How Much Does a Bombay Cat Cost? 2024 Price Guide

If you love cats but you want one that isn’t quite so cat-like, the Bombay might just be the perfect breed for you. These cats aren’t your stereotypical felines. They won’t keep their distance, and they don’t know how to give only a bit of affection at a time. Instead, they’ll spend most of their time invading your personal bubble, and on the rare occasions that they get tired of demanding affection from you, it will be because they expect you to grab a toy and entertain them. You can expect to pay between $15-$200 if you adopt a Bombay, or $500–$2,000 if you buy one from a reputable cat breeder.

Smart and loyal, these cats can be taught to do all manner of things, and they love kids as much as adults. They’re basically little dogs with better manners, offering you the best of both worlds.

Bringing Home a New Bombay Cat: One-Time Costs

Bombay cats aren’t particularly pricey, but there are still several one-time costs that must be considered before bringing one home. You can sidestep some of these costs if you already have the gear at home, of course, but otherwise, most of what follows is fairly essential for proper cat ownership.

The total overall cost will vary depending on whether you buy or adopt your cat, as well as whether you opt for top-of-the-line brands or those that are more budget-friendly.

Free

If you get a cat or kitten from a friend or relative, you might not need to spend a dime to get them home. This is obviously the cheapest way to go, but as the saying goes, there’s nothing more expensive than a free pet.

You don’t necessarily owe the person who gives you a cat anything—you’re probably doing them a favor by taking them, after all—but if you’re getting a kitten, it’s a nice touch to offer to have their cat spayed or neutered.

This will help prevent more unwanted cats from entering the world.

Adoption

• $15–$200

Adoption fees can vary wildly, depending on where you’re adopting the cat from and how old or otherwise in-demand it is. Kittens are usually more expensive than adult cats because it’s easier to find owners for younger cats. Senior cats will be the cheapest of all, as they have the worst prospects in terms of getting adopted, and in some cases, you may even be able to get them for free.

Many animal shelters and rescue groups offer special adoption days in which fees are greatly reduced or eliminated completely, so you might be able to save money by waiting for the right time to pick one up.

It may be harder to find a purebred Bombay if you go through a breeder or shelter, but it’s far from impossible, and you’ll save a life along the way.

Breeder

• $500–$2,000

If you just want a pet, then you can find a Bombay that costs as little as $500 or so. These will be purebred cats, but they won’t have any sort of high-end bloodline to speak of.

On the other hand, if you want to show or breed your new Bombay, then a cat with proven genes will be much more expensive. They can easily cost as much as $2,000 and in some cases, even more.

The only difference between a cat with premium bloodlines and one without is a piece of paper, of course, so it may not be worth the extra expense.

Initial Setup and Supplies

• $200–$500+

These costs will depend on what you need to buy and the quality of supplies that you decide to purchase. Assuming that you’re starting completely from scratch and that you want reasonably high-quality gear, your costs will be on the higher side.

That said, there are ways to minimize your initial exposure, and you may be able to spread out a few of these purchases over time. You should also remember that there’s no replacement for your time and attention, so don’t feel like you need to spend a fortune on toys and other accessories.

List of Bombay Cat Care Supplies and Costs

How Much Does a Bombay Cat Cost Per Month?

• $50–$100 per month

Bombay cats are medium-sized and generally healthy, making them one of the most affordable cat breeds to own. Your biggest cost will be their food. We don’t recommend skimping on their food if you can help it, as a healthy diet is one of the biggest factors in terms of determining their lifespan.

Beyond that, you’ll need to buy litter regularly, and it’s a good idea to put them on some sort of pest control if they’re going to be an outside cat.

Health Care

• $0–$50+ per month

This is a tricky number to calculate, as there will likely be a great many months in which you don’t spend a dime on your cat’s health care. If all goes well, in fact, they should only need to visit the vet twice a year or so.

There are other healthcare costs that may or may not apply, however. Monthly flea and tick treatments are a good idea, and brushing your cat’s teeth regularly is smart if you’re hoping to avoid a sizable dental bill down the line. As your cat ages, expect this number to go up—potentially dramatically, if they end up suffering from chronic health problems. The best way to avoid that is to make sure they eat a high-quality food and get plenty of exercise.

For the most part, though, these cats shouldn’t be too much of a financial burden when it comes to their health.

Food

• $20–$50+ per month

Food is one area in which you can keep costs low or allow them to climb considerably. As a general rule, though, healthier food will likely be more expensive. Look for a food that is loaded with protein and that doesn’t have animal by-products, cheap fillers like corn and wheat, and unnecessary chemicals like artificial colors or flavors.

All those ingredients are designed to keep manufacturers’ costs down, not improve your cat’s health—but naturally, if you remove the cheap ingredients, only expensive ones will remain.

Be careful not to overfeed your cat or give them too many treats because that can lead to obesity, which is terrible for their health.

Grooming

• $0–$100+ per month

This is another area where you have leeway in terms of your expenditure. As long as you’re not planning to show them, your Bombay will never need a professional grooming session, since you can do the job yourself for free.

