What does a cat cost?
Choose your options
The estimate updates as you choose.
Yearly cost of ownership
about JPY / year
Adoption feeabout JPY
Starter supplies (carrier, litter box, bowls…)about JPY
about JPY
Upfront totalabout JPY
Food (yearly)about JPY
Litter and consumables (yearly)about JPY
Vet care and prevention (yearly)about JPY
Pet insurance (yearly)about JPY
Yearly totalabout JPY
Over a lifetime (15 years)about JPY
These figures are estimates only.They vary a great deal with region, shop, type of food and litter, and your cat’s age and health. Illness or injury can make vet bills much higher. Insurance premiums differ by plan, age and breed, so check quotes from each provider before signing up.
How these figures are calculated
- The annual figures are apportioned to match the average monthly spend per cat of 11,004 yen (2024 survey) reported by the Japan Pet Food Association’s national dog and cat ownership survey — 132,048 yen a year, for standard food with no insurance.
- Veterinary costs follow Anicom Insurance’s annual pet spending survey (2025 survey, 5,494 responses: 195,427 yen a year per cat, of which 47,130 yen is treatment). That survey covers pet insurance policyholders, so the insured option here lands closer to it.
- Neutering and spaying use the midpoint of the national averages from the Japan Veterinary Medical Association (12,500 yen for males, 22,500 yen for females); a three-in-one vaccine is counted at 4,000 yen per shot; pet insurance at 3,200 yen a month (cat premiums typically run 1,300-8,600 yen a month).
- The pet shop figure is the median price range of the 107 breeds in our own encyclopedia (300,000 yen) — our data, not a number borrowed from elsewhere.
- An adoption fee usually covers vaccination, neutering and virus testing, so the initial veterinary cost is set lower in that case to avoid counting the same expense twice.