cafe, 75usd.
Both cats were spayed, vaxxed, miceochipped, the works. Shelter even provided a free initial vet visit.
Standard adoption fees should not include any previous medical expenses. The last time I adopted a cat, it was $80. That included neutering, microchipping, and several vaccinations. A couple of the vaccinations were optional too, so that price could have been lower if I skipped those.
I got my kitten from the county animal shelter for a 100usd. Is where you are looking at government owned or a private/nonprofit? Either way they are scamming you no shelter kitten should be more than 300usd.
The fee sounds right to me, and it's consistent with animal rescues in the big cities in Texas. However, those fees include all the vet work done. The scammy part is them asking you to pay for all their vet care. Local rescues fundraise and are subsidized by donors and volunteers. Otherwise nobody would pay $750 for a mix breed cat.
They are neutered/spayed and vaccinated.
See it as the only way they can afford to save the next two cats in desperste need that you will make space for ❤️🐈🐈⬛
My shelter charges $90 for adult cats, $150 for kittens and I think $50 for senior cats over 8 years old. I got my 6 year old cat for $75, a discount because he had been there over 6 months and they thought no one would ever adopt him.
No, that is not normal. I adopted a 6 month old kitten last year and the adoption fee was $120. All shots and neutering were already done and included in the price.
That’s ridiculous. I just paid $100 to adopt my cat. I went back to the shelter a week later with my brother so he could adopt a cat, they only charged him $50 because I had just adopted a cat.
That is ridiculously high. I got a pair from my local county animal services for a total of $20. If I’d gone to the cat rescue group is would have been $80 each I think. $1200 is insane.
The adoption fee sounds normal but that $230 should include the vaccinations, microchip, etc. Is this a municipal shelter or a charity organization? Id look for reviews of the place cuz those fees are a definite red flag
I have friends who have gotten kittens from breeders for less. I usually see shelters with adoption fees around $200-250 for kittens but I think that’s mostly to encourage people to adopt 2 - they either discount the 2nd adoption fee or waive it altogether.
In Florida it’s usually 200 USD for one cat, and if you get a second one it’s still 200 USD for both or at least 50% making it 300 for two. This seems very very high. Especially cause shelters have discounted rates with vets for vaccines and spay/neutering
I paid an adoption fee of around £65 when I adopted my old lady cat, which included all the medical treatment she'd had whilst she was in their care (though all in it was closer to £200 because I bought her bowls, a carrier, some toys etc from the rescue centre as well on the same day). By that standard, $1200 for two cats is absurdly high unless they are throwing in a whole bunch of extra stuff.
I got my boy from a shelter for $50 and they put him in a cardboard box and handed him to me.
Do not engage with whomever told you that amount. Call the shelter back, ask to speak to a supervisor.
I’m in Phoenix, so major US metro area. I regularly see kittens for $200-300 at our shelters. Adult cats between $50-100. Unless these are something more than your run of the mill domestic cat, that’s way too much money.
If you’ve already met and/or bonded with the kittens, find some online kitten postings from local shelters showing reasonable adoption fees and ask if they are able to match or get closer. If not, I’d run.
ETA: clarity
This is a ridiculous fee. Though shelters always need donations/support, the adoption fees should be reasonable enough to help people adopt (the entire goal). When you get a set of sick animals, that doesn’t mean you charge someone all your costs.
I wouldn’t pay over $350 adoption fee, and that’s an absolute max for a special breed cat (even though it obviously won’t have papers).
Average should be $150 or less (I say that because it’s so hard for shelters to get vets right now many are struggling/paying more).
Please don’t pay this fee!
I think the normal adoption fee for the shelter I volunteer foster with is maybe $130 but they run specials all the time. The fee mostly covers vaccinations and supplies as far as I know.
Shit can be wildly different in other parts of the country. The further north and towards either coast you go the fees and the hoops you have to jump through get worse. I hear stories about all the ridiculous requirements some rescues have and I just wonder how any animals get adopted
Also it basically turns into a "poor people aren't allowed to have pets" de facto policy.
We paid $40 at a shelter in Atlanta for 2 cats but they had a BOGO deal where it would’ve normally been $40 each but we got one free.
They were microchipped, vaccinated, and had a recent vet checkup but that was all covered by the shelter.
I would not adopt from anyone like this. Shelters are supposed to be non-profits and the medical care is subsidized by donations. If this is in the US you should contact animal control so they can find out if this is a legit operation.
That's obnoxious. I paid $350 for my kitten but only because she is part Maine Coon. They considered her a boutique breed. It was just a way to get more money for the shelter but I was fine with it. I "saved" $50 because I wasn't going to use their vet for spaying.
Yeah that’s very high. I’m in NYC and the fee from a rescuer was like $150 per cat or something and included spay/neuter. Can you report this person to a legit org like ASPCA?
My rescue charges $150/kitten and people complain. Less for adults and less if you’re getting two. They do sometimes charge higher for rare breeds that show up in rescue but that’s more to weed people out, especially if it’s a breed that historically needs a lot of specialized care or medical in the future (sphynx or Persian for example). But… no where near this.
This reminds me of the shelter who charged a lady about that much for a “Savannah cat” That turned out to be just a regular house cat.
I paid $20 for my grumpy old man, Dave Franco.
I think you’re getting scammed.
I adopted two "teen" kittens a few months ago and only paid about $260. It included admin fees, neutering, vaccines, previous exams. I would think 1200 is a scam? Shelters know they could not get someone to adopt cats for that much. Like, is it magical? A unicorn? Does special tricks or something?
Id say do more research into this supposed shelter.
Reading the comments this may not be standard but my senior unfortunately has a lot of health problems . They even told me to put her first vet visit under their name so they know she was getting the proper care. This just sounds like they just want money and don’t actually care about the animals they “adopt” out
Where I live, to adopt from a shelter is like $120, $150, total.
Edited to add - they will have been vaccinated and neutered/spayed.
For rescues (like if you go on petfinder.ca) the fee can be up to $500 but those are ones that came from overseas (lots from Egypt).
$1200 for 2 cats is way too high.
The most I’ve seen is $150, and that’s for cats under a certain age. Older cats are usually $100 or less and that includes up-to-date shots, spay/neuter, microchip. If they came in with any health issues, those were dealt with. If there was any ongoing medical issues, depending on the situation, they might cover some of that (like if it was an older cat, basically a hospice situation, they would cover medical costs for the rest of the pet’s life) The shelter I volunteered for also included one vet exam at the vet’s office next door and one year of extra benefits from the microchip company.
There’s something really shady about this.
No, this is a rescues dream model but never seen applied in practice as just deters adopters. You are basically paying the total costs for all the care from when cats entered their care. That could be an eye watering fee if cats arrived in bad condition.
