Breaking down the Cost to Care for a Wild Cat

If you are considering the purchase of a big cat as a pet you should take the time to fully educate yourself regarding the requirements to properly care for a wild pet. In many cases, it can be quite inexpensive to purchase a big cat as a baby to keep for a pet. Unfortunately, this leads many people to believe it will be as inexpensive to care for the animal throughout their lifetime. This is hardly the case. Most experts state that it can easily cost $8,000 per year to care for a big cat properly. That is in addition to the nearly $95,000 it will cost your first year to get set up to properly care for a big cat, excluding your purchase price. Small to mid size cats are not quite so expensive; however, you can still plant to spend almost $2,500 per year in care and maintenance and another $20,000 to get set up to properly care for a small or mid size cat.

So, where does all of that money go? Getting set to properly care for any size wild cat means building a proper enclosure, ensuring you have the right licensing, observing proper diet requirements, obtaining appropriate veterinary care and taking proper safety precautions for yourself, the public and the animal itself.

While many people may think they can keep their new pet in their home, this is not a good idea. One of the most important reasons a wild cat should have their own space outside your home, beyond safety purposes, is the fact that cats have the natural instinct to urinate in their surroundings to mark it as their territory. Be aware this is a completely natural instinct and there is nothing you can do to ‘break’ the animal of this habit. Because of the extreme odor, you also won’t be able to get the smell out of your home. The smell of big cat urine is much more magnified than domesticated cat urine.

Large cats weighing more than 100 pounds will need a cage at least 500 square feet in size. Whenever possible, it’s better to provide as large of a cage as possible for your cat. Not just any building materials will do. A minimum of 9-guage wire should be used, reaching a minimum height of 8 feet. Furthermore, the enclosure should have a ceiling to protect your cat from the elements as well as what is known as a den box. The den box serves as an area where the cat can be confined while you clean the enclosure. Finally, the enclosure should have a double-gate so the cat is securely enclosed and depending on the species of cat you have, you may also need to provide a pool. It is also important for you to provide a perimeter fence on your property to protect your cat from individuals who might approach your cat out of curiosity and get hurt as well as those who would seek to harm your cat simply because they don’t approve of you keeping a wild pet.

Regardless of which type of wild cat you opt to bring home as a pet, he or she will need fresh meat for their diet. You can plan to feed your mature cat up to 3% of their body weight in food. Younger animals will require more food while they are still growing; up to 5% of their body weight. In addition to this, all animals will need vitamin supplements to ensure proper health. Without proper nutrition your animal could become sick or die.

 
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