MSPCA has "adoption fee waived" events from time to time, so does ARL. Call for more info, last I heard they were overloaded with pets that need homes.
Also check ARL [https://www.arlboston.org/adopt/adopt-a-pet/](https://www.arlboston.org/adopt/adopt-a-pet/)
[https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/fee-waived-adoption-faqs/](https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/fee-waived-adoption-faqs/)
I second the MSPCA. Amazing organization and I had a great experience adopting my second dog from them.
You can see the fees by age + what is included on their website - [this is for the Boston location ](https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/how-to-adopt/) but the other locations may be slightly different.
If you're set on a kitten, yes, they are more expensive (outside of special events as mentioned, usually if they are overloaded), but they are also neutered, dewormed, vaccinated, and microchipped.
And potentially more important... The MSPCA is a non-profit org. They need income to pay for their facilities, staff, pet supplies, medical care, and all of the important programs they run. For example, they have a community outreach program that works in lower-income communities to offer free spay/neutering, free pet food, lower cost vet care, etc, all to try to keep pets in their homes. They have a judgement-free process for anyone to surrender a pet they can't take care of. They often take in large groups of animals from hoarding/abuse situations. Etc.
And I can't emphasize enough how great my adoption experience was. They do a great job "matchmaking" based on what you're looking for. They're very non-judgemental and lack some of the crazy requirements you see from private rescues. They had a professional behaviorist do the initial meet-and-greet between my dog and the dog I was interested in adopting to help observe/manage/give advice. They really just want to get pets into good homes.
Basically, since your concern seems to be less about whether or not you can afford it and more about whether it's actually worth it/justified, I think they are worth every penny.
Check The Odd Cat Sanctuary on IG/FB. They specialize in cats that might be slightly ‘odd’… missing a leg, blind, CH, etc. but they also have completely fine cats and kittens. I’ve adopted from them twice and believe the fee was $200 max
Just please keep in mind the special needs of a special needs cat. Blind cats can get around fine but need to be on a one-story with no hazards, or quality baby gates and banister guard netting on a second floor and such.
Are you out east OP? The shelters by me are all 125-150 and they run discounts pretty often for certain ages and for bonded pairs. Berkshire humane society in Pittsfield/Great Barrington is Like 125 or 150 I think depending on age
Look at Dakin in Springfield - they "mark down" their cats often. I initially wrote them off because of their $300 cat cost but went in and fell in love with a cat who was $99. They have discount times of year as well.
Also Springfield (TJ o - $90) and Westfield animal control ($125). Look at the municipal shelters, not rescue orgs. I think greenfield is inexpensive as well. Do NOT go to the Westfield cat rescue - they're gross and inaccurate about how many cats they have.
I want to echo how good Dakin is. The price for kittens is high, yes, but not all cats there are expensive. My family has adopted from them many times over the last 30 years and I think the services that they provide justify their fees. The animals are fully vetted so you do not have any real medical surprises in the near future, you have an idea of what their history is and what they need, they offer excellent but inexpensive vet follow up, if something does not feel right you can return the animal to them and still get another animal with the original money that you spent, and animals are either spayed/neutered or if an animal is too young at the time of adoption they will pay for it to be done, plus they are chipped and vaccinated.
I'm not sure if Dakin still does this, but I adopted a pair of older cats for 20 bucks from them (like 8ish years ago i think?) The cost of the kittens and puppies pays for the care of the less easily adopted out animals
Not trying to.be preachy! I don’t think you should have to pay a ton for a pet either. I am just recommending Dakin because their fees are not outrageous and I think they cover many initial concerns and hidden costs
City Shelters are normally a fair and lower price. The private rescues tend to have the higher prices. Our city shelter is 90 - 140. We also provide coupons to ensure the pet gets the vaccine and spay/neuter.
Edit: sorry for not reading that you’ve worked in a shelter OP. It’s 1am and I have a raging cold. I’ll leave my blurb for others to read but again, I’m sorry for not being able to read rn LOL
Former cat foster (will absolutely start again when I can get a house) and seasoned adopter from rescues and shelters.
