Sunny Tabbies

First-Year Veterinary Care Cost: What to Expect

For healthy kittens, first-year veterinary care is mostly preventive, and typically includes:

• Completing the final kitten vaccine booster (if not already done)
• Rabies vaccination
• One or two routine wellness exams
• Basic parasite prevention as recommended by your veterinarian

In Massachusetts, adopters typically spend about $200–$300 per kitten on routine preventive care in the first year. For two kittens, that’s usually $400–$600 total, assuming everything goes smoothly.

Some veterinary clinics offer wellness plans that bundle routine exams and vaccines into a predictable monthly or annual cost. These plans are generally comparable to paying out-of-pocket (sometimes with a small per-visit discount) and are mainly about convenience and budgeting.

What about pet insurance?

Pet insurance is optional but worth considering. Most plans focus on accidents and unexpected illnesses, not routine care (unless you add a wellness rider).

That said, first-time or less experienced cat owners often make urgent or after-hours vet visits, especially in the first year. These visits can be expensive (often $300+ per visit, not including diagnostics or procedures), and many turn out not to be true emergencies. Even when nothing serious is found, a few precautionary visits can add up quickly—this is where insurance can help a lot.

Many adopters choose to:

• Self-pay routine preventive care, and
• Use pet insurance as a safety net for unexpected or urgent situations.

There’s no single “right” approach — it depends on your budgeting style and risk tolerance.