Food, veterinary care, emergencies, grooming — these are some of the expenses to consider when adopting a cat.

By Karen Commings

Sometimes people adopt animals without thinking about the commitment, not only in time and effort, but also in costs. To help prospective adopters get a handle on the financial resources needed to care for a pet, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals created a chart for adopters to visualize the breakdown of costs for several types of animals, including cats. "Our main focus is to help adopters understand that they need to set aside a budget when they adopt a pet, and we wanted to provide some estimates of what they would need to spend," says Gail Buchwald, ASPCA vice president of shelter adoption programs. …

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