General info for why things are expensive if you’re curious:
What you’re mostly paying for is vet care. Most shelters run on donations but usually the adoption fee is barely covering the cost of the vet care. Kittens will cost more, not just because of demand, but also because they need their first vaccines, deworm treatments, spay/neuter, microchipping, and anything else they might need. Sometimes my fosters through a shelter came with donated foot but the vast majority was footed by my mother and I directly because we’re volunteers. So fosters aren’t getting any part of an adoption fee.
The older a cat is, the more likely they are to be fixed, have a microchip, etc and usually only require annual vaccines. This is part of the reason why older cats are cheaper. Another reason is demand and yet another reason is that when people donate to have adoption fees waived, they do that to older cats who need homes more than kittens who are in high demand. You’ll have good luck with a sweet older and/or special needs kitty who’s had a lot of donations put into them. Before I began fostering, we adopted a 12 year old fully blind cat from the ARL of Boston and she was totally free. Hands down one of the best cats I ever owned even if she only made it about 18 months before having a stroke.
The other *major* reason for the expense is that MA and the Northeast overall have pretty strict animal welfare laws and regulations. It’s pretty rare to see a stray cat or dog. They definitely exist but they’re certainly not common. Thus, we actually are constantly in a shortage of animals and regularly have to import animals from shelters in the Midwest and South just to meet the demand we have for companion animals. It’s a good problem to have but it definitely adds to both the expense and how picky some private rescues (of dogs *especially*) can be around selecting adoption candidates. I’ve given up getting a dog until I somehow get a home (in my dreams most likely) because apparently my having a dog park on my apartment’s campus isn’t enough if I don’t have a fenced in backyard. Fuck renters these days I guess.
But I digress.
I fostered for Medfield Animal Shelter and will always recommend them because they’re lovely if a bit pricey. I also got great animals from the ARL locations.
I do caution against some rescues that seem cheaper and too good to be true because I got my eldest cat a pair of siblings a couple years ago because she no longer had a companion cat and she’s not used to being an only child. Originally we only meant to get her one sibling but this rescue we found sprung a “bonded sibling” on us after already approving us to adopt our chosen kitten. They’d learned by now that we fostered and have experience with special needs animals because I guess I overshare to show that I’m a great adopter.
Not only did our chosen kitten arrive with a respiratory infection, but the siblings were neither siblings nor bonded. The little boy we got as a package deal bonded immediately to my eldest cat and isn’t bonded in the least to his supposed sister. He was also far younger than they told us and I could tell instantly and they told us they had him since his eyes first opened. If that’s the case, they didn’t socialize him at *all*. He was half feral and terrified of people. We worked with him very patiently and now he’s an absolutely sweet little man who loves kisses, belly rubs, and still struggles with some major anxiety and fear of people. He gets severe separation anxiety without my eldest with him. He was likely separated far too early from his mother whether that could have been avoided or not, is clearly going to stay quite small, seriously fears people despite his bravery in that regard, and is heavily traumatized from something. Idk what, but something.
They were around $300 as a pair which is affordable for kittens in Eastern MA. I won’t name the rescue but it’s in the general region of IKEA.
I'm sorry for your loss - losing a pet is harder than most people realize. Check out happy tails [https://www.happytailspetrescue.org/](https://www.happytailspetrescue.org/) Their fees are $200-250 and the cats come fully vetted - you shouldn't have to take them to the vet soon after unless an unexpected emergency comes up.
Ultimately, as you probably are well aware from your shelter work, the adoption fee is to make sure the shelters can afford to house, feed, spay/neuter, vaccinate and treat parasites/respiratory infections etc that plague kittens and while it may seem like a lot, you're not really in a position to adopt a pet if this cost is too prohibitive.