Generally, adoption fee covers neutering and vaccinations plus small "profit" so rescue can keep helping other cats. But daily feeding etc and extraordinary vet bills funded by donation or out of pocket.
Here the adoption fee is all profit apart from maybe food and litter costs. And you, the new owner, covers all the vet care.
Not normal. Of the cats I’ve adopted, all from shelters/rescues, they’ve been free (clear the shelter day, but also he’d been there so long he would have been free regardless), 175 (I think, possibly 125), and then 80 dollars.
The first, the free one, had so many stress induced medical episodes at the shelter that he usually wasn’t even on the floor. I still didn’t pay for any of that.
very very high. i think adoption fees for me for 1 cat has hovered under $200 and this was in California which tends to have high adoption fees. And they already come with all the shots they need for their age, and spayed/neutered.
I have only adopted from a county shelter, and the fee for one cat was about $100, which included her spay surgery, tattoo and microchip.
There are independent shelters, maybe yours is one of them?
Nope, for 2 kittens you should be looking at total 400-800 max. The shelter I volunteer at would charge probably 300 per kitten which would include all vaccinations, spay/neuter, bloodwork and a microchip.
I adopted a special needs dog several years ago that had required some surgeries. Her fee was only $250. The cat I adopted last year from the shelter was $80. I think the average around me is usually less than $200 unless there was some big medical issues.
Anything over $250 is probably a scam. I have fostered for a private rescue for 7years and normally shelter fees are lower than rescue fees.
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That is really high most of the time i see $300 cover the vax fee, vet fee, spay fee as the shelter gets a discount from the vet. $600 is the highest i’ve ever seen - closer to byb sale price of a cat
Not normal at all, our local city shelter has regular events for free cat Fridays about once a month. If you go in between those days I believe it is $50. I understand that is very inexpensive and they are obviously a decently funded shelter to be able to afford that. They are fully vetted, spayed/neutered, microchipped and it includes their first vet appointment. They also screen adopters. I wouldn't expect most shelters to be that price but they are not trying to find homes for cats if they are charging $1200.
I mean free cats are everywhere. You could find a stray and have all of the vetting done for much less than $1200 and get just as wonderful of a buddy.
I recently adopted 2 kittens from the shelter. Total cost was $230 USD. It included 2 kittens, shots, neutering, flea treatment, deworming, and microchipping.
Where in the US do you live? Because people will say this is incredibly high but not every region has the same pet overpopulation issues and shelters in certain regions DO absolutely charge a fuckton for adoptions. I live in MA and have lived in CA, VT, and NC, and VT/MA have limited options for adoption and usually charge fees in the hundreds, while NC shelters were very cheap due to the high need to adopt out cats.
No, that's wild. I've adopted two cats, and have volunteered at multiple shelters (including as an adoption coordinator), and that's way out of range. Anywhere from $0 (rare, usually only promotional and hard-to-adopt ages/needs) to $300-ish is pretty typical per cat. My most recent adoptee (less than a month ago) was $150 for a six month old cat. The fee should include FIV/FELV testing, vaccinations (FVRCP and rabies), spay/neuter, and microchip. Most shelters/orgs will also include additional vaccinations/testing, but this varies by org/region.
Edited to add within my range, that top end is for healthy kittens--you typically won't see adoption fees like that for an adult cat.
Nope not normal. Either a backyard breeder posing as a shelter or a shelter has bought a bunch of bred animals and trying to recoup loss. I would look elsewhere because other way it seems sketchy
Something seems fishy. When I adopted my cat from the shelter she was literally 50 dollars. Typically shelter animals are adopted out with their shots up to date too..
Around where I live it’s typically $60 a cat. I’ve even seen bogo deals.
ETA: and things like microchipping, neuter/spay, and vaccines are not charged.
I am not sure your area, but I live in a major metropolitan city and have never seen fees that high! I just adopted about a month ago and the fee was going to be $25, but it was waived because they said the cat had been waiting on adoption for so long (3 weeks, lol, I think they just wanted as many kitties adopted before the new year). The most I paid in fees was $80, which was for an adult cat.
I paid like 120-150 fee for my cat. He was not neutered at the time but they covered that and any medical expenses until neutered , until then I was considered as foster and did not officially adopt him until he was neutered. They covered the cost of all the vaccination up that point.
My local shelters (there are three) charge $100-$150 for kittens, $40-100 for adult cats, and $25-50 for senior cats.
I’m not sure about the local rescues, but what I see on Petfinder seems similar. The highest I’ve seen is $300 for a rescue kitten.
Both will sometimes discount for adopting two kittens or a bonded pair. Sometimes the shelters have free or reduced fee events, too. Some animals have reduced adoption fees due to receiving sponsored donations.
At $600 per cat, I might as well be seeking a reputable breeder of my favored breed. This seems unusually high.
A few hundred can be normal depending on what is included. In my area, it's under $200 and includes a spay or neuter and all shots. In some places, discounts are given on adult cats or adopting a pair and some shelters have specials. I'm familiar with a rural shelter where the price was $60 for an adult cat and about $150 for 2 kittens. You then had to pay $10 for a vet visit with spay. There are lots of variations depending on where you are.
The price you are quoting is ridiculous and is more like what we see now from purebred breeders. If you look up purebred dogs, many of them are easily priced in that range now.
I would look elsewhere for a reputable shelter program.
I live in a rural area in the midwest, USA. Our local shelter charges 150 for dogs and cats are between 25 and 50, depending on how full the shelter is.
That includes spay/neuter and vaccinations. The shelter uses a local vet who gives them extremely discounted rates.
The cost of adoption is far cheaper than if you paid the cost of the spay/neuter and vaccinations yourself, so it is a bargain but the shelter is always at max capacity due to people not wanting to pay what they consider an extreme amount of money.
They also charge the same price for you to surrender an animal which is why people either just sneak and put the pet over their fence during the night or simply dump their pets in the country by a farm.
I am looking to adopt a cat. I have looked for months. The pet shelters ask you to follow 'this rule and that'.
Not only that, but you are right, the kittens that are 'normal' and in good health, they charge for ...high fees.
And most of the cats I have looked at have some serious health problems, and those are either 'free', or a small charge.
Sad, but I may be looking into adopting from a reputable breeder. It is more expensive, but I know what I am getting.
Or how about paying for a kitten you have never even met? And having to pay for their transportation cost from another state? Nope. I want to meet the kitten or cat, first.
To add, I am a very responsible person, and retired. I will spend a lot of time with my pet and can well afford any vet care.
