How Much Does an Oriental Shorthair Cost? 2024 Price Guide

Available in more colors and patterns than any other cat breed, the Oriental Shorthair will never fail to draw the eye. And if you don’t notice them for their color, they will make sure you notice them some other way. Oriental Shorthairs are intelligent, talkative, social, and always want to be the center of attention.

Eager to be surrounded by all kinds of pets and people, Oriental Shorthairs fit in well with families or those with a busy home environment. One of the easiest cat breeds to train, Oriental Shorthairs can even learn to walk on a leash!

If you’re thinking of adding one of these athletic cats to your household, you should start out by finding how much it will cost. Making sure you have the time and money to care for a pet is the first step in responsible pet ownership. Here are some estimates for what you can expect to pay to own and care for an Oriental Shorthair.

Bringing Home a New Oriental Shorthair: One-Time Costs

One-time costs of your new Oriental Shorthair will include both the cost of the cat themselves, as well as the cost of the supplies you need to get their living space ready. You’ll also need to budget for some initial veterinary expenses unless they are included in the cost to adopt your Oriental Shorthair. Some of these costs will vary based on how old your Oriental Shorthair is when you bring them home and what types of supplies you choose to buy.

Free

If you are lucky enough to have the chance to adopt an Oriental Shorthair for free, your initial costs will be a lot less! However, even if you bring your Oriental Shorthair home at no cost, you still need to be sure you can afford the expense of caring for them.

Adoption

$75–$400

Local shelters or breed-specific rescue groups may have Oriental Shorthairs available for adoption. Adoption costs will vary by organization, but many of them include some initial vet costs like shots and spaying or neutering. You might have to be prepared for a long search if you’re interested in adopting. It also may be tough to find an Oriental Shorthair kitten to adopt if that’s what you prefer.

Breeder

$600–$3,000

The price will depend on the age and quality of the cat, but typically, an Oriental Shorthair costs between $600 and $3,000. Kittens will generally cost more than adults. Some breeders offer retired breeding cats or show cats for sale at a lower cost. Show-quality Oriental Shorthairs will be the most expensive to purchase.

You should avoid buying an Oriental Shorthair from a pet store or a “backyard breeder.” These cats might be cheaper to buy but often are poor quality or unhealthy. Reputable breeders carefully screen their breeding cats for health conditions and usually offer a health guarantee for any cat you purchase.

Initial Setup and Supplies

$580–$1,375

Before you bring home your new Oriental Shorthair, make sure you’re prepared with all the supplies your new pet requires. From litter boxes to nail trimmers to vet care, here are some estimates of the cost to get your new Oriental Shorthair all set up in your home.

List of Oriental Shorthair Care Supplies and Costs

How Much Does an Oriental Shorthair Cost Per Month?

$120–$545 per month

Now that you have an idea of what you can expect to pay to bring your Oriental Shorthair home, let’s discuss ongoing monthly costs. These include such costs as food, medications, litter, and even pet insurance. Monthly costs of caring for your Oriental Shorthair will change throughout their lives, especially during their senior years.

Here are some estimated monthly costs of caring for your Oriental Shorthair.

Health Care

$50–$445 per month

Oriental Shorthairs are generally healthy cats, especially if you buy from a breeder dedicated to producing quality animals. Feeding the right diet and keeping their teeth clean and healthy will help reduce the chances of your cat becoming overweight or developing dental disease.

You can expect vet bills to get higher as your cat gets older. Senior cats often need regular blood screenings to detect problems with their kidneys or liver. Older cats are also more likely to develop health conditions that require long-term medications, like cancer or heart disease.

Investing in pet insurance when your cat is young can help make these bills easier to cover, as well as give you peace of mind in the case of an emergency.

Food

$10–$35 per month

The monthly cost of feeding your cat depends on the type and quality of food you choose to feed your Oriental Shorthair. Oriental Shorthair cats usually do better on good-quality, high-protein diets. Dry cat food is usually less expensive than wet. If your Oriental Shorthair needs prescription cat food, that will be an added cost as well.

Grooming

$0–$30 per month

Oriental Shorthairs usually don’t require professional grooming. Their short coats can be kept healthy with regular brushing, which also helps control shedding. Because Oriental Shorthairs are prone to dental problems, you will want to keep their teeth clean. Either brushing their teeth or using a product such as a dental water additive can do the trick. Your veterinarian may have other suggestions as well.

Medications and Vet Visits

$30–$300 per month

Even if they are otherwise healthy, your Oriental Shorthair should be on a monthly medication to prevent fleas and other parasites. Other monthly vet costs might include prescriptions to treat ongoing health conditions, as well as blood work or shots. As we already discussed, your Oriental Shorthair is likely to need more vet care the older they get, which will get more expensive.