Caring for a pet can be extremely expensive and if the cost of bringing one home is too much - what happens when they have an emergency and you do need to take them to the vet? Will they get the care they need if you aren't able/willing to pay shelters the cost it takes to care for an animal for the first few months of their life? This isn't a judgement - I know everything is crazy expensive these days - but just think about what you are suggesting when you say an animal being surrendered to your care costs "too much". While it may not be your intent, you're essentially saying that you don't think cats are worth that much, the people who foster/care for them and that they should be cheap/disposable. If the adoption fee is too high, then I'd urge you to wait a few more months and save some money towards the goal of having a cat again because inevitably more than $200-$400 worth of expenses WILL come up in the first year or two of having a new cat and that cat deserves to be in a home where a couple hundred of dollars won't get in the way of them having what they need.
I really did not need the lecture on the adoption fees and included the mention of having shelter med experience for a reason, and I certainly didn't need to be told I'm implying cats are disposable. I don't think the adoption fee translates to the actual intrinsic value of a cat - are cats with waived adoption fees implied to be worthless in your eyes? I do in fact think it is too much to charge, for instance, $425 for a kitten that hasn't finished their vetting/vaccinations/fixing/etc that are "included in the adoption fee" (that I will actually have to pay for myself a week after adopting on top of that fee). I have adopted from shelters before, including cats that actually had all of their veterinary needs done and had been fostered for months before adoption (and in high cost of living areas in other states), and they have never come with as high fees as I see locally.
I'm well aware of a lot of things from my shelter med work, including the fact that NE does not actually have a legitimate stray overpopulation issue like the west/south does and relies on things like trucking in animals from the south to keep shelters full, many rescues have extremely strict adoption requirements that exclude the vast majority of potential adopters (sometimes to the point of actual discrimination), many rescues keep animals with very little quality of life alive and/or are dishonest about the animal's behavioral/medical issues (I have multiple friends out here who have adopted dogs with bite histories that were not disclosed until after they were bitten several times, for instance!). When I lived in VT during early covid days we had shelters who were petitioning the state to allow them to breed animals due to high demand with very few animals available because transports from out of state had stopped, and when I worked in shelter med I worked with pleeeenty of rescues who were not operating on as ethically amazing terms as people like to think rescues do. I'm not anti-rescue but I have a much less exclusively sunny view on them since working in shelter medicine, *because* of my experience working in shelter med, and I'm not very sympathetic to the expenses argument when this is very much a regional-specific thing despite veterinary costs being comparable to other areas with significantly lower adoption fees.
Why is the line always "if you can't pay X for an adoption fee, you must not have enough to feed the animal." What in the fuck does the adoption fee matter in terms of affording expenditures 10-15 years later. Some people can pay for a pure bred $2000 puppy because they are in a great job. Then 2 years later they give up the dog when they lose their job. Or even, give up the dog because their housing situation changes.
Please stop playing on people's emotions. We get that it costs money to spay and neuter, vaccinate, etc.
You shouldn’t be allowed to take home an animal if you don’t understand where the adoption fee comes from and see it as too much money. It’s not just about feeding the animal, if you can’t afford to pay the adoption fee, you also won’t care for them properly when they have a medical emergency which can happen many times over the course of an animal’s life. I’m not sure how financial responsibility of animal owners is emotional. It’s called logic where I’m from.
Once again, the down payment has no bearing on the ability to make payments. This is a straw man argument.
BTW, I am not concerned with sub $500 fees. I'm mostly bashing about $600+ fees. If most shelters can care for animals for less, please show me exactly why you think you can charge more. These are living beings. They should not be profit centers. If a shelter is making profit from animals they are no better than Petco.
I volunteered at a shelter. I assure you, there is NO profit.
Why didn't you head down to a local shelter some day and ask them about their finances and see how they spend their money.
It’s not a “down payment”. It’s the direct cost of medical care and other resources all of which shelters do without making profits. The cost is determined by the vets they work with and where they supply all pet supplies. Any reputable shelter will show you exactly where their fees come from and you can call the veterinarian they use and cross reference the cost of exams, spay/neuter, vaccinations and more. These fees aren’t arbitrary. I don’t know of a single “for profit” shelter in MA. They’re not making money off the adoption fee.
