low-cost vet care & rehoming
Low-cost Vet Care
If the cost of a vet visit is a barrier, these South Australian services may be able to help.
Unexpected vet bills can be overwhelming, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. The organisations below offer
payment plans, no interest loans, and emergency funds to help you access the veterinary care your cat needs. This is
separate from our desexing and microchipping page, which lists options for those specific procedures.
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Safe Pets Safe Families – runs a Vet Crisis Fund for pet owners experiencing financial hardship, working with partner vet clinics across Adelaide. They can also point you toward NILS loans for vet costs. safepetssafefamilies.org.au/vet-crisis-fund
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Good Shepherd – No Interest Loans (NILS) – no interest, no fee loans of up to $2,000 for essentials, including vet expenses. Only ever apply through their official website below, as scam pages impersonating NILS exist on social media. goodshep.org.au/services/nils
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VetPay – a structured payment plan that lets you pay off vet bills over time, accepted by many Australian vet clinics. vetpay.com.au
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Hope Springs Eternal Dog Rescue – Pay it Paw-ward Program – a medical emergency fund for seniors and people with disability who cannot afford vet treatment for their dog or cat. hsedr.org.au – Pay it Paw-ward Program
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ZipPay and Afterpay – some vet clinics offer these buy now, pay later options for vet bills. Our partner vet, FamilyPet Vet at Coromandel Valley, accepts Afterpay as a form of payment. More information: zip.co/au | afterpay.com/en-AU
Rehoming Resources
If you need to rehome your cat, please use a legitimate rehoming service rather than social media.
Rehoming a cat is a big decision, and how you go about it matters just as much as the decision itself. Using an established rehoming service means your cat benefits from a proper screening process, and you have support along the way.
Rehoming Services
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PetRescue Home2Home – a supported program that helps you rehome your cat directly from your own home, without needing to surrender them to a shelter. petrescue.com.au/rehome-via-petrescue
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Adelaide Pets Alive! – a South Australian non-profit that helps rehome pets and supports owners through the surrender process. adelaidepetsalive.org.au/surrender
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Paws & Claws Adoptions – a volunteer-run South Australian rescue with a dedicated surrender process and a detailed adopter screening process. pawsandclawsadoptions.com.au – surrendering information
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AWL (Animal Welfare League SA) – offers guidance on the options available for rehoming a cat. awl.org.au/rehome-your-pet
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RSPCA SA – provides general surrender guidance and a formal pet surrender request form. rspcasa.org.au/services/pet-surrender
Screening Potential New Owners
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PetRescue – tips for speaking with and meeting potential adopters, including good opening questions and how to arrange a safe meet and greet. support.petrescue.com.au – speaking with and meeting potential adopters
The Risks of Rehoming for Free on Facebook and Gumtree
It can be tempting to advertise a cat as free to a good home on Facebook or Gumtree, especially when you need to
rehome them quickly. But free to good home ads come with real risks. Without any screening process, you have no way
of knowing who is really taking your cat home. Free cats can attract people looking to on-sell them for profit, use them
for breeding, or worse, use them as bait animals. Once your cat has gone home with someone, you have no way to
check on their welfare or bring them back if things go wrong. Charging even a small adoption fee, asking questions of
the new owner, and using an established rescue or rehoming service are simple ways to protect your cat's future.