Then again, it’s certainly easier to pay someone else to do it, and pros will likely do a better job. Most grooming sessions cost about $50 a pop, so you’ll have to decide just how much it’s worth to you to have your cat looking red-carpet-ready.

Medications and Vet Visits

• $8–$100+ per month

This category will depend on your cat’s overall health. If they’re healthy, they’ll only need routine checkups twice a year or so, and the average vet visit clocks in at about $50. Healthy cats usually don’t need any sort of ongoing medication either.

If they’re chronically ill, though, you could spend a small fortune on medical bills. Fortunately, there aren’t many conditions that these cats are predisposed to contracting, so as long as you take care of them, they should be fine for quite a while.

Pet Insurance

• $10–$40+ per month

Pet insurance isn’t considered a necessity, and there’s debate over whether it’s a good deal at all. However, given that Bombays are generally healthy and low-maintenance, it’s likely that you can find an affordable plan that will still offer you a generous amount of coverage.

You can always risk going without any insurance, but it’s a decision that you may regret if your cat comes down with a chronic illness or gets seriously injured at some point.

Environment Maintenance

• $10–$50 per month

These cats don’t need too much in terms of keeping their environment in line. Since they don’t eat much, there shouldn’t be too much dirty litter to clean up. You’ll have more messes on your hands if you have multiple cats, of course, but one shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with.

Providing scratching posts is important, and you can choose between cheap cardboard models that need to be replaced monthly or more expensive models that are more permanent. They work equally well for the most part, so it’s just a question of how much you’re willing to pay for beauty and durability.

• Related Read: Do Bombay Cats Like Water? What You Need to Know!

Entertainment

• $10–$40 per month

If you don’t give your cat something to play with, they’ll make their own entertainment, and that often ends with shredded couches or games of tag with an imaginary partner at 2 a.m.

You can buy cheap toys at your local pet store, and while they won’t last long, they’ll do a good job of keeping your kitty occupied. You could also choose to get a subscription service that sends you new toys every month; these will be of higher quality and more entertaining, but they’ll also be more expensive.

Don’t forget that you can make wonderful toys for free, using stuff that you already have around the house. Old shoelaces, empty boxes, and socks filled with catnip will keep your feline friend entertained for hours.

Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Bombay Cat

• $50–$100+ per month

There are certainly more expensive breeds than Bombays to own, but you’ll still have to spend a decent amount on your little buddy every month.

Fortunately, most of the higher-end estimates are based on cats with serious diseases or other special needs, so it’s unlikely that your cat will bankrupt you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the costs of cat ownership seriously, however, as they will still be a significant investment for the next 10–20 years.

Additional Costs to Factor In

These costs are the basic, predictable ones that you’ll encounter when you own a Bombay cat. Countless other potential expenses might occur, and while we can’t list them all here, there are a few common ones to be aware of.

You’ll likely need a pet sitter when you go out of town, and you may even want to regularly have someone come by the house when you’re at work if you’re worried about your cat getting lonely.

Don’t forget the expenses that your cat will inflict on the rest of your life as well. You may have to replace clothes or furniture that they destroy, and any place that you rent will likely require an additional pet deposit (plus damages if they tear stuff up).

Owning a Bombay Cat on a Budget

Owning any pet, even a Bombay cat, can be expensive, but if you’re careful and know what you’re doing, you can keep your costs manageable.

The biggest way to save money is by keeping your cat healthy. Feed them the healthiest food that you can afford (and there are cheap foods that are relatively healthy), and be sure to give them plenty of exercise. If you can afford it, take them to the vet for regular checkups as well.

You can also avoid spending too much money on toys or other accessories by simply playing with them yourself. Not only will this boost your bank balance, but it will also make your cat happier and better-adjusted.

Saving Money on Bombay Cat Care

If you need to take your cat to the vet, look for one that offers low-cost services. Some places will also have special days where they do basic surgeries, like spaying or neutering, at a massive discount. You can also avoid spending money on groomers by handling all the care yourself. That includes trimming their nails, combing their coat, and brushing their teeth.

You may be able to avoid pet sitter fees by having a friend or family member look after your cat while you’re on vacation. Just be prepared to return the favor sooner or later.

Conclusion

Bombays are wonderful cats, and owning one shouldn’t have to put you in the poor house. That said, you’ll still need to set aside a fair amount of money every month to take care of these animals properly. Bringing one home for the first time could cost you nothing or it could cost you thousands, and taking care of them could be about $100 per month or it could be many multiples of that.

Ultimately, the cost is largely up to you because you’ll have to decide how much you’re willing to splurge on their care. You’ll also need to decide if it’s worth spending more on certain things (like food) upfront in order to potentially save more money down the road.

We can’t answer these questions for you, so we can’t give you an exact idea of what a Bombay will cost. We can tell you this, though: Whatever the cost, these cats will be worth every penny.

Related Reads:

• How Much Does a Siamese Cat Cost?
• How Much Does a Bengal Cat Cost?

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Featured Image Credit: Oleksandr Volchanskyi, Shutterstock