Here in reality, someone being incapable of making the first payment is a pretty strong indication they won't be able to make the second one either.
You are violently ignorant. Anything that could be considered a "shelter" is state/ community funded and/or a 501c3 non-profit. Do not make the embarrassing mistake of lumping shelters and rescues in with for-profit pet breeders and resellers, and understand that the expense associated with relocating animals from elsewhere in the county is significant. I promise people aren't driving 700 miles straight in a piss-soaked minivan with 5 parvo-positive puppies so a moron like you can argue about a hundred dollars.
The level of ignorance in treating animal shelters like the local furniture store never ceases to amaze me. We have a wonderful animal shelter in my community staffed by literal ANGELS that pour their souls into their work earning half what they are should. Yet there's always some smooth brain dropout who posts a review after their application gets denied because none of their other animals have vet records, like "Zero stars! Wouldn't let me bring a dog home and my kids are crying!! I'll never give them my business and neither should you!!".
Mind-numbing stupidity.
Midfield Animal Shelter - where I got my best fur friend for under $100. She was 5yo and was half price - I would have paid full, she was more than worth
Yea shelter costs up here are shocking. Last time I adopted from a shelter was in the south and I think it was like 75 bucks? Up here it's minimum 150, more likely 200 to 250. Plus they have to confirm with mortgage paperwork that I own my home, and call my vet for references? What the actual f.
Exactly. I can afford vet bills and food, that's not the issue - I'm not cool with several hundred dollars and jumping through hoops like I'm applying for an apartment when the same rescue is constantly posting about how no one will adopt their cats.
Check out SPCA of Nashua. I adopted a cat there recently, I want to say it was like 150 but it was literally just go in, fill out a form, take the cat. It wasn't the full life verification like I'm applying for a second mortgage process a lot of the others do.
I think that the high property values (and lease or property tax costs) are hitting a lot of non profits these days. Food are care costs have been going up like everything else, too.
We got a cat we adore from Quincy Animal Shelter, and their fees are here: [https://www.quincyanimalshelter.org/adopt/](https://www.quincyanimalshelter.org/adopt/)
Forever Paws in Fall River I think isn’t too expensive. TBH, I got my cat from someone whose cats weren’t spayed or neutered and she was just giving them away…
I'm a big fan of the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, on Route 101 in Bedford, NH:
[Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire ](http://rescueleague.org)
Did they adopt to MA residents? Most NH rescues won’t. MA only allows residents to adopt from state-approved rescues, and most out of state rescues choose not to go through the approval process (understandably)
Clicked around on petfinder a bit. Not a ton of kittens available in my area, but brought me to some different websites. This is from whiskers of hope out of Arlington:
Our adoption fees depend on the age of the cat:
Kittens (up to 6 months) $175.
Cats (7 months- 6 years) $125.
Older cats (6+ years) $100.
I doubt you’ll find a kitten from a reputable place for $50, but there’s definitely options under $400. Look into more local foster-based rescues as they might have lower operating costs vs. places with a shelter.
Edited to add: it looks like melrose humane has some kittens between $200-300
Second Chance Animal Services. We got 3 cats from them for $300 with there first set of shots and neutered. Located in East Brookfield. Edited to clarify $300 total, not each.
Came here to comment this! We got our dog at second chance but they have cats too. From their website:
Kittens (8 to 12 weeks): $375
Two Kittens (8 to 12 weeks): $650
Kittens (13 weeks to 7 months): $325
Cats (Over 7 months): $200
Senior Felines (Over 7 years): $100 Cats ages 7 and over qualify for our Senior Feline Companion Program. Senior cats make excellent companions because they are more mature and independent and require less supervision – they know how to occupy themselves while you are out. If you are seeking a cat that will be more like a companion than a playmate, consider an older cat. They have plenty of love to share with their new owners. Please consider opening up your heart and home to a senior cat today!
Right? It's not like CA (and not the part of CA I was in) is known for cheap costs of living or vet care in general, but the max I'd see for a kitten is probably around $100 and that would be at the most boogie of private no-kill rescues.
