Free Kittens are Never Free

Marley and Ringo: Best Buds!

I have learned many of life's lessons over the years, but there is one that I just can't seem to grasp and understand: the myth of the free kitten.

We got Marley Cat a few weeks ago from a family friend's litter of about 800 kittens. We picked out Marley because he was cute and fluffy and also had no price tag. After we got him home, we fooled ourselves into thinking that he was a healthy little cat that didn't really need to see the vet at all!

So fast forward about 2 weeks later. I was cleaning up the house when I heard the most bizarre meowing sound. When I found the little cat, he was mid-vomit, standing beside a little pile of digested kibble and wriggly worms. EWWWWW! I immediately called the vet and made an appointment ASAP.

So today we took him in to see our favorite vet (I used to work there and wouldn't take my pets anywhere else... she is sooo nice!) to get dewormed and have his first shots done. When we got there, we decided to also have him tested for feline leukemia and FIV to make sure he wouldn't give any diseases to Ringo. Marley was deemed a very healthy, disease-free, wonderful cat for a price of a mere $88.54. And he's due for 2 more sets of shots next month. And we still have to have him neutered and declawed in a few more months. Yikes! Our free little kitten isn't so free anymore. He's actually going to run us somewhere around $250.

In all reality, I should have known better, I really should have, because I did the exact same thing with Ringo. Mike was blindsided by it though... he was not happy at all about the expense. We had our first real finance-based fight today (a newlywed initiation of sorts?). He still had delusions of the free kitten. Oh well, in the end, I feel that it's worth every dime to know our animals are happy and healthy. And maybe, just maybe, I've finally learned that there is no such thing as a free kitten.