Exotic Shorthair cats are among the most popular breeds in the world and for good reason. Their cute, grumpy-looking exterior combined with their affectionate, calm nature makes them a favorite of many cat fans. However, before you go and buy one of these adorable felines, it’s essential that you know how much they cost. After all, you don’t want to buy a cat, only to find out that you’re unable to properly take care of it.
For that reason, I’ve created a complete cost breakdown of owning an Exotic Shorthair. In this guide, I will go over things such as the price of an Exotic Shorthair, the one-off costs that you need to take into account, the recurring costs that come into play when you take care of an Exotic Shorthair, and much more.
So, what’s the price for an Exotic Shorthair? The price of an Exotic Shorthair depends on whether you adopt, or buy a kitten from a breeder. Buying a kitten from a reputable breeder costs around $1,500 to $2,000 while adopting is much cheaper at around $100. However, when you adopt one, you’ll most likely not get a kitten but rather a fully grown cat. Also, there are many yearly costs that come with either adopting or buying one of these cats that you need to take into account.
Buying the cat itself is not the most expensive part. Even though the kittens are not cheap, the yearly costs of taking care of one of these cats absolutely dwarf the one-off cost of buying the kitten itself. Keep reading to find out why.
The price of an Exotic Shorthair kitten
Generally speaking, you can expect to pay around $1,500 to $2,000 for an Exotic Shorthair kitten. However, this price is not set in stone. There are many factors that affect the price. Just like with all goods and services, supply and demand is a big reason why the price differs between breeders and locations. For instance, if you live in a location that has an abundance of Exotic Shorthair kittens for sale the price will be lower than if you live in a location where the supply can not keep up with the demand.
Breeders also set their own prices, so one breeder might charge more than the other. The reasons for the price differences can be the pedigree, reputation of the breeder, or simply supply and demand.
Since prices can vary, it’s recommended to budget around $2,000 if you play on buying an Exotic Shorthair kitten. That way, you can be reasonably sure that you’ll have enough to pay for it.
Adopting an Exotic Shorthair
While buying an Exotic Shorthair kitten is very expensive, adoption is much less so. You can adopt an Exotic Shorthair for around $100. The reason why adopting is so much cheaper is because you’re not likely to get a kitten. Instead, you’ll usually get a fully grown cat. Also, adopting can be more time-consuming than buying a kitten because finding the right cat that’s up for adoption can be quite a process. Learn more about adopting an Exotic Shorthair here.
Nevertheless, the adoption route is definitely cheaper. Not only will you save hundreds of dollars on getting the cat itself, but adopted cats are usually already spayed or neutered and have already been treated for parasites which will also save money. Ultimately, the choice is up to you.
Exotic Shorthair one-off costs
So, now you know how much you can expect to pay for the cat itself, but that’s not all. There are quite a few one-off costs that you have to take into consideration. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Item | Cost |
Microchip | $45 (Possibly $0 when adopting, ask the shelter) |
Cat Carrier | $25 |
Neuter/Spay | $300 (Possibly 0 when adopting, ask the shelter) |
Bed | $25 |
Food/Water dish | $15 |
Grooming Brush | $15 |
Scratching Post | $40 |
Total | $465 (Could be $120 when adopting) |
Annual/Lifetime costs of caring for an Exotic Shorthair
Okay, so far we’ve taken a look at how much it costs to get the cat itself, and the one-off costs. There’s 1 last category of costs that we need to take a look at, the recurring costs. These costs will have to be paid every year. To give a better overview, I’ve also multiplied the annual cost by the average Exotic Shorthair’s lifespan (12.5 years) to give you an idea of how much you’ll likely spend over the entire lifespan of your cat.
Item | Annual Cost | Lifetime Cost |
Pet Insurance | $200 | $2500 |
Yearly Checkup | $150 | $1875 |
Flea/Tick/Worm Medication | $80 | $1000 |
Food | $500 | $6250 |
Litter box | $40 | $5000 |
Litter | $100 | $1250 |
Total | $1070 | $13,375 |
A realistic cost breakdown of owning an Exotic Shorthair
I hope that by now it’s clear what I meant before when I said that buying the cat itself is not the most expensive part. The ongoing maintenance is by far the most expensive part of owning an Exotic Shorthair. You might think that I’m overdoing it with these costs, but I’m really not. I took the average of the price ranges that I found to give the fairest overview.
You might think that spending $500 a year on cat food is too much, but in reality, this is most likely around what you’ll spend, if not more. There are cat owners that spend over $2500 a year on cat food. Of course, it is possible to feed your cat on low-quality food and spend quite a bit less, but in the long run, this will come back to bite you. Feeding your cat low-quality food is not good for them and can end up costing you a lot more in vet bills than what you save on food.
If we add up all the total costs to give a complete price breakdown of owning an Exotic Shorthair we come to the following numbers if you buy a kitten:
- $1750 for the kitten.
- $465 one-off costs.
- $1070 annual costs – $13,375 in total over the lifespan of your kitten.
So, if you buy a kitten you can expect to spend $15,590 on your cat if you buy one from a breeder.
If we add up all the costs for adopting an Exotic Shorthair we get the following numbers:
- $100 for the adoption fee.
- $120-$465 one-off costs (depending on whether or not the cat already has a microchip, etc).
- $1070 annual costs – $13,375 in total over the lifespan of your cat.
If you adopt, you can expect to spend $13,595 – $13,940.