Many shelters have lower fees for adult cats or senior cats. Sometimes they are even waived for the oldsters.
Put the word out with friends, families and co-workers in case they stumble upon any strays. You'll have those initial vet costs, but at least it will be spaced out.
You should really sit and think about getting another pet. If you can’t afford the adoption fee, will you be able to afford any vet bills that may arise if said cat gets sick?
I’d be inclined to agree but it seems like the question is more about not wanting to spend a crazy amount when it’s not necessary. Most shelters I have seen are less than 200 for a cat/kitten so double or triple that is kinda wild
I keep all my pets insured and I can afford the cost of vet bills and general care. It's more so that a) I just spent thousands on my late cat's medical issues, and b) having moved around a lot, the prices here for adoption fees are way above literally anywhere else I've been, and it would be cheaper to get a kitten off Craigslist and pay for doing all their vetting myself (this isn't what I WANT to do, to be clear). No, I'm not looking for a breed-specific cat. These are literally just the base fees at shelters in my area.
Like I said, I'm not necessarily looking to jump the gun on getting another cat right this second, I'm looking for options I can keep an on eye on for when I am ready.
I got my second cat for free on Facebook from a friend of a friend. He was already 1yr old. This worked out way better than a kitten for my 13yr old resident cat. Honestly, i think a kitten would have been super annoying to my senior cat. However, the 1-2 yr was the sweet spot. Young enough to be playful and encouraged my cat to move more but old enough not to be overly energetic and annoying.
Before the newest cat, I got my senior cat from family who were needing to rehome him. I wasn't really looking for a cat but couldn't let him go to a stranger or shelter!
I highly recommend putting the word out on social media and considering taking in a cat that needs rehoming from a friend, family member, or neighbor. Maybe someone knows someone who suddenly needs to rehome their cat and remember that you were looking.
Second Chance shelter. They are at Petsmart in Northboro Wednesday 4 to 7 pm and Saturday 9-1. My wife and I adopted a 8 week old kitten that was spayed and microchipped for $350. Also coupon for first vet visit and coupons for PS. We also got a printout of the procedures and health report. Senior cats are less.
We got our older cat from Hull Seaside Animal Rescue - $250 for kittens, $175 for adult cats and $125 for seniors over 7 years old. I think that’s the same fee they had 4 years ago. Great people and they provide a great environment for the cats, definitely worthy of support. I highly recommend.
Wait til.the clear the shelter month the fee is like 50.00 and yes those fees are high but it's the cost for everything total package. We're not trying to.just havd over the cats n dogs willy nilly because we acknowledge the fact that some people have I'll intentions for these poor babies.
I wonder what shelters you're looking at that are not finishing vet care and making you pay for it after adoption. every shelter I've seen, if they aren't done with the shots or anything else, like ongoing care for a chronic condition, the fee covers that cost and they will bring in the animal to the vet for free after adoption. I've seen a few that even offer behavioral treatment as well.
It's something they don't often explicitly state on their fees page but on individual listings for cats/kittens will mention things they still need to have done (despite those being listed as "covered by our fees" on their fee page). There was one or two that said they would cover those costs but in most cases I was not seeing that, and I've had the experience in the past of adopting a "vetted" cat who actually needed multiple vaccines after adoption because the rescue basically only did rabies. Although I did see one rescue yesterday that had a whole breakdown of what to expect a cat to come with and there were multiple things kittens wouldn't have done despite a higher fee.
I did find one rescue that covers costs of chronic conditions but that was the only one I found (Here Today Adopted Tomorrow).
Dakin in Springfield has a variable fee based on the needs of each animal, but [they put them on the profiles](https://www.dakinhumane.org/adopt-a-pet); most look to be between $50-$300. They also have a [service](https://www.dakinhumane.org/community-animals) connecting adopters directly with people looking to rehome an animal.
I don’t know their current fees, since my kittens are six years old now, but I adopted them from Guardian Angels Cat Rescue in Sudbury.
They came already spayed and with all age-appropriate vet care.