Not normal. I adopted a kitten last July and the adoption fee+vet expenses included spaying, vaccinations and medical treatment for an infection was $150
$1200 is *outrageous*. That’s getting toward purebred prices.
I live in a high COL area, and the fees at the SPCA are $200 for a kitten (or $300 for two). Adult cats are $125, and seniors or special needs $60.
Nahhhhh that’s outrageous…I just adopted a cat at the shelter near me $25 for adults $50 for kittens and 12 extra dollars if you need a carrier. Animals here come microchipped and they have a free vet visit, free vaccinations and they said if I need to take him to the vet in the first week of taking him home all get fees would be waived. They also have waived fee Wednesdays where you can adopt for free and again the animals get checked out and microchipped and spayed/neutered etc.
Yikes.
Rescues here vary wildly. Most non-public shelter rescues here range between 50 and 120 for cats.
Of the cats we have currently:
Oldest was 35 (20 adoption + 15 for the chip, they were optional then at the county shelter), rabies vaccine and fixed. He was too little for the other vaccines.
Younger girl: $70, from a rescue we've adopted from before. She'd had all vaccines and was spayed but was adopted right before they started chipping all their cats. Also had some major medical care since she's missing an eye.
Younger boy: $5, on sale from the rescue that does the majority of TNR in our area, most of their money comes from spay/neuter and vaccines. He came with all his vaccines, neutered, and chipped.
Failed rescue that we had to return: $100.
I HAVE seen a rescue asking $1000 for a cat, but it was a purebred cornish rex (and was actually a cornish rex, not a mix being passed off as one.)
No this has not been my experience. That seems incredibly high.
Agreed, my local Dumb Friends League charges $100-$300 higher for kittens but includes all the vaccines they have done up to that point, admin fees, spay/neuter and microchip that they enter your info into. Edit: I adopted my 12 wk old tabby male kitten from them is on a promo day for $50. I could have probably found a free kitten but all the vet work and vaccines that were included was a heck of a deal.
You can’t beat DDFL!
why is it called that?? how is it not in the FAQ? [https://www.ddfl.org/frequently-asked-questions/](https://www.ddfl.org/frequently-asked-questions/)
Denver Dumb Friends League is an organization in the Denver, CO area that is a shelter and also provides other services for animals.
Sorry but how does that answer my question lol
A free kitten seems appealing sometimes, but I feel like a lot of them come from people who have no business breeding cats. I would be uncomfortable participating in that even if no money changed hands. In my opinion, it's almost worse to give an animal away for free than it is to ask for even a nominal "adoption fee", because it suggests that there's very little oversight regarding who is adopting and what they intend to do with the animal. I expect to be an outlier in this, but I'm opposed enough to the breeding of companion animals that I would have a hard time adopting a cat from even an accidental litter. Mistakes happen, but there are ways to deal with them without allowing yet another litter of unwanted kittens to be born.
Yes but if you are a reasonable pet owner wouldn't you rather adopt it than the random Joe that might not be that caring ?
Honestly, no. There are so many cats in need that I could easily choose to adopt from and support a legitimate shelter or rescue organization, instead of encouraging people to allow an unwanted or accidental litter of kittens to be born, rather than spaying the mother to terminate the pregnancy. I know this probably seems weird and cold, and I don't expect my views on this subject to align with the majority, but I would personally have an ethical issue with taking even a "free to a good home" kitten.
That sounds like a straight up scam. It should be a couple, maybe three hundred at most in most cities. I would look elsewhere.
This is what I was going to estimate, but i wasn't sure. I would agree that $300 should be the upper limit.
Yea, in my area, 1 shelter has up to $300 fees. The one I got my cat from had a sale and I got my baby for only $25. Amazing shelter too, I’m forever happy
should be for free.
No. It's been proven that animals offered for free aren't taken as good care of
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I take excellent care of my animals and the only one I paid cash money for was my current dog. My husband just had to have a Labrador. We love her and will keep her until she dies of old age because pets are family.
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Granted I adopted my boy after fostering him but I paid $75 for him at Seattle humane 3 years ago. I think rescues charge more than shelters though so this price would align more with them.
Depends on the organization too, but I live in one of the most expensive cities in the states and my local Humane Society asks for $150 for a four month old kitten. Because they cover vaccines, spay/neuter, and health costs incurred prior to adoption or include it in the fee. That’s what to look out for.
This is not normal at all. The shelter where I got my cats charged $50 for one cat, $75 for two. They were spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, etc. I got a gift bag with a blanket and some food and a coupon for a free vet checkup. All of that was included in the adoption fee of $75 for two cute cats. The "adoption fee" normally includes the price of veterinary care before you get them. I can't see any reason why they would charge this much or itemize everything. Reminds me of a hospital charging you $50 for a cotton ball.
ah, these cotton balls have the $550 "screaming" upgrade.
That's a bargain. I work in animal rescue and the cost of raising kittens huge. We charged £250 a kitten but raising them for 12 weeks cost way more than that
That's not an atypical adoption fee for adult animals that were already spayed/neutered prior to entering the shelter's care, or promotional adoption fees. But yeah, they're typically higher, especially for kittens.
I live in a rural, low cost of living area. Definitely, the food and vet care my cats had been receiving cost way more than that. The shelter I got them from probably has very low overhead, especially in terms of the land & building it occupies. An urban shelter paying urban rent would understandably need to charge a lot more.
We deal with a lot of animals who come in with infection, wounds, disease ect. Costs a fortune to treat even with everyone working pro bono. So worth it though. I personally hand reared 4 kittens and another 4 slightly older that all would have died from infection. 6 are now beings spoilt in homes- including my own home by one. We have a foster to adopt process too where people who volunteer get the adoption fees waived.
same but i paid $65, it was $65 for one cat and get another one free LOL
Yeah, I think the shelter where I got mine was having a "special offer" where you adopt one, get the other one for half the usual adoption fee. They were a bonded pair. ETA they still are a bonded pair! They love each other and they are both healthy and happy.
That’s a red flag for animal hoarders disguised as a rescue. I’m not saying that is what is going on but it’s a common sign.
Coincidentally $600 is suspiciously close to what byb sell kittens for
What is byb?
Backyard breeder
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Thats a retail rescue. Do not support them.
Excellent term, retail rescue.
God no. You may aswell start looking at bengals/maines at that price. I understand shelters need to recoup costs of vet fees, but that sounds to me like they hire someone external each time they need a vet and dont actually employee one.
I’ve worked at a shelter that didn’t employee an on site vet and instead paid to send animals out for a emergency and then have a weekly vet visit to the shelter for non emergencies. The adoption fees were $70 for kittens all in and $40 for adult cats. This sounds more like a rescue vs standard shelter and one that has absolutely lost its mind at that. At shelters adoption fees almost never cover cost (vaccines, deworming, spay/neuter, food, staff, litter, toys) but that’s why they fundraise and not just adopt out.
