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How Much Does a Munchkin Cat Cost in 2024? Updated Price Guide

Written by: Kit Copson

Last Updated on February 19, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

muchkin cat playing

How Much Does a Munchkin Cat Cost in 2024? Updated Price Guide

With their large, curious, owl-like eyes and little legs, it’s easy to see why Munchkin cats get so much attention. These intelligent, incredibly affectionate cats are typically good with children and other pets and are known for staying “kitten-like” even when they grow up. But how much does it cost to adopt or buy a Munchkin cat? And what about daily care and health care? In general, buying a Munchkin cat from a breeder usually costs between $1,000 and $2,000 or $40–$300 through adoption.

In this post, we’ll share the average costs of Munchkin cat ownership—covering everything from the initial cost of adopting or buying a Munchkin to daily supplies and veterinary fees.

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Bringing Home a New Muchkin: One-Time Costs

There are a few options for acquiring your very own Munchkin cat—buying from a breeder, adoption, or rehoming a Munchkin for free for someone who can no longer care for them. Below are the averages for how much a Munchkin cat would cost to buy or adopt.

whiute munchkin cat outdoor
Image Credit: otsphoto, Shutterstock

Free

  • $0

It’s not easy to get Munchkin cats for free. Breeders can sell Munchkins for a high price so your best chance of getting a free Munchkin is if someone needs to rehome one. You could try following social media groups dedicated to cat rehoming.

Occasionally, people find they can no longer provide adequate care for their cats and are happy to rehome them for free as long as they’re going to a loving, responsible home.

Adoption

  • $40–$300

Aside from rehoming a Munchkin for free, adoption is a great choice because it’s far less expensive than buying from a breeder and gives a cat a second chance at a loving home.

There are often fees attached to adoption, but they aren’t very high and usually go towards veterinary fees or routine procedures for the adoptee cat like microchipping and vaccinations. In some cases, organizations ask for an adoption fee as a donation towards helping rehome and care for other animals.

We checked out the Animal Humane Society’s adoption fees to get an idea, and the standard fees are between $39 and $379 for cats and kittens. The fee for each adopted cat will vary depending on factors like age, size, and breed. Kittens are usually more expensive than adult cats.

Breeder

  • $1,000–$3,500

Buying from a breeder is by far the most expensive method of acquiring a Munchkin cat. Breeders can typically fetch between $1,000 and $2,000 for a Munchkin but show-quality Munchkins can be even more expensive.

Twin Munchkin Cat_Phannasit_shutterstock
Image Credit: Phannasit, Shutterstock

It also seems that certain colors fetch a higher price—we found one golden Munchkin listed for sale at $2,500. Breeders also typically ask for a deposit of around $150 to reserve your Munchkin kitten.

Initial Setup and Supplies

  • $1,000–$1,800 (with X-rays and ultrasounds) 
  • $600–1,200 (for basic procedures like spaying/neutering and microchipping and the purchase of essentials like litter boxes—not X-rays and ultrasounds)

Once the initial cost of buying or adopting a Munchkin cat is out of the way, there are the initial setup, supplies, and routine procedures to consider. You can end up spending hundreds and even more than $1,000 on all these procedures and supplies. Check out the table below to get an idea of individual costs.

Please note that the prices mentioned above, and the prices below are just averages based on information we’ve gotten from pet supply sites and medical sites. Depending on your area and if you have a good eye for a bargain (i.e. for toys, brushes, etc.), you can significantly bring these costs down.

