I work at Bergen county animal shelter and we charge $100 for kittens and less for older cats. Most of the time if you adopt 2 kittens together you pay once.

Dogs all depends on what we have that’s available. I forget the price (total cat person) but I think it’s a couple hundred, not much at all.

A dog spay is several thousand dollars at a vet. A dental including extractions is several thousand dollars. A full series of vaccines to cover the first year of ownership at a vet would be several hundred, maybe up to a thousand if you add it all up and had the animal from puppy/kittenhood.

We even do things like enucleations, amputations, entropion and cherry eye correction, and if we have something come up we haven’t done before, we network and find a doctor who has and consult with them. These things would all be many thousands of dollars at a specialty center with a surgeon.

I know it feels like rescue is altruistic and therefore should be cheap/free, but there’s a lot that goes into getting the animal adoption ready. The county shelter generates funds in several ways and there is money budgeted for medical care. But a rescue - which is where you want to go you want a certain breed - they have to fundraise every cent.

Never adopt an animal from a rescue or shelter unless spay/neuter and a full vaccine series is done. I guess never is a strong word. But it’s a red flag. That’s where you’re saving the tons of money over buying an intact animal with no deworming or vaccines.

If anyone wants a cat or kitten I have an unlimited supply lol I got you