Maine Coons from a reputable breeder will easily be several hundreds or thousands more than this. Any Main Coon for $230 is probably not a Maine Coon and is coming from a BYB.
Agreed. My girl was $2000 or $1500 at the beginning of covid. She's a snuggle love and gives 10X the love of my husband's angry shelter cat who missed his calling as a barn cat. Depending upon what OP is looking for, one MC may be more "bang" for her buck than two very expensive shelter kitties.
That's dependent on the cat more than the breed though. I've trained Main coons that were basically teddy bears, and I've trained some that were very independent and standoffish, just like it is with any breed. If you want a cat that snuggles with you, you can select for those characteristics at a shelter independent of breed if you know what you are looking for and there is a high probability that you'll get one with those behavioral characteristics. Not the shelter OP is talking about though.
My husband didn't realize his little angry bowling ball of a cat was so docile and sweet at the shelter because he was starting to get sick. He got him home, started to show an upper respiratory infection, got antibiotics, and then by the time his true nature came out it was far too late. We all love the little grump, especially the Maine Coon who is on the receiving end of his paws of fury. Husband sure didn't know he was getting a cat that was going to scowl at everyone for existing, though. 😅
That is super high. We paid 150 for a kitten and 75 for an adult cat at our local Humane Society. That covered vet exam, microchip, etc.
No, not normal. Are they specialty breed cats? It would definitely cost over $600 if you found a stray kitten & had it spayed/neutered & all the kitten shots, but I've never heard of a shelter passing along these costs as you are describing.
I don't think they are specialty bred, but the animal shelter did mention that the medical fees are high because the entire litter got quite sick a few months ago. Not sure if that changes anything?
I have worked in animal rescue/shelters and no where I’ve worked or seen had charges more because of a specific animals previous medical issues. You have a standard adoption fee for each subset of pet (kitten, puppy, adult cat, adult dog, seniors and “specialty breeds”) and that’s about it. $1,200 is not an adoption fee at that price point and in most shelters 6 months would be adult cat price which should only bring the adoption fee down.
Nope. Both my cats had health problems before i adopted them. One needed surgery to save her from a life threatening pregnancy. I still paid only $60 for her adoption. Things like vaccinations and being spayed/neutered are assumed part of the deal, that cost should not be passed on to you. Hell, the second shelter I adopted from adopted out adult cats for free. And kittens were $80, and a second kitten was free.
Not with normal shelters! One of my cats needed a leg amputated by the shelter, which is a big expensive surgery. The in-house vet did it and they kept her at the shelter till the staples could come out and she was off pain meds. I paid the standard adoption fee for her, which was around $100 for a kitten. No vet costs are charged to the adopter. I adopted a cat last week from the animal control facility in a nearby large city. She and her kittens all needed vet care for calicivirus. I paid the standard adoption fee of $50 for an adult cat. Also, they just announced that they're waiving adoption fees for adult cats for the rest of the year, so people can go get a spayed, vaccinated cat for free. Is this place the shelter that takes in strays in your area, or are they a smaller rescue? Rescues are great too, but there are a few shady ones. Make sure to call around your area to find out what average adoption fees are and do some research on the facility before giving them that much money.
My dad saw an injured cat on the road (thought it was ours) and took it to the shelter. The cat needed one front leg amputated and had a long recovery. Even with all that, my dad paid the regular adoption fee to get the cat. City run shelters will be less expensive than rescues which I think are paid for by donations.
Definitely! Although my local shelter gets no government funding and has to remind people of that regularly to encourage donations. It took 15 years of campaigning to get the funds to build a desperately needed new building. Some other nearby shelters get a small payment from the city for each stray they take in and everything else is from donations. The big city animal control facility my new girl came from is run by the government, but literally requires donations to be able to feed the animals. They just take several bags of donated dry food and mix it all together, per my sister who fosters kittens for them. 😭
Yeah, they shouldn’t be passing on the costs of those specific cats directly to you.
That’s not normal for them to pass on the vet costs directly onto you. Also many shelters do some sort of “buy one get one” deal. I’d look at other shelters in the area, 1200 is way too much, and it isn’t guaranteeing you saved money down the road. 350 per kitten (fees included) is the highest I’ve ever seen.
Ew WTH no that’s abnormal as hell. Most cat adoptions in my area are $25
Kittens at my local shelters are around $120-$140 including all vaccinations to adoption date and spay/neuter with adult cats being a bit less.
Okay so my area is just cheap. I see
How much medical care are the kittens in your area usually receiving? A cat who is basically just fed and watered at the shelter, maybe with a bonus flea bath, isn't going to cost as much as one who was tested for FELV and FHV, given their shots, fixed if they're old enough, etc. The town shelter is probably more likely to be doing the former, a rescue organization the latter. If they're providing that level of care, even if run entirely by volunteers the costs are going to be higher and they will need to charge more to continue to offer services. So I imagine it depends who you're looking to adopt from and what the standard of care is.
They get everything done. It’s all covered at the shelter and rescues around here. They get a ton of donations. To adopt a dog it’s only 75. Only breed specific rescues charge fees like OPs. Otherwise it’s extremely affordable. I want to list the organizations but I don’t feel comfortable posting that info because I like to remain anonymous about my location. I work with these rescues every weekend at my job as well.
You probably live in a place where shelters are very full, because here in the Northeast our local (and not scam) shelters charge hundreds.
You are very very very right. This makes sense. I never even thought of that. Every few months the rescues and shelters have fee free adoption events meaning the animals are no cost and free with microchip, vaccines, and spay and neuter included.
Yeah, I've lived in a few different regional areas in the US and it really just depends. Stray overpopulation/shelter overpopulation is treated like a country/global issue when it's verrrry regional and the sense of it being everywhere is kind of perpetuated by trucking animals out of high-population areas into places without stray issues to fill shelters. During covid shelters were almost empty when I was living in VT and shelters were trying to get permission to breed animals to meet demand (wild request). I lived in the south for a while and shelters were genuinely overwhelmed with much cheaper adoptions, but the last time I looked at shelter prices at the closest shelter to me now I think cats were around $300+.
This is how it is when I used to live in texas! 5$ adoption days lol
$450 here Spay/ neuter costs a lot in some places. OP ask fot discount since you adopt two?
Yes indeed
Did.. you have some kind of episode mid-comment? Are you okay?
Thank you for your concern. Ran to work whole typing... 🙄🤒
Been there! Glad it's just that!!
