Mo-Kitties, Mo-Problems - Health Care

I just got an e-mail from the cat association that I registered William with. They have a pet insurance program. That got me thinking....I'm going to have four cats very soon...should I get pet insurance? To me it came down to this: How much does it cost? What are the benefits? Will I need it soon? Can I save up for cat emergencies myself?


How often do you take a cat to the vet? Well, young cats need to go in for vaccine boosters and maybe an upper respiratory infection. That may cost $100-200.00 per kitty if it gets sick. That can add up fast. BUT, after the initial shots and their first kitty cold, cats are pretty healthy pets. Then it's just a matter of saving for the unexpected major illness (cancer, kidney disease, etc). Those treatments can cost over $5,000.00 per cat if it's an ongoing treatment. So, how fast can I save $5,000.00? AND should I save $5,000.00 per cat? That's $20,000.00 for a cat Health Savings Account. WOW!

So, if I started next pay date which is 7/9/2010 and saved $50/pay how long would it take to save $20,000.00(not counting accruing interest)? Well, I would have $20,000 by 10/24/2025. That's 15 years! How long do cats live? If it's well taken care of, it seems like the average is 15-20 years. So, by the time the cats are close to deaths door I will have $20,000 saved up for their health care...Hmm, let's look closer at pet insurance.

What does the Insurance cost? $12.83/month - $65.42/month
What are the Benefits? $1500-$5000/per incident with a maxium of$ 8000-$13,000 per term
What's Covered by the Benefits? As little as surgeries and prescriptions to All preventative and emergency care.

So, if the cost stayed the same(which it won't), how much would 15 years of pet insurance cost me? The best plan is about $11,000 for one cat...multiply that by 4 and you have $44,000!

Well, now the question. To buy insurance or not to by insurance?

For right now I'm going with a savings account, preventative care, quality food and water, and a healthy environment. The long term expenses are too high for me to justify giving the money away to an insurance company. I'll save up in an account I own. If my cat's get sick, I'll have the money. BUT, if they don't get sick...I'll STILL have the money!

Mo-Kitties, Mo-Problems - Space

When caring for multiple cats space is a big concern. Too little space can cause conflict, and I don't think anyone would say you can have too much space. It's important to use the space you have efficiently. My husband, kitties and I live in a 3 floor condo. There are two bedrooms (on the top floor), 1 full 2 half baths, and a basement. Our main floor has our galley kitchen and a living/dining combo. We shrunk the available space even more, because we do not allow our kitties in the basement. We weren't originally concerned about the basement, but we have discovered places that the cats could hide and get trapped down there. So, for our cats safety and our piece of mind the basement is off-limits and is strictly the man-cave.

We are lucky in that we have a spare bedroom. AND, I am lucky in that my husband let me turn it into a cat room. This room is dedicated to my babies. It houses their litter boxes, food stations, and it will soon be equipped with cat shelves! Cat shelves are a great way to create more space by adding a vertical environment. I bought some shelves and brackets at home depot and am in the process of carpeting and then installing the shelves. I will post pictures once the shelves are complete.

Mo-Kitties, Mo-Problems - Litter boxes

Having a multiple cat household can be fun or frustrating. However, if you are prepared to provide the proper environment, everyone from the kitties to the doubting husband can be happy.
On the top of the list is litter box maintenance. The general rule is one box/per kitty/per floor...PLUS one. Wow, that's A LOT of litter boxes! Okay, lets say you do not have the space for that many litter pans...I know I don't! We are maintaining one litter box per cat only, and they are all in my cat room. YES, I have a room dedicated to my cats. Since we don't have the space for lots of litter boxes, we had to find the right litter box, and the right litter. I have tried the simple basic pan, sifting pans, and automatic litter pans during my search for odor control and ease of use. During my research I found the Omega Paw Roll-N-Clean litter pan. Here's a video of the pan and how it works:


After researching this pan I went to PetsMart and bought two to try out. Both my cats took to the litter pan right away, and I was able to eliminate my old pans the same day I bought the Omega Paw. The large is big enough for my ragdoll at 8 months old...I'm concerned about a full sized 4 year old ragdoll, but only time will tell. The best thing about this litter box is that I don't use a scoop any more. I roll it in the morning and I roll it when I get home from work and I'm able to provide a clean litter box to my kitties and a fresh smelling home for my husband.

As far a litter goes...I recommend any good quality clumping litter, scoop away, fresh step, etc. Since I've had this litter pan the brand of litter is really up to you...as long as it produces a good clump.