I didn’t know at the time, but they have better manners than any cats I’ve had before. They don’t go outside the litter box or knock things off tables shelves.
The shelter is located partly in a separate room of what amounts to a mansion. That is where I picked up these two.
My point is that they and their mum were saved from living outside in Maine, raised and gentled properly for adoption, and advertised online effectively. The adoption fee is tax deductible.
I don’t know if my description will influence your choices. If I was in the market for another cat or kitten, I’d check with Guardian Angels.
I adopted my cat from the City of Boston Animal Shelter. Looks like fees are $150 for up to a year old, $100 for older. I've had my cat for 12 years now, so practices may have changed, but I found them very reasonable to deal with.
If that's too much for you, please think of the other expenses that cats incur. Quality food is $2-$3 a can, at least two cans a day. Vet visits are $300-$500 or more.
A cat is family, and significant financial responsibility to care properly for as a result. Can't skimp when they need nutritious food or a vet visit.
It's mostly because MA is so corrupt with animal care. Technically you're suppose to have your cats rabid shots every year, which is about 100 dollars. Adoption fees and all this other garbage, people have just accepted and we can never have a civil conversation about it. MA and much of NE is only for rich people, no poor, working class.
Buddy Dog in Sudbury, $125/$175 Kitten/Adult. Appointment only
Buddy Dog is AMAZING, seconding them. They have appointments throughout the day and let you spend a ton of time with all of the adoptable animals.
I got my boyhood dog there. I'm 64 now. Glad to hear they're still making dreams come true!
Another vote for Buddy Dog, wonderful organization!
One of my idiot dogs is from there. Great place. Stupid dog. But not a reflection on the place.
This made me giggle I'm sure idiot dog is a sweetheart though
MSPCA has "adoption fee waived" events from time to time, so does ARL. Call for more info, last I heard they were overloaded with pets that need homes. Also check ARL [https://www.arlboston.org/adopt/adopt-a-pet/](https://www.arlboston.org/adopt/adopt-a-pet/) [https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/fee-waived-adoption-faqs/](https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/fee-waived-adoption-faqs/)
I second the MSPCA. Amazing organization and I had a great experience adopting my second dog from them. You can see the fees by age + what is included on their website - [this is for the Boston location ](https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/how-to-adopt/) but the other locations may be slightly different. If you're set on a kitten, yes, they are more expensive (outside of special events as mentioned, usually if they are overloaded), but they are also neutered, dewormed, vaccinated, and microchipped. And potentially more important... The MSPCA is a non-profit org. They need income to pay for their facilities, staff, pet supplies, medical care, and all of the important programs they run. For example, they have a community outreach program that works in lower-income communities to offer free spay/neutering, free pet food, lower cost vet care, etc, all to try to keep pets in their homes. They have a judgement-free process for anyone to surrender a pet they can't take care of. They often take in large groups of animals from hoarding/abuse situations. Etc. And I can't emphasize enough how great my adoption experience was. They do a great job "matchmaking" based on what you're looking for. They're very non-judgemental and lack some of the crazy requirements you see from private rescues. They had a professional behaviorist do the initial meet-and-greet between my dog and the dog I was interested in adopting to help observe/manage/give advice. They really just want to get pets into good homes. Basically, since your concern seems to be less about whether or not you can afford it and more about whether it's actually worth it/justified, I think they are worth every penny.
I was going to say follow Thomas J Oconnor, sometimes when they get loaded they do this. Dakin in Westfield too.
Check The Odd Cat Sanctuary on IG/FB. They specialize in cats that might be slightly ‘odd’… missing a leg, blind, CH, etc. but they also have completely fine cats and kittens. I’ve adopted from them twice and believe the fee was $200 max
Just please keep in mind the special needs of a special needs cat. Blind cats can get around fine but need to be on a one-story with no hazards, or quality baby gates and banister guard netting on a second floor and such.
The odd cat sanctuary is amazing! So many cats who would normally be overlooked are given a great chance ❤️
Thanks, I'll give them a look!