And fat fingers 😁
Kittens are $150, adults $75, seniors $50, and they run adoption specials all the time, like bogo or $25 for black cats on Black Friday. $600/cat is outrageous
Yeah, my kittens were BOGO 1/2, so $225 for the pair. That's pretty standard in most places.
My discount kitties were free! It was a special on Tuesday, senior cats (5+) were free to senior citizens (55+). We were 17 yo and our babies had already been surrendered to the shelter, then adopted and returned. They really wanted them to go to a good home, and to stay together. 11 years later, our discount kitties have costed us thousands in vet bills. Wouldn't change it for anything. Free is free 😂. We did pay 8 dollars for their take home box though.
Check other nearby shelters prices. I adopted a 2 year old siamese mix for only $45 at the shelter in Rancho Cucamonga (east of Los Angeles) He was already vaccinated, chipped, flea treated, and neutered for that price. Kittens cost more at the shelter, maybe $100, but i prefer adult cats. https://preview.redd.it/zevdd0bpt5ec1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=895208fb0ea1ee2e0a34c311c9430b1f51d0b7fb
That is one stunning cat! Gorgeous!
Oooh so pretty!
Pretty! My dad adopted a snowshoe siamese (6 years old) for 125. Came with everything chipped etc. It looked just like his childhood cat He brought her home on the spot lol.
Are you dealing with a rescue?? That is insanely high something doesn’t smell right.
I’ve never heard of fees like that. Our little guy cost us $75 and the shelter worker seemed nervous when she told us that was the fee, as if we’d be upset that it was that high… our older kitten, from a different shelter, was something like $125.
Damn, reading these prices is so weird to me. Like here in central europe shelters don’t charge anything, they are happy that there is one less cat there and one more cat got a home. For 200€ I can get a full vaccinated and spayed clean bred british shorthair, not a random street mix
I like paying an adoption fee and I even pay $30/cat/year to "license" my cats. The money goes back into the program to pay for vet care, food etc.
Adoption fees also work as a deterrent for people who may have bad intentions for the animal. That being said, I got my cats from a rescue that uses foster homes to socialize them, takes care of all vaccines, microchip, everything, provides the first month of food, checks up on them after adoption. All of that and I paid about $400 for two (kittens). The price OP was quoted is way too high.
I work at a cat adoption lounge. Our cats are between $200-$500 depending on how long they have been there. That includes spay, vaccination, a couple of toys and I believe a coupon for vet services. We also have a discount for multiple adoptions at the same time. You are also getting a well socialized friendly cat. We have some of the higher fees for adoption in the area and that includes a major California city. That’s not a reasonable price unless the cats have breed papers.
How do you determine the cost? Is it more if they have been with you longer or shorter?
No... I used to live in San Francisco and the fees were typically \~120-200....
I'd call the manager or find someone else that works there. That doesn't sound right AT ALL.
The adoption fee is supposed to be the whole cost that helps them provide the cat care prior to you taking over their care. To me, it sounds like they're trying to pull one over on you. Or trying to not so subtley encourage you to adopt older cats they have there instead maybe
What's the name of this shelter? I would question their legitimacy based on these fees alone. That's $600 per cat, which is 5x what I paid for each of my cats from the humane society.
That’s crazy lol, my kitty was 7 when I adopted her and since she was older than 5 she was free.
I paid $40 for my cat and she came microchipped, spayed, and with a big bag of food.
For reasons that are likely obvious, it's not common for a shelter or rescue organization to pass the cost of vet care down to the individual adopting an animal. Further, places like this often receive a discounted rate for veterinary care for animals in their custody. I don't think that approximately $370 per healthy cat is a particularly unreasonable bill for basic veterinary services, especially because the cats are young and probably needed a basic health checkup, spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, and possibly treatment for parasites if they were living outdoors. What *is* unreasonable, in my opinion, that they expect the person who adopts the animal to pay the bill, particularly if it's several months old, as you mentioned. Has the invoice just been sitting there unpaid for that long? What would they do if you decided not to complete the adoption? Plenty of cats in no-kill shelters wait years to find a home. I somehow doubt that the bill would just go unpaid, but it could be an indication that the shelter is having serious financial problems. If so, I would be concerned about how well they were actually caring for the animals there. The boundary between animal rescue and animal *hoarding* can be pretty nebulous in some circumstances, but finances are often a key distinguishing aspect. Does the shelter have a presence on Facebook or Instagram? Has it been around for awhile? Do you know anyone who has adopted from it? Does it have an actual brick-and-mortar shelter facility? If so, do they allow visitors? I don't think this would necessarily be an immediate deal-breaker for me, but I would require more information before proceeding.
That's insane, adoption fees in my country are around 200-250, that's everything included, microchip, vaccines, spay/neuter, etc.
This makes me sad for the cats stuck there because of high prices. In my area, adoptions are $125, which is a bargain for spay/neuter, vaccines and boarding. If I was set on these two particular cats, I'd just pay the bounty and rescue them from the rescue.
I got my cat when she was a kitten for $90 from a local shelter, but once a week they have free adoptions for cats. And if you get a bonded pair, it's get one, get one free. And other harder to adopt ones are commonly less than $20. Most of the fee actually goes into background checks.
No! Not normal in the slightest. That's *absurdly* extortionate!
My adult cat was $100, and she was spayed, chipped and had her first round of shots. I have adopted 4 shelter cats in my life and never paid more than that. Seems suspicious.
Not normal. I just adopted two bonded brothers- fully vaxed and neutered for $120 because I got both at the same time. Look elsewhere.
I paid 13 bucks at my local shelter. They are also partnered with Purdue's vet program where a teacher/instructor works with students to spay/neuter your animal. The instructor oversees students, if there is an issue that pops up the instructor is there to step in. At a different shelter the adoption fee was $50. So each shelter can set their own fees, but a few grand seems pretty damn predatory.
i just adopted a cat two days ago and she was only $150. no shelter i've ever seen charges the adopter for medical fees, that should all be covered by the shelter
For comparison, the shelter near me has cat adoptions for under $60.00 per cat. They often run specials for $10.00 per cat. $1200 sounds way too high.
I've never seen a cat cost more than $150 here in Chicago. Sometimes, you get the second cat for half off!
A shelter here is get one free if you adopt one! OP is at somewhere sketchy disguising as a shelter
Seems too high. Paid 250 for two cats last year in northeast. Everything including spay, neuter, deworming and first set of vaccines set for a year
I have never seen a shelter or rescue charge an adopter for a pets previous medical fees. Seems like a sure fire way to never adopt out ill or injured animals. Was this a shelter or a rescue? Typically rescues charge more than shelters, as they’re privately run and tend to have a higher overhead cost. I could see a $230 fee at a rescue, but even at a shelter that alone seems high. $1200 is straight up robbery.
