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No cat left behind: The Cat Protection Society of Victoria is calling for donations to help keep cats with their families

Soda Communications

Key Facts:

• More than half (55%) of Cat Protection Society Victoria’s (CPSV’s) 2025 intake were surrendered cats.
• 209 emergency support requests were received by CPSV in 2025, with more than 50 applications already received in early 2026.
• 130 cats were heartbreakingly turned away due to limited Shelter funds.

The Cat Protection Society of Victoria (CPSV) is urging Victorians to support its Benevolent Fund which provides urgent financial assistance for emergency veterinary care, keeping cats safe, healthy, and at home with the people who love them.

The Benevolent Fund exists to ensure families are not forced to surrender or euthanise a beloved cat simply because they cannot afford an unexpected vet bill. As cost-of-living pressures continue to stretch household budgets across Victoria, demand for the Benevolent Fund’s assistance is rising rapidly.

To demonstrate the crucial help the Benevolent Fund provides, a new CPSV campaign is sharing the story of Lisa and her 10-month-old kitten, Jasper.

When Jasper became critically ill after potentially swallowing a foreign object, Lisa was faced with a parent's worst nightmare.

“When Jasper became sick so quickly, I was terrified. He stopped eating, started vomiting, and became so lethargic that I feared he had swallowed one of my child’s Nerf Gun bullets," Lisa said.

"When I took him to a 24-hour vet clinic, I was quoted more than $3,000 just for him to stay overnight, but there was still no clear diagnosis or treatment plan. 

“I felt completely helpless because I simply couldn’t afford that kind of care, and the thought of having to surrender our much-loved kitten was heartbreaking.”

In desperation, Lisa contacted CPSV. Jasper was admitted to the clinic the following day and immediately put on a course of fluids to help his severely dehydrated body recover. After x-rays and close monitoring overnight, Jasper began eating again and passed the object naturally, negating the need for a major $7,000+ surgical intervention.

“I'm so incredibly grateful to CPSV and the Benevolent Fund for helping Jasper get the care he needed," Lisa said. 

"It was such a frightening time for our family and having that support meant everything — I honestly don’t know what we would have done without it.”

CPSV Marketing and Communications Manager Rachel Bitzilis said the not-for-profit’s Shelter, located in Greensborough, is seeing more families like Lisa’s reach a crisis point.

“Cats are creatures of habit and thrive in familiar environments with the people they know and trust,” Rachel said.

“As cost-of-living pressures continue to put strain on Victorian households, we are seeing more cat owners facing the heartbreaking reality that they cannot afford an unexpected vet bill.

“In 2025 alone, we received 209 requests for help through the Benevolent Fund, but we were only able to support 79 of those cases. That meant 130 cats and their families missed out simply because we didn’t have the resources. No one should have to choose between their cat’s life and what they can afford.”

“No one should have to choose between their cat’s life and what they can afford. Community donations allow us to provide urgent treatment and keep cats with the people who love them.”

With demand for the Benevolent Fund continuing to grow, CPSV is encouraging Victorians to donate to help more families access urgent veterinary care. Tax-deductible donations can help provide:

• $50–$100: immediate pain relief and stabilisation 
• $200–$400: diagnostics such as blood tests, x-rays or ultrasounds 
• $2,000+: Emergency surgery and critical care treatment. 

 To donate, visit catprotection.com.au/support-us/benevolent-fund.

Contact details:

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

 

Emily Stojcevski          

Soda Communications           

E: [email protected]         

Mob: 0409 552 913

 

Maddison Bamer

Soda Communications           

E: [email protected]      

Mob: 0481 762 012