Cat and dog supplies
Image Credit: Yuriy Golub, Shutterstock

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List of Munchkin Care Supplies and Costs

ID Tag and Collar $15
Vaccinations  $25–$50 each
Spay/Neuter $300–$500
X-Ray Cost $75–$250
Ultrasound Cost $300–$350
Microchip $40–$50
Teeth Cleaning $150–$400
Bed $20–$30
Nail Clipper (optional) $10
Brush (optional) $10–$20
Litter Box $10–$30
Litter Scoop $5–$10
Toy Variety Pack  $5–$20
Carrier $20–$50
Food and Water Bowls $10
Cat tree  $50–100

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How Much Does a Munchkin Cat Cost Per Month? 7 Things to Take Into Account

  • $70–$140

The monthly cost of owning a cat varies greatly depending on the price of the food you buy, the price of routine treatments like flea, tick, and heartworm medicines, and if you take your cat to the groomer. Read on to find out more.

Health Care

  • $20–$100 per month (excluding very expensive surgeries and treatments)

If you have a healthy Munchkin cat, your main monthly expenses will be food, litter, and pet insurance if you choose to get some. If you take them to the groomer, this will add on some extra dollars. If your Munchkin is being treated for a health condition, frequent veterinary visits are an extra expense you’ll need to prepare for.

Food

  • $20–$70 per month

A bag of high-quality dry cat food from a trusted, reputable brand can cost anywhere between $20 and $70 approximately. A 24-pack case of high-quality wet food typically costs between $15 and $40 on average, though prices can be higher with certain brands.

woman with a push cart in grocery buying cat food
Image Credit: LADO, Shutterstock

Grooming

  • $10–$70 per month

Grooming involves procedures like brushing, de-shedding, de-matting, bathing if necessary, trimming, ear cleaning, and nail trimming. Depending on your location and the services you want, you can generally expect to pay between $10 for a quick trim and $70 for a “spa-like” treatment.

Some cat parents do all these things at home to save money, but not every one of us is blessed with a cat that will sit through nail trimming or brushing sessions!

Medications and Vet Visits

  • $25–$5,000 (for certain surgeries and treatments)

This really depends on how healthy your Munchkin is. If they’re doing well, they may only need an annual vet checkup to make sure everything is okay. A vet consultation fee typically costs around $50, but this can go up to hundreds of dollars if your vet performs vaccinations, tests, or other unprecedented procedures.

Even routine treatments like flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives can cost anywhere between $25 and $80 for a pack of multiple doses.

If your Munchkin has a health condition that they’re receiving treatment for, medications, regular vet consultations, and surgeries can set you back hundreds or even thousands of dollars for certain procedures. For this reason, many pet owners choose to get a pet insurance plan to cushion the financial blow when the unexpected happens.

Bengal Munchkin Cat Mix
Image Credit: Sviatoslav_Shevchenko, Shutterstock

Pet Insurance

  • $15–$50 per month

Cat insurance is generally cheaper than dog insurance, which is a plus, but it can still be pricey. The price usually goes up on a yearly basis to correspond with your cat’s age.

To get a clearer idea of how much cat insurance costs for Munchkins specifically, we got a quote from insurance provider Embrace. It currently costs $23.75 per month to insure a 5-year-old female Munchkin cat living in California (annual reimbursement limit $10,000, annual deductible $500, and reimbursement percentage 70%).

Environment Maintenance

  • $5–$20

In addition to food and health care, environmental maintenance is another factor you’ll want to consider when getting ready to care for a Munchkin cat. A litter box, litter, and a scratch post are absolute essentials for all cats, and you might want to consider litter deodorizers, too.

Cat litter $5–$20
Litter box liners $5–$10
Deodorizing spray or granules $5–$10

Entertainment

  • $20–$25 per month (for a subscription toy delivery service)

Some cats are easy to please when it comes to toys and will be happy to chase or snuggle with the same toy for months or even years. Others are less easy to please and get bored easily, so you might consider a variety box to help keep them entertained.

You can even subscribe to a cat toy box delivery service that sends you a brand-new pack of toys and treats monthly or every other month. A subscription like this typically costs between $20 and $25 per month.

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Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Munchkin Cat

  • $70–140 per month

The total monthly cost really does vary greatly depending on if you subscribe to any delivery services, the cost of your chosen cat food brand, grooming services, and how often you buy cat litter.