Pet Insurance

$10–$80 per month

Pet insurance coverage can help with the cost of regular vet care, as well as emergency treatments. The monthly cost of pet insurance will depend on what type of coverage you choose. Unfortunately, the cost of treating conditions like cancer or kidney disease can add up quickly. Pet insurance can help in dealing with these costs.

Additionally, no one can predict when an emergency will happen, and knowing you have a way to pay for them can help decrease the stress of dealing with a scary health situation.

Environment Maintenance

$55–$65 per month

One of the least glamorous parts of owning a cat is dealing with their litter box. Every month, you will need to budget for litter and other items to keep your cat’s environment clean, inviting, and mentally stimulating. These expenses will vary based on how many cats and litter boxes you have.

Entertainment

$15–$35 per month

Oriental Shorthairs are one of the smartest and most playful breeds of cats. Because of this, they need plenty of toys and outlets for all their mental and physical energy. Oriental Shorthairs are especially fond of climbing and exploring.

They enjoy playing by themselves or with other pets in the home but always want to interact with their owners too. You will want to provide your Oriental Shorthair with a mix of toys they can use on their own, as well as more interactive toys that you can play with together.

Subscribing to a service that sends a new box of cat toys and treats every month is a great option to consider. Not only will this give you a consistent cost to budget for your cat’s toys, but your Oriental Shorthair will love having a brand new set of toys on a regular basis.

Total Monthly Cost of Owning an Oriental Shorthair

$120–$545 per month

The estimated monthly costs we discussed are a good place to start when figuring out if you can afford to care for an Oriental Shorthair cat. All these costs will vary according to how old your cat is and how many cats you have.

It’s worth keeping in mind that Oriental Shorthairs are known for their social nature. Unlike some breeds of cats, they don’t enjoy being the only fur-child in the house. When you consider getting an Oriental Shorthair, be aware that you might need to get them a friend as well.

Additional Costs to Factor In

After estimating the setup and monthly costs to own an Oriental Shorthair, you may need to factor in some additional expenses as well. These costs are harder to prepare for because they may be rare or unexpected.

An example of an unexpected expense would be the repair or replacement of furniture or carpet that your Oriental Shorthair damages. As we discussed, these cats are high-energy explorers and may show little regard for your belongings along the way!

Another common, unexpected expense is emergency veterinary care. All that exploring may lead to an accident sooner or later. Without pet insurance, the cost of emergency surgeries or treatments can run into the thousands.

One way to prepare for some of these larger expenses is to set aside some savings into a pet “rainy day fund.” A good amount to try and keep on hand is $1,500. That way you have a bit of a cushion to cover some of those unexpected costs.

Here are some other additional costs you might need to plan for:

Owning an Oriental Shorthair On a Budget

Owning any pet is always going to cost money. The cost of owning a purebred cat like the Oriental Shorthair will be higher based mainly on how much the cats themselves cost. We already mentioned a couple of ways to save money on bringing an Oriental Shorthair home, including adoption or buying a retired show cat.

Once you bring your Oriental Shorthair home, what can you do to keep costs low while still taking good care of your cat? Even though the prices we’ve discussed are estimates, they might still be more than you feel you can afford. Here are some ideas for how to own an Oriental Shorthair on a budget.

Saving Money on Oriental Shorthair Care

You can cut down on many of your initial setup costs by buying your cat supplies used from thrift stores, yard sales, or friends. Rescuing or buying an adult cat rather than a kitten may mean less initial vet costs as well. Adult cats may already be spayed or neutered and up to date on shots.

Good-quality cat food and litter are available at a reasonable price, and most cats do fine on these diets. Looking into a cat food or litter monthly subscription is a possible cost-saving option, especially if you have multiple cats.

Vet bills are often the most expensive part of owning a cat. Fortunately, most areas have low-cost veterinary options available. Animal shelters are often good places to find quality but cheaper vet services. Pet insurance may seem like an unnecessary monthly expense, but in the long run, wind up saving you much more money.

Conclusion

To sum up, you can expect to pay an average of $600-$1,000 for a pet-quality Oriental Shorthair. The highest one-time expenses will usually be when you first bring home your Oriental Shorthair, especially if you buy a kitten. Supplies, kitten shots, and spaying or neutering your cat could cost up to an additional $1,375.

As you settle into life with your Oriental Shorthair, you may spend at least $120 a month caring for your cat and up to around $500. These costs will vary widely and may get higher as your cat gets older. We also discussed some ways to decrease both your initial and monthly expenses.

Oriental Shorthairs are unique both in color and personality and can be a wonderful addition to your life. Doing your research on costs ahead of time allows you to be prepared and realistic about how much you will need to spend on your Oriental Shorthair’s care. With this knowledge, you can enjoy spending time with your talkative new friend!

• You might also like: How Big Do Oriental Shorthair Cats Get? (Size + Growth Chart)

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