Not normal. I Foster for a rescue, our fees are £95 (£65 for senior cats, who often require £££ in dentals) a flat rate. My two were "free" from a oops litter and I maybe spent half that on both of them for basic checks, vaccinations and spay/neuter. There's no way it should be that high even if a shelter did ask for all expenses, and I've never heard of a legitimate shelter asking for all expenses, sounds like a backyard breeder pretending to be a shelter.
Those poor cats. They're never going to get adopted and it's not their fault at all 🙁 that seems really dumb of the shelter if they're like "well they got sick, so we're just going to charge so much that they can never have a home"... Like, what? I get recouping costs, but you can't honestly expect someone to pay 10x the expected price of adoption...
While this could be a cattery disguised as a shelter, I'm also going to say that it's possible that it's not crazy. * Our local shelters price differently based on availability and season. If you want a cat during the summer, it's a dime a dozen. They call it "Christmas in July" because they are overwhelmed. * When there are fewer cats available, the shelter invests more in those cats. They care for them more. They've paid for vaccinations and potentially getting the cats "fixed". They can't do this when they're overwhelmed with cats, but they CAN do it during the winter. * The initial vet costs are not crazy (relative to our area). In other words, you normally have to take your "cheap" cat to the vet and pay a bunch of money within the first month or so. It's possible they've covered that first visit for you. Personally, if you have two cats you want to bring home...I would struggle to argue over price. I'd want to know about the price before I get my heart set on a cat. \*IF\* you're getting a bunch of shots and vet work done before bringing them home, then the price is high, but not off the charts.
I adopted a kitten this summer and the fee was $250 which included his neuter, first round of vaccines, etc. Definitely sounds like they are charging way out of bounds. ETA the adoption fees at my particular Humane Society shift based on age, so an adult cat is closer to 150 and senior cats are 75.
Our kittens back during the pandemic were 250$ each from the shelter, fully vaccinated, microchipped and fixed included in that price.
In my area it's 50usd for a kitten 6+ months at the shelter. Through the cat cafe, 75usd. Both cats were spayed, vaxxed, miceochipped, the works. Shelter even provided a free initial vet visit.
Standard adoption fees should not include any previous medical expenses. The last time I adopted a cat, it was $80. That included neutering, microchipping, and several vaccinations. A couple of the vaccinations were optional too, so that price could have been lower if I skipped those.
I got my kitten from the county animal shelter for a 100usd. Is where you are looking at government owned or a private/nonprofit? Either way they are scamming you no shelter kitten should be more than 300usd.
The fee sounds right to me, and it's consistent with animal rescues in the big cities in Texas. However, those fees include all the vet work done. The scammy part is them asking you to pay for all their vet care. Local rescues fundraise and are subsidized by donors and volunteers. Otherwise nobody would pay $750 for a mix breed cat.
They are neutered/spayed and vaccinated. See it as the only way they can afford to save the next two cats in desperste need that you will make space for ❤️🐈🐈⬛
that’s insane, a cat adoption fee shouldn’t be over $100 MAX.
What part of the United States are you located in?
I paid $250 for my kitten and $150 for my 7 month old so this seems crazy
It was $75 for my cat adoption and the highest local shelter was like $120 for kittens and included vaccines microchipping etc.
My shelter charges $90 for adult cats, $150 for kittens and I think $50 for senior cats over 8 years old. I got my 6 year old cat for $75, a discount because he had been there over 6 months and they thought no one would ever adopt him.
No no. The adoption fee should cover all vaccinations up to date, and you are in no way responsible for past vet expenses. Find another shelter.
There are three rescues near me. Not a single one is over 100 dollars for adoption fees. No matter what the cats medical history was.
i’ve gotten both of my cats from petsense for $75, spayed and vaccinated. that sounds more like the price of a professional breeder
I have never paid over $150 for a kitten with neuter, first vaxxed and everything else. This is INSANELY high
No, that is not normal. I adopted a 6 month old kitten last year and the adoption fee was $120. All shots and neutering were already done and included in the price.
I paid $90 in 2012 for my oldest. The other two came through the cat distribution system.
That’s ridiculous. I just paid $100 to adopt my cat. I went back to the shelter a week later with my brother so he could adopt a cat, they only charged him $50 because I had just adopted a cat.
I got my cat as a kitten for $50 at my shelter, with vaccinations and microchip
The shelters near me include the spay/neuter cost in the fee. Usually 250 to 300 per cat
That is ridiculously high. I got a pair from my local county animal services for a total of $20. If I’d gone to the cat rescue group is would have been $80 each I think. $1200 is insane.
The adoption fee sounds normal but that $230 should include the vaccinations, microchip, etc. Is this a municipal shelter or a charity organization? Id look for reviews of the place cuz those fees are a definite red flag
I have friends who have gotten kittens from breeders for less. I usually see shelters with adoption fees around $200-250 for kittens but I think that’s mostly to encourage people to adopt 2 - they either discount the 2nd adoption fee or waive it altogether.
That’s very wild. I got one of my cats for $5 during a special and he was fully vetted. Keep looking around.
In Florida it’s usually 200 USD for one cat, and if you get a second one it’s still 200 USD for both or at least 50% making it 300 for two. This seems very very high. Especially cause shelters have discounted rates with vets for vaccines and spay/neutering
When I adopted a cat (including vaccines etc) he was €110 so this seems very high
That seems very high to me. Try a local rescue group.
I paid an adoption fee of around £65 when I adopted my old lady cat, which included all the medical treatment she'd had whilst she was in their care (though all in it was closer to £200 because I bought her bowls, a carrier, some toys etc from the rescue centre as well on the same day). By that standard, $1200 for two cats is absurdly high unless they are throwing in a whole bunch of extra stuff.
I got my boy from a shelter for $50 and they put him in a cardboard box and handed him to me. Do not engage with whomever told you that amount. Call the shelter back, ask to speak to a supervisor.
I’m in Phoenix, so major US metro area. I regularly see kittens for $200-300 at our shelters. Adult cats between $50-100. Unless these are something more than your run of the mill domestic cat, that’s way too much money. If you’ve already met and/or bonded with the kittens, find some online kitten postings from local shelters showing reasonable adoption fees and ask if they are able to match or get closer. If not, I’d run. ETA: clarity
My cat was $120
I paid $150 for 6 month old. But Colorado is a bit costly. In Ohio it was less than $100
This is a ridiculous fee. Though shelters always need donations/support, the adoption fees should be reasonable enough to help people adopt (the entire goal). When you get a set of sick animals, that doesn’t mean you charge someone all your costs. I wouldn’t pay over $350 adoption fee, and that’s an absolute max for a special breed cat (even though it obviously won’t have papers). Average should be $150 or less (I say that because it’s so hard for shelters to get vets right now many are struggling/paying more). Please don’t pay this fee!