Buying an Exotic Shorthair cat
So, now you know how much money you should have saved up in order to be able to afford an Exotic Shorthair. Armed with that knowledge, you probably want to know the best place to buy one. If you’re going to buy a kitten, you should make sure that the breeder you buy from is reputable and has a healthy and ethical breeding program. It’s always a good idea to check the reviews if you’re eyeing a particular breeder.
Breeders that follow an ethical breeding program are proud of their work and will have a certificate from organizations like The International Cat Association (TICA) or The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) to prove that they follow the correct guidelines. Also, they will often be happy to show you around their cattery and answer any questions that you might have.
Keep an eye out for breeders that offer Exotic Shorthairs for a suspiciously low price. It might seem like you’re getting a good deal but always do your research and make sure it’s a reputable breeder, otherwise, you might end up with a kitten that has health or behavioral issues.
When you buy an Exotic Shorthair from a reputable breeder it should have a registration certificate and its first vaccinations.
Exotic Shorthair insurance cost
When you’ve successfully bought or adopted your Exotic Shorthair you should look into getting it insured. It’s recommended to do this within the first 1-2 years because Exotic Shorthairs are known to have hereditary health issues. You might wonder whether or not cat insurance is actually worth getting, but in my experience, it’s definitely worth it. If you do not get the insurance and your cat gets sick or injured you might have to pay thousands of dollars in vet bills out of pocket.
Luckily, Exotic Shorthairs are among the cheapest cats to insure, the premiums are quite low compared to those of some other cats. On average, you can expect to pay around $16-$17 per month for cat insurance, or a total of around $200 a year.
Cost of travel with an Exotic Shorthair
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “I’m not planning on taking my Exotic Shorthair on a world tour!”, and you’d be right, but you still have to bring your cat to the vet once in a while. For that reason, it’s important to have a carrier.
Carriers are not very expensive, you can find a good one for around $25. I recommend getting a carrier that’s large enough to accommodate your cat’s fully grown size, even if you have a kitten. That way, you won’t have to buy a new one every time your cat outgrows the old carrier.
You can easily find carriers online on online shops like Amazon or Chewy, so just find one that you like, is sturdy, and that has good reviews.
Cost of microchipping your Exotic Shorthair
Even if you play on keeping your cat indoors it’s still a good idea to get your cat microchipped. The reason is that you never know if your cat is going to escape and go outside. If it does it can run away, without a microchip it can be a daunting task to reunite with your kitty.
A microchip makes this whole process easier because it has a unique number in it that’s tied to you and your address. That way, if you ever get separated from your kitty it won’t be for too long.
Another reason to get a microchip is that there are many chips available that have a built-in temperature meter. This allows the vet to easily scan the chip and read your cat’s temperature. This not only makes the vet’s life easier but is also much less stressful for your cat.
A microchip with a temperature reader usually costs around $45.
Cost of spay/neutering
If you do not plan on becoming a breeder, you should spay your Exotic Shorthair. Even if you do not plan on letting your cat roam outside, it’s still a good idea to spay or neuter them because it’s better for their health and makes males less territorial and aggressive.
The cost of spaying or neutering your Exotic Shorthair is around $300, but you can also get it done much cheaper if you go to a non-profit. These non-profits charge much less than for-profit clinics, sometimes you can get your cat spayed or neutered for as little as $40. However, these non-profits do sometimes have a waitlist.
If you have adopted your Exotic Short
Price of feeding an Exotic Shorthair
I’ve previously mentioned that there’s a wide range of prices that you can pay for cat food. There’s very cheap cat food, but also very expensive cat food. Of course, it’s not necessary to go with the absolute, top-of-the-line, $10,000 a year, luxury cat food but going with the cheapest food out there is also not the best idea. In the long run, giving them very cheap, low-quality food can result in health issues.
Also, I assume you want your cat to have an enjoyable life, and cats love some good food, so it’s worth spending a little more than rock-bottom to give them the food they like.
You can expect to spend around $500 a year on cat food for your Exotic Shorthair.
Litter and litter box
You might think that a litter box is a one-off expense, but that’s not really the case. It’s recommended to replace your litter box every year because your cat will most likely leave some scratches on it. These scratches can harbor bacteria from their feces and are very difficult to clean.
A litter box costs around $40 and the litter costs around $100 a year. Also, I recommend that you get a scoop for around $10.
Bed & toys
Exotic Shorthairs are not the most playful cats of the bunch, but they do like to play from time to time. You can make toys yourself (a piece of string or some ping-pong balls are a favorite among many cat owners) but it’s also possible to buy dedicated cat toys.
While buying toys is optional, buying a bed is absolutely necessary. Your cat will spend a lot of their day sleeping, and they need a comfortable place to do so. Luckily, beds are not very expensive. You can find good quality, nice-looking cat beds for around $25.
Also, I assume you’re kind of attached to your furniture and don’t want your new furry friend to absolutely destroy it. If so, I recommend getting a scratching pole for around $50.
Exotic Shorthair price – Conclusion
Now that we’ve gone over all the costs that come with taking care of one of these beautiful animals I hope that you agree with me that buying the cat itself isn’t the most expensive part. Sure, the kittens aren’t cheap, but they’re a small fraction of the total lifetime cost of raising, and caring for an Exotic Shorthair.
You should definitely consider whether or not you have the means to give the cat you want the life it deserves, but don’t let the costs completely scare you away from owning one of these awesome cats. They’re great family pets because of how kid-friendly and affectionate they are, and if you can afford it, I’m sure you won’t regret welcoming one of them into your home!
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