To get an estimation, let’s say that in one month we spend $30 on a bag of quality dry food, $20 on a 24-pack of wet food, $30 for grooming, $20 for four packs of cat litter, $5 for litter deodorizer, $50 on a multi-pack of flea, tick, and heartworm treatments, and $15 on cat insurance. This totals up to $140.

However, if you invested in a multi-pack of flea and tick treatments a while ago and don’t need to replenish your stock yet, don’t go to a groomer, leave out the litter deodorizer, and don’t have cat insurance, this monthly cost would come down to around $70. Of course, this doesn’t count any specific vet treatments your Munchkin needs.

Additional Costs to Factor In

In addition to standard monthly costs like food, litter, and pet insurance, if you’re due a vacation sometime soon and aren’t taking your Munchkin with you, you’ll need to get a pet sitter.

Some people think it’s okay to leave a cat alone with plenty of food and water for a weekend or so, but it really isn’t. You should always get a family member, friend, or pet sitter to check in on your cat daily while you’re away. It’s not fair to leave your cat alone for days without attention and without someone checking they’re okay, feeding them, and changing water and litter.

You can either get a pet sitter to come and check on your Munchkin or board them at a sitter’s house or with a boarding company. Check-in visits typically cost around $20, whereas boarding at a pet sitter’s house usually costs between $30 and $50 per day.

Furthermore, you should make sure you have pet insurance or a rainy-day fund in case your Munchkin cat suddenly falls sick and needs emergency veterinary treatment.

Munchkin Bengal Cat Mix
Image Credit: Sviatoslav_Shevchenko, Shutterstock

divider-catclaw1 Owning a Munchkin Cat on a Budget

As mentioned above, you can dramatically cut the costs of owning a Munchkin cat if you use a bit of initiative to keep them happy instead of splashing out on expensive pet store goods. One idea is to save money on cat toys by repurposing things around your home and turning them into toys.

You can get plenty of materials at dollar stores like packs of little balls, pompoms, and soft toys that you can use as toys. You can even make your own cat bed out of an old cardboard box or pieces of wood you have lying around instead of buying commercially made beds. As long as you have a soft cushion or blanket to put inside, your Munchkin will be happy!

You can also cut out extras like litter deodorizers by mixing baking soda—which is much cheaper—into your Munchkin’s litter box.

Saving Money on Munchkin Care

Grooming costs and cat food costs can really add up. To save money in the general care department, we recommend grooming your Munchkin yourself instead of taking them to a groomer.

It can be hard at first if your cat hates being brushed and getting their nails trimmed, but with a bit of time (and a few bribes in the form of treats), you can certainly get at least the basics done without getting your hands scratched up. To save money on food, it’s a good idea to consider buying in bulk. Bulk buying is typically cheaper than repeatedly buying loose or one-off items, even though it seems like a lot to pay upfront.

While we’re on the subject of food, try not to be hard on yourself for not buying the most expensive, premium cat food out there. You can get plenty of nutritionally complete cat foods that don’t break the bank, you just need to do a bit of shopping around.

If you ever find yourself in a position where you can’t afford treatment for your Munchkin, ask your vet whether it would be possible to arrange a payment plan for you so you can pay in installments instead of all in one go.

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Conclusion

To recap, it can cost up to $3,500 to buy a Munchkin cat from a breeder, though the price is more often between $1,000 and $2,000. Adoption is much cheaper and costs between $40 and $300—adoption fees tend to cover basic procedures your Munchkin will need like microchipping and/or will serve as a donation to help other animals in the organization’s care.

Monthly care costs vary greatly, but it costs around $70–$140 per month to care for a healthy Munchkin cat. In extreme cases, certain surgeries and treatments can cost thousands of dollars, so it’s important to be prepared for this either by setting aside funds just in case or getting pet insurance.


Featured Image Credit: MDavidova, Shutterstock

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