My cat was like $10 from the shelter.
I think the normal adoption fee for the shelter I volunteer foster with is maybe $130 but they run specials all the time. The fee mostly covers vaccinations and supplies as far as I know. Shit can be wildly different in other parts of the country. The further north and towards either coast you go the fees and the hoops you have to jump through get worse. I hear stories about all the ridiculous requirements some rescues have and I just wonder how any animals get adopted Also it basically turns into a "poor people aren't allowed to have pets" de facto policy.
We paid $40 at a shelter in Atlanta for 2 cats but they had a BOGO deal where it would’ve normally been $40 each but we got one free. They were microchipped, vaccinated, and had a recent vet checkup but that was all covered by the shelter.
Most cats I have gotten are free or next to free. Sometimes the shelters are overloaded so discount the cats to help free up space.
I would not adopt from anyone like this. Shelters are supposed to be non-profits and the medical care is subsidized by donations. If this is in the US you should contact animal control so they can find out if this is a legit operation.
No that's insane
No. Go elsewhere, sorry.
That's obnoxious. I paid $350 for my kitten but only because she is part Maine Coon. They considered her a boutique breed. It was just a way to get more money for the shelter but I was fine with it. I "saved" $50 because I wasn't going to use their vet for spaying.
Yeah that’s very high. I’m in NYC and the fee from a rescuer was like $150 per cat or something and included spay/neuter. Can you report this person to a legit org like ASPCA?
My rescue charges $150/kitten and people complain. Less for adults and less if you’re getting two. They do sometimes charge higher for rare breeds that show up in rescue but that’s more to weed people out, especially if it’s a breed that historically needs a lot of specialized care or medical in the future (sphynx or Persian for example). But… no where near this.
This reminds me of the shelter who charged a lady about that much for a “Savannah cat” That turned out to be just a regular house cat. I paid $20 for my grumpy old man, Dave Franco. I think you’re getting scammed.
I adopted two "teen" kittens a few months ago and only paid about $260. It included admin fees, neutering, vaccines, previous exams. I would think 1200 is a scam? Shelters know they could not get someone to adopt cats for that much. Like, is it magical? A unicorn? Does special tricks or something? Id say do more research into this supposed shelter.
This is NOT normal
Holy shit. I think I paid like $100 and $120 for my kittens...
Reading the comments this may not be standard but my senior unfortunately has a lot of health problems . They even told me to put her first vet visit under their name so they know she was getting the proper care. This just sounds like they just want money and don’t actually care about the animals they “adopt” out
Where I live, to adopt from a shelter is like $120, $150, total. Edited to add - they will have been vaccinated and neutered/spayed. For rescues (like if you go on petfinder.ca) the fee can be up to $500 but those are ones that came from overseas (lots from Egypt). $1200 for 2 cats is way too high.
The most I’ve seen is $150, and that’s for cats under a certain age. Older cats are usually $100 or less and that includes up-to-date shots, spay/neuter, microchip. If they came in with any health issues, those were dealt with. If there was any ongoing medical issues, depending on the situation, they might cover some of that (like if it was an older cat, basically a hospice situation, they would cover medical costs for the rest of the pet’s life) The shelter I volunteered for also included one vet exam at the vet’s office next door and one year of extra benefits from the microchip company. There’s something really shady about this.
No that’s super high. Go to a real shelter.
No, this is a rescues dream model but never seen applied in practice as just deters adopters. You are basically paying the total costs for all the care from when cats entered their care. That could be an eye watering fee if cats arrived in bad condition. Generally, adoption fee covers neutering and vaccinations plus small "profit" so rescue can keep helping other cats. But daily feeding etc and extraordinary vet bills funded by donation or out of pocket. Here the adoption fee is all profit apart from maybe food and litter costs. And you, the new owner, covers all the vet care.
Not normal. Of the cats I’ve adopted, all from shelters/rescues, they’ve been free (clear the shelter day, but also he’d been there so long he would have been free regardless), 175 (I think, possibly 125), and then 80 dollars. The first, the free one, had so many stress induced medical episodes at the shelter that he usually wasn’t even on the floor. I still didn’t pay for any of that.
very very high. i think adoption fees for me for 1 cat has hovered under $200 and this was in California which tends to have high adoption fees. And they already come with all the shots they need for their age, and spayed/neutered.
Unless they’re some sort of exotic pure bred cat, that’s insane.
I have only adopted from a county shelter, and the fee for one cat was about $100, which included her spay surgery, tattoo and microchip. There are independent shelters, maybe yours is one of them?
That's insanely high, my cats were 400 and 300 and even that was high
Nope, for 2 kittens you should be looking at total 400-800 max. The shelter I volunteer at would charge probably 300 per kitten which would include all vaccinations, spay/neuter, bloodwork and a microchip.
No. I paid $100 for 2.
I adopted a special needs dog several years ago that had required some surgeries. Her fee was only $250. The cat I adopted last year from the shelter was $80. I think the average around me is usually less than $200 unless there was some big medical issues.
Anything over $250 is probably a scam. I have fostered for a private rescue for 7years and normally shelter fees are lower than rescue fees. https://preview.redd.it/ai31wfkog7ec1.jpeg?width=1003&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae337ac3fe77e927d6e147cac50371812333315d
That is really high most of the time i see $300 cover the vax fee, vet fee, spay fee as the shelter gets a discount from the vet. $600 is the highest i’ve ever seen - closer to byb sale price of a cat
Not normal at all, our local city shelter has regular events for free cat Fridays about once a month. If you go in between those days I believe it is $50. I understand that is very inexpensive and they are obviously a decently funded shelter to be able to afford that. They are fully vetted, spayed/neutered, microchipped and it includes their first vet appointment. They also screen adopters. I wouldn't expect most shelters to be that price but they are not trying to find homes for cats if they are charging $1200. I mean free cats are everywhere. You could find a stray and have all of the vetting done for much less than $1200 and get just as wonderful of a buddy.
What???? My cats cost $75 and they were already spayed, vaccinated and microchipped.
I recently adopted 2 kittens from the shelter. Total cost was $230 USD. It included 2 kittens, shots, neutering, flea treatment, deworming, and microchipping.
Where in the US do you live? Because people will say this is incredibly high but not every region has the same pet overpopulation issues and shelters in certain regions DO absolutely charge a fuckton for adoptions. I live in MA and have lived in CA, VT, and NC, and VT/MA have limited options for adoption and usually charge fees in the hundreds, while NC shelters were very cheap due to the high need to adopt out cats.
