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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.
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 costs to buy or adopt.
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, cat parents find they can no longer provide adequate care for their cats and are happy to rehome them for free as long as they go to a loving, responsible home.
Adoption
- $40–$300
Aside from rehoming a Munchkin for free, adoption is an excellent choice because it’s far less expensive than buying from a breeder and gives a cat a second chance at a loving home.
Adoption fees aren’t very high and usually go toward veterinary costs or routine procedures for the adoptee cat, such as microchipping and vaccinations. In some cases, organizations ask for an adoption fee as a donation to help 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 varies 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 the most expensive method of acquiring a Munchkin cat. Breeders typically fetch between $1,000 and $2,000 for a Munchkin, but show-quality Munchkins can be even more expensive.
It also seems that specific 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 a 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, the initial setup, supplies, and routine procedures must be considered. You can spend hundreds and even more than $1,000 on all these procedures and supplies. Check out the table below to get an idea of the individual costs.
Please note that the prices mentioned above and below are just averages based on information we’ve collected from pet supply and medical sites. Depending on your area and if you have a good eye for a bargain, you can significantly reduce these costs.
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 |
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 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 take them to the groomer, your costs will increase slightly. 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 from approximately $20 to $70. On average, a 24-pack case of high-quality wet food typically costs between $15 and $40, though the prices can be higher with certain brands.
Because Munchkin cats are predisposed to joint and cartilage problems, keeping your cat lean is particularly important, so pay close attention to their weight and adjust their portions accordingly. Look for a food that includes glucosamine + chondroitin for extra joint support, such as Tiki Cat Special Mousse Mobility or Farmina Natural & Delicious Wild Boar Grain-Free Formula Dry Cat Food. You could even add a daily joint supplement into their diet — it’s never too young to start.
Grooming
- $10–$70 per month
Grooming involves 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 groom their felines at home to save money, but not everyone 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 depends on how healthy your Munchkin is. If they’re doing well, they may only need an annual vet checkup to ensure everything is okay. A vet consultation fee typically costs around $50, but it can increase 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 between $25 and $80 for a pack of multiple doses. If your Munchkin has a health condition they’re receiving treatment for, medications, regular vet consultations, and surgeries can set you back hundreds or even thousands of dollars for specific procedures.
For that reason, many pet owners enroll in a pet insurance plan to cushion the financial blow when the unexpected happens.
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 every year 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 Embrace.
It currently costs $33 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 essentials for all cats, and you might want to consider litter deodorizers.
| 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 years. Others are less easy to please and get bored quickly, so you might consider a variety box to keep them entertained.
You can subscribe to a toy box delivery service that sends you a brand-new pack of toys and treats monthly or every other month. A subscription typically costs between $20 and $25 per month.
Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Munchkin Cat
- $70–140 per month
The total monthly cost varies depending on whether you subscribe to any delivery services, the cost of cat food and 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 account for any 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 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 unfair to leave your cat alone for days without attention and without someone checking their condition, feeding them, and changing the water and litter.
You can 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 ensure you have pet insurance or a rainy-day fund in case your Munchkin cat suddenly falls sick and needs emergency veterinary treatment.
Owning a Munchkin Cat on a Budget
As mentioned above, you can dramatically cut the costs of owning a Munchkin cat if you take the initiative to keep them happy instead of purchasing expensive pet supplies. One idea is to save money on cat toys by repurposing items 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. If 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 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 challenging 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 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.
You can get plenty of nutritionally complete cat foods that don’t break the bank; you just need to do some 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 so you can pay in installments instead of all at once.
Conclusion
To recap, buying a Munchkin cat from a breeder can cost up to $3,500, though the price is more often between $1,000 and $2,000. Adoption is much cheaper and costs between $40 and $300. The adoption fees usually cover basic procedures your Munchkin will need, like microchipping, and serve as a donation to help other animals in the organization’s care.
Monthly care costs vary greatly, but it costs $70–$140 per month to care for a healthy Munchkin cat. In extreme cases, surgeries and treatments can cost thousands of dollars, so it’s essential to be prepared for this by setting aside funds or getting pet insurance.
Featured Image Credit: MDavidova, Shutterstock