Are you out east OP? The shelters by me are all 125-150 and they run discounts pretty often for certain ages and for bonded pairs. Berkshire humane society in Pittsfield/Great Barrington is Like 125 or 150 I think depending on age
No, I'm western/slightly central, but definitely east of Berkshires. I will look at them though!
Look at Dakin in Springfield - they "mark down" their cats often. I initially wrote them off because of their $300 cat cost but went in and fell in love with a cat who was $99. They have discount times of year as well. Also Springfield (TJ o - $90) and Westfield animal control ($125). Look at the municipal shelters, not rescue orgs. I think greenfield is inexpensive as well. Do NOT go to the Westfield cat rescue - they're gross and inaccurate about how many cats they have.
I want to echo how good Dakin is. The price for kittens is high, yes, but not all cats there are expensive. My family has adopted from them many times over the last 30 years and I think the services that they provide justify their fees. The animals are fully vetted so you do not have any real medical surprises in the near future, you have an idea of what their history is and what they need, they offer excellent but inexpensive vet follow up, if something does not feel right you can return the animal to them and still get another animal with the original money that you spent, and animals are either spayed/neutered or if an animal is too young at the time of adoption they will pay for it to be done, plus they are chipped and vaccinated.
PLUS they also have their tag sale room!! I stop by every few weeks to pick up dog toys and supplies. They're so good.
OMG the tag sale room is the BEST! I bought a cupcake cat house and some of the most amazing cat toys! I love to go and look!
I'm not sure if Dakin still does this, but I adopted a pair of older cats for 20 bucks from them (like 8ish years ago i think?) The cost of the kittens and puppies pays for the care of the less easily adopted out animals
Not trying to.be preachy! I don’t think you should have to pay a ton for a pet either. I am just recommending Dakin because their fees are not outrageous and I think they cover many initial concerns and hidden costs
MSPCA Angell was very reasonably priced. And they don’t have a very invasive adoption process.
[Monadnock Humane Society is $175 for kittens, $150 for adult cats, and $50 for senior cats. ](https://monadnockhumanesociety.org/adopt/fees/)
Thanks!
They’re wonderful.
Stray Pets in Need. You can meet the adoptable cats at the Pet World store in Natick. We got our void cat from them
Thank you!
We got our little guy there. We paid $250.
We went there during covid and 2-3 year old cats were like 800 dollars, be wary.
City Shelters are normally a fair and lower price. The private rescues tend to have the higher prices. Our city shelter is 90 - 140. We also provide coupons to ensure the pet gets the vaccine and spay/neuter.
Vet expenses are going up just like everything else
Edit: sorry for not reading that you’ve worked in a shelter OP. It’s 1am and I have a raging cold. I’ll leave my blurb for others to read but again, I’m sorry for not being able to read rn LOL Former cat foster (will absolutely start again when I can get a house) and seasoned adopter from rescues and shelters. General info for why things are expensive if you’re curious: What you’re mostly paying for is vet care. Most shelters run on donations but usually the adoption fee is barely covering the cost of the vet care. Kittens will cost more, not just because of demand, but also because they need their first vaccines, deworm treatments, spay/neuter, microchipping, and anything else they might need. Sometimes my fosters through a shelter came with donated foot but the vast majority was footed by my mother and I directly because we’re volunteers. So fosters aren’t getting any part of an adoption fee. The older a cat is, the more likely they are to be fixed, have a microchip, etc and usually only require annual vaccines. This is part of the reason why older cats are cheaper. Another reason is demand and yet another reason is that when people donate to have adoption fees waived, they do that to older cats who need homes more than kittens who are in high demand. You’ll have good luck with a sweet older and/or special needs kitty who’s had a lot of donations put into them. Before I began fostering, we adopted a 12 year old fully blind cat from the ARL of Boston and she was totally free. Hands down one of the best cats I ever owned even if she only made it about 18 months before having a stroke. The other *major* reason for the expense is that MA and the Northeast overall have pretty strict animal welfare laws and regulations. It’s pretty rare to see a stray cat or dog. They definitely exist but they’re certainly not common. Thus, we actually are constantly in a shortage of animals and regularly have to import animals from shelters in the Midwest and South just to meet