Financial Resources for Cats

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Caring for cats is rewarding, but it can also be expensive. If you feel like costs keep adding up, there are a lot of approaches and resources to help you fund your efforts, so you can get back to what you do best: caring for cats!

5 Ideas to Help Pay for Cat Food

1. Check for surplus cat food at your local animal shelter or even at a food bank or food pantry. Some animal shelters also have animal food banks. See our state-by-state list of animal food banks.

2. Ask your local grocery store or pet supply store to donate broken packages or dented cans. Some retailers will also donate just-out-of-date products, which remain good for a few months longer than the sell-by date.

3. Ask local veterinary clinics if they have surplus or just-out-of-date foods they are willing to donate.

4. Hold a cat food drive. Pick a day and location and publicize your event. Try to involve clubs you belong to or your workplace. You can also see if local high schools or volunteer organizations are interested in holding a drive. Or, ask local grocery stores and pet supply shops if you could put out a bin to collect cat food donations.

5. For seniors and individuals with diminished mobility, Meals on Wheels may offer pet food services, depending on your community’s program.

4 Thrifty Ways to Afford Outdoor Cat Shelters

1. Ask for scrap lumber from building supply stores or contractors. You can sometimes get this for free.

2. See if your local garden supply or feed store has surplus straw to use as insulation.

3. Look for used dog houses at garage sales or online community boards (like Craigslist). They can easily be made into cat shelters by adding a little insulation and creating a smaller door.

4. Host a shelter-building party with others in your community. This way, you can split the cost of supplies and make even more cozy cat homes.

3 Resources to Help Pay for Spaying and Neutering

1. Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network includes veterinarians with community cat experience and low-cost spay and neuter providers. Request a list of Feral Friends Network members in your area.

2. State funded spay and neuter programs. Your state may have money available for low-cost or free spay and neuter services. Eligibility requirements, like being a low-income household, and the process involved, like required co pays or using vouchers, will differ depending on the specific state’s program. See our spay and neuter state fund chart.

3. The following are low-cost spay and neuter referral services:

ASPCA spay/neuter programs: A list of spay/neuter clinics across the country
PetSmart Charities: Low-cost clinics across the United States.
Spay USA: 1-800-248-SPAY
Friends of Animals: 1-800-321-PETS

Need to spay or neuter community cats as part of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) effort? See our tips on Funding Trap-Neuter-Return below!

3 Organizations Who Assist With Veterinary Care Funding

1. CareCredit offers a revolving line of credit for veterinary expenses.

2. RedRover Relief provides financial and emotional support to good Samaritans, animal rescuers, and pet owners caring for animals in life-threatening situations.

3. Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network includes feral-friendly veterinarians with community cat experience who may be able to provide low-cost veterinary services in addition to spay and neuter and vaccinations.

More low-cost, high-quality animal clinics open in communities every year. Many offer spay and neuter services, vaccinations, and even ongoing wellness services.

Find a clinic near you by searching online using key terms like “low-cost veterinary clinics” or “spay and neuter animals clinics.” Also, local animal shelters or municipal animal services may be able to refer you to a program or affordable veterinary option.

6 Funding Options for Trap-Neuter-Return

1. Set up a savings plan.

You know your budget better than anyone, so decide how much money you can afford to save each month for the cost of spay and neuter services. Talk to your veterinarian to estimate what the cost will be based on the number of cats you will be helping.

2. Hold a local fundraiser.

TNR benefits the whole community, so it should be a community-wide effort. Community members can support TNR through fundraising events like bake sales, garage sales, and car washes. Learn more with our Organizing and Promoting Events guide.

3. Fundraise online.

You have a network of friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and others who might be willing to help fund your TNR efforts. There are many online fundraising tools (like GoFundMe.com, Crowdrise.com, and YouCaring.com) you can use.

Be sure to explain your plan to spay and neuter the cats in your community and share pictures of the cats whose lives donors will help to improve. Outline your financial goal to fund all TNR costs, and ask them for a reasonable donation. Of course, any donation is great, but it’s best to provide a specific number that you feel will help you reach your goal.

4. Work with veterinarians and spay and neuter clinics.

Some veterinarians and clinics may be willing to provide spay and neuter surgeries at a lower cost because you are performing a service that helps the community. You can find low-cost spay and neuter services in your area by searching online using terms like “low-cost spay and neuter” and “spay and neuter clinics.”

Also be sure to check out our Feral Friends Network for feral-friendly veterinarians in your area who may be able to help.

5. Apply for grants.

Grants are gifts of money offered by organizations or other entities that are intended to be used for a specific purpose. Obtaining a grant differs depending on the grant itself, but it usually requires an application, where you’ll need to describe how you plan to use the grant and agree to report back on how it was used.

There are grants specifically for spaying and neutering and Trap-Neuter-Return. Be sure to check each organization’s website for details on their most current grant offerings and qualifications.

Some places to seek grants are:

6. Check for a state spay and neuter fund.

Your state may have a spay and neuter fund that can be used by nonprofit organizations and/or municipalities. See our spay and neuter funds by state chart below.

Need more advanced fundraising tips?

We have resources to help organizations raise money for ongoing efforts to help cats.

Most organizations receive the bulk of their funding from individual donors. See our guide on Creating Fundraising Appeals That Work.
Watch our webinar Paw-some Strategies for Raising $$$, which covers the basics of how to fundraise, ways to spread the word about your good work, and tips and tricks for getting the most money out of your fundraising efforts.
For more fundraising ideas and strategies on how to put these tips to work, take a look at our Getting Your Paws on More Money guide.

Spay and Neuter Funds by State

State	S/N Fund	Direct Subsidies	Grants to Non-Profits/Municipalities	Low Income Targeting	CC Included	CC Excluded
Alabama	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Alaska	No	–	–	–	–	–
Arizona	Yes	No	Yes		No
Arkansas	No	–	–	–	–	–
California	Yes	No	Yes		No	No
Colorado	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Connecticut	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Delaware	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
DC	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Florida	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Georgia	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Hawaii	No	–	–	–	–	–
Idaho	No	–	–	–	–	–
Illinois	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Indiana	No	–	–	–	–	–
Iowa	No	–	–	–	–	–
Kansas	No	–	–	–	–	–
Kentucky	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Louisiana	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Maine	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Maryland	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Massachusetts	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Michigan	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Minnesota	No	–	–	–	–	–
Mississippi	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Missouri	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Montana	No	–	–	–	–	–
Nebraska	No	–	–	–	–	–
Nevada	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
New Hampshire	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
New Jersey	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
New Mexico	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
New York	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
North Carolina	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
North Dakota	No	–	–	–	–	–
Ohio	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Oklahoma	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Oregon	No	–	–	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	No	–	–	–	–	–
Rhode Island	Yes	Funds go to municipal fund.		Yes	No	No
South Carolina	Yes	No		No	No	No
South Dakota	No	–	–	–	–	–
Tennessee	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Texas	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Utah	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Vermont	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Virginia	Yes	Funds go to municipal fund.		No	No	No
Washington	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
West Virginia	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Wisconsin	No	–	–	–	–	–
Wyoming	No	–	–	–	–	–

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