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.

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 Some retailers will also donate just-out-of-date products, which remain good for a few months longer than the sell-by date.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 Ask local veterinary clinics if they have surplus or just-out-of-date foods they are willing to donate.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. 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.

2. 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

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.

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.

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.”

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:

• Animal Grantmakers
• ASPCA Grants
• Bissell Pet Foundation
• Doris Day Animal Foundation
• Foundation Center’s Foundation Stats
• Grantsmanship Center’s map tool
• Maddie’s Fund
• Petco Foundation
• PetSmart Charities
• Walmart Foundation
• William and Charlotte Parks Foundation

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.