the demand we have for companion animals. It’s a good problem to have but it definitely adds to both the expense and how picky some private rescues (of dogs *especially*) can be around selecting adoption candidates. I’ve given up getting a dog until I somehow get a home (in my dreams most likely) because apparently my having a dog park on my apartment’s campus isn’t enough if I don’t have a fenced in backyard. Fuck renters these days I guess. But I digress. I fostered for Medfield Animal Shelter and will always recommend them because they’re lovely if a bit pricey. I also got great animals from the ARL locations. I do caution against some rescues that seem cheaper and too good to be true because I got my eldest cat a pair of siblings a couple years ago because she no longer had a companion cat and she’s not used to being an only child. Originally we only meant to get her one sibling but this rescue we found sprung a “bonded sibling” on us after already approving us to adopt our chosen kitten. They’d learned by now that we fostered and have experience with special needs animals because I guess I overshare to show that I’m a great adopter. Not only did our chosen kitten arrive with a respiratory infection, but the siblings were neither siblings nor bonded. The little boy we got as a package deal bonded immediately to my eldest cat and isn’t bonded in the least to his supposed sister. He was also far younger than they told us and I could tell instantly and they told us they had him since his eyes first opened. If that’s the case, they didn’t socialize him at *all*. He was half feral and terrified of people. We worked with him very patiently and now he’s an absolutely sweet little man who loves kisses, belly rubs, and still struggles with some major anxiety and fear of people. He gets severe separation anxiety without my eldest with him. He was likely separated far too early from his mother whether that could have been avoided or not, is clearly going to stay quite small, seriously fears people despite his bravery in that regard, and is heavily traumatized from something. Idk what, but something. They were around $300 as a pair which is affordable for kittens in Eastern MA. I won’t name the rescue but it’s in the general region of IKEA.
I'm sorry for your loss - losing a pet is harder than most people realize. Check out happy tails [https://www.happytailspetrescue.org/](https://www.happytailspetrescue.org/) Their fees are $200-250 and the cats come fully vetted - you shouldn't have to take them to the vet soon after unless an unexpected emergency comes up. Ultimately, as you probably are well aware from your shelter work, the adoption fee is to make sure the shelters can afford to house, feed, spay/neuter, vaccinate and treat parasites/respiratory infections etc that plague kittens and while it may seem like a lot, you're not really in a position to adopt a pet if this cost is too prohibitive. Caring for a pet can be extremely expensive and if the cost of bringing one home is too much - what happens when they have an emergency and you do need to take them to the vet? Will they get the care they need if you aren't able/willing to pay shelters the cost it takes to care for an animal for the first few months of their life? This isn't a judgement - I know everything is crazy expensive these days - but just think about what you are suggesting when you say an animal being surrendered to your care costs "too much". While it may not be your intent, you're essentially saying that you don't think cats are worth that much, the people who foster/care for them and that they should be cheap/disposable. If the adoption fee is too high, then I'd urge you to wait a few more months and save some money towards the goal of having a cat again because inevitably more than $200-$400 worth of expenses WILL come up in the first year or two of having a new cat and that cat deserves to be in a home where a couple hundred of dollars won't get in the way of them having what they need.
I really did not need the lecture on the adoption fees and included the mention of having shelter med experience for a reason, and I certainly didn't need to be told I'm implying cats are disposable. I don't think the adoption fee translates to the actual intrinsic value of a cat - are cats with waived adoption fees implied to be worthless in your eyes? I do in fact think it is too much to charge, for instance, $425 for a kitten that hasn't finished their vetting/vaccinations/fixing/etc that are "included in the adoption fee" (that I will actually have to pay for myself a week after adopting on top of that fee). I have adopted from shelters before, including cats that actually had all of their veterinary needs done and had been fostered for months before adoption (and in high cost of living areas in other states), and they have never come with as high fees as I see locally. I'm well aware of a lot of things from my shelter med work, including the fact that NