How Much Does It Cost To Adopt A Cat In Singapore?
Pet adoption is an honorable and rewarding undertaking. When you decide to adopt a cat from a rescue facility, you are giving the animal a second shot at life. Many shelters are overcrowded, and adoption is a positive way of freeing some space. Unfortunately, not all shelter residents are adopted. Many often end up being euthanized so there will be more room for the more adoptable ones.
Adopting a pet should only be made after serious consideration and deliberation. Sharing your life and home with another pet will require your effort and commitment. You should ask yourself if you have the time and budget to meet your pet’s needs. There will be the usual visits to the vet, food costs, supplements, toys, and other cat essentials.
Cat adoption in Singapore
In Singapore, many cats are abandoned, lost, or voluntarily surrendered to shelters by their owners who feel overwhelmed by the demands of caring for their pets. Although shelters will welcome your interest to adopt a pet, be prepared to go through a process that involves filling up forms, being interviewed, home visits for assessment, etc. You may also be asked to pay an adoption fee that usually covers the procedures that the cat has been subjected to such as vaccination, neutering or spaying, deworming, heartworm preventatives, etc. Some may find the adoption fees to be expensive but this is also meant to deter abandonment and selling of adopted pets as well as defray the operating costs of the facility. Moreover, these are necessary costs that would still been borne if you had bought a cat instead.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat in Singapore?
There are shelters and facilities in Singapore where you can adopt cats. These include the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Singapore (SPCA), Animal Lovers League (ALL), and Cat Welfare Society (CWS), Purely Adoptions, and Causes for Animals, to name a few. You can visit their websites to learn more about their work as well as their policies regarding the adoption of cats. Be sure that you are dealing with a reputable shelter or pet facility because there are many backyard breeders looking to illegally sell their animals to gullible pet owners.
Although there are facilities in which you can adopt a cat for free, many do require a certain fee. If you are wondering how much it costs to adopt a cat, here are the various rates for some popular shelters in Singapore:
1. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) – Singapore
- Local Kittens (Under 6 months) – $100
- Local Adults (6 months to under 7.5 years) – $80
- Pedigrees and Crosses (Under 7.5 years) – $200
- Seniors (Above 7.5 years OR stayed in SPCA for over a year OR Special Needs, require Long-Term Medical Care) – $25
2. Cat Welfare Society (CWS)
Although the CWS is not a shelter, there is a section on its website, the Cat Adoption Board, which is dedicated to concerns and queries about adopting cats. Their website has pictures of cats that are up for adoption. You can browse through their profiles. The recommended adoption fee is $40 – $80. But there are instances when the adoption fee is higher because the cat has been subjected to extensive veterinary care. Be sure to ask proof of veterinary care if you think the adoption fee is way higher than the usual rates.
- Pedigree cats – $250
- Local cats and kittens – $150
- Senior cats (above 10 years old) and ‘less desirable’ cats – $100
- Cats with existing medical conditions – Donation ( you can pay as much or as little as you like)
When adopting a cat from Purely Adoptions, you will be provided with an Adoption Starter Kit that is worth $223. The package is composed of cat essentials such as kibbles, cat toys, supplements, lifestyle products, and other things that your cat may need. Adopters are also given a special 20% discount for neutering or spaying at their accredited veterinarians.
Their adoption charges generally range from $100-$150 depending on any procedure that is undertaken. Fees usually cover initial vaccinations, de-worming, flea and tick treatment, and micro-chipping.
For potential pet owners who are wondering where to adopt cats for free in Singapore, adopting from Animal Lovers League (ALL) is completely free. But if you really want to help their efforts in saving cats off the streets, you can donate to the shelter. They also have a sponsorship program where you can choose to sponsor a shelter resident that has not been adopted.
Mutts & Mittens is a pet boarding facility with a passion for animal welfare work. They rescue dogs and cats and put them up for adoption. An adoption fee of $250 will cover the cost of inserting your new pet with a microchip and registration, vaccinations, neutering or spaying, and administration.
Love Kuching Project is involved in rescuing, rehabilitation, and adoption of stray cats. They are also involved in cat therapy programs for seniors and people who are mentally challenged and have intellectual disabilities. They charge an adoption fee of $65 to cover the intensive treatment and rehabilitation of their feline wards.