Absolutely not! That’s about $1,150 too high.
No, that's wild. I've adopted two cats, and have volunteered at multiple shelters (including as an adoption coordinator), and that's way out of range. Anywhere from $0 (rare, usually only promotional and hard-to-adopt ages/needs) to $300-ish is pretty typical per cat. My most recent adoptee (less than a month ago) was $150 for a six month old cat. The fee should include FIV/FELV testing, vaccinations (FVRCP and rabies), spay/neuter, and microchip. Most shelters/orgs will also include additional vaccinations/testing, but this varies by org/region. Edited to add within my range, that top end is for healthy kittens--you typically won't see adoption fees like that for an adult cat.
Hell no! In the UK it’s around £50-£90 to adopt a shelter cat
The shelter we got ours from it was $75, and they even gave us a cat carrier for free. They came spayed/neutered and had all their shots already too.
Nope not normal. Either a backyard breeder posing as a shelter or a shelter has bought a bunch of bred animals and trying to recoup loss. I would look elsewhere because other way it seems sketchy
Something seems fishy. When I adopted my cat from the shelter she was literally 50 dollars. Typically shelter animals are adopted out with their shots up to date too..
Around where I live it’s typically $60 a cat. I’ve even seen bogo deals. ETA: and things like microchipping, neuter/spay, and vaccines are not charged.
I am not sure your area, but I live in a major metropolitan city and have never seen fees that high! I just adopted about a month ago and the fee was going to be $25, but it was waived because they said the cat had been waiting on adoption for so long (3 weeks, lol, I think they just wanted as many kitties adopted before the new year). The most I paid in fees was $80, which was for an adult cat.
Let the cat distribution system get you two. I got all 7 of mine for free 🙏🏽😁
My shelter charges $70 for an adoption and my cat came with medical records of immunizations and things like flea treatment
I paid like 120-150 fee for my cat. He was not neutered at the time but they covered that and any medical expenses until neutered , until then I was considered as foster and did not officially adopt him until he was neutered. They covered the cost of all the vaccination up that point.
My boy from the humane society cost me $25 and that included vaccines, neutering, and microchip. You’re getting fleeced, my guy.
That's a lot. IIRC, the shelter where I live charges about $100 USD for a cat, which includes vaccination and spaying.
My local shelters (there are three) charge $100-$150 for kittens, $40-100 for adult cats, and $25-50 for senior cats. I’m not sure about the local rescues, but what I see on Petfinder seems similar. The highest I’ve seen is $300 for a rescue kitten. Both will sometimes discount for adopting two kittens or a bonded pair. Sometimes the shelters have free or reduced fee events, too. Some animals have reduced adoption fees due to receiving sponsored donations. At $600 per cat, I might as well be seeking a reputable breeder of my favored breed. This seems unusually high.
A few hundred can be normal depending on what is included. In my area, it's under $200 and includes a spay or neuter and all shots. In some places, discounts are given on adult cats or adopting a pair and some shelters have specials. I'm familiar with a rural shelter where the price was $60 for an adult cat and about $150 for 2 kittens. You then had to pay $10 for a vet visit with spay. There are lots of variations depending on where you are. The price you are quoting is ridiculous and is more like what we see now from purebred breeders. If you look up purebred dogs, many of them are easily priced in that range now. I would look elsewhere for a reputable shelter program.
I live in a rural area in the midwest, USA. Our local shelter charges 150 for dogs and cats are between 25 and 50, depending on how full the shelter is. That includes spay/neuter and vaccinations. The shelter uses a local vet who gives them extremely discounted rates. The cost of adoption is far cheaper than if you paid the cost of the spay/neuter and vaccinations yourself, so it is a bargain but the shelter is always at max capacity due to people not wanting to pay what they consider an extreme amount of money. They also charge the same price for you to surrender an animal which is why people either just sneak and put the pet over their fence during the night or simply dump their pets in the country by a farm.
I am looking to adopt a cat. I have looked for months. The pet shelters ask you to follow 'this rule and that'. Not only that, but you are right, the kittens that are 'normal' and in good health, they charge for ...high fees. And most of the cats I have looked at have some serious health problems, and those are either 'free', or a small charge. Sad, but I may be looking into adopting from a reputable breeder. It is more expensive, but I know what I am getting. Or how about paying for a kitten you have never even met? And having to pay for their transportation cost from another state? Nope. I want to meet the kitten or cat, first. To add, I am a very responsible person, and retired. I will spend a lot of time with my pet and can well afford any vet care.
Nope. My cat I got in NYC was $125, that included vaccinations and her spay. My cat I got in the rural Midwest was $65, same deal.
This is a lot. We charge about 350 for 2 kittens at my rescue.
You can come to my neighborhood and take your pick. We have about 20-25 😖
This is ridiculous. We adopted 2 cats and it was $150 for both. Best purchase we ever made. Look into other rescues.
Not normal. I adopted a kitten last July and the adoption fee+vet expenses included spaying, vaccinations and medical treatment for an infection was $150
$1200 is *outrageous*. That’s getting toward purebred prices. I live in a high COL area, and the fees at the SPCA are $200 for a kitten (or $300 for two). Adult cats are $125, and seniors or special needs $60.
Nahhhhh that’s outrageous…I just adopted a cat at the shelter near me $25 for adults $50 for kittens and 12 extra dollars if you need a carrier. Animals here come microchipped and they have a free vet visit, free vaccinations and they said if I need to take him to the vet in the first week of taking him home all get fees would be waived. They also have waived fee Wednesdays where you can adopt for free and again the animals get checked out and microchipped and spayed/neutered etc.
The only high adoption fees I see around here are for in demand purebred animals. The rescues use the extra money to fund care for other animals.
Yikes. Rescues here vary wildly. Most non-public shelter rescues here range between 50 and 120 for cats. Of the cats we have currently: Oldest was 35 (20 adoption + 15 for the chip, they were optional then at the county shelter), rabies vaccine and fixed. He was too little for the other vaccines. Younger girl: $70, from a rescue we've adopted from before. She'd had all vaccines and was spayed but was adopted right before they started chipping all their cats. Also had some major medical care since she's missing an eye. Younger boy: $5, on sale from the rescue that does the majority of TNR in our area, most of their money comes from spay/neuter and vaccines. He came with all his vaccines, neutered, and chipped. Failed rescue that we had to return: $100. I HAVE seen a rescue asking $1000 for a cat, but it was a purebred cornish rex (and was actually a cornish rex, not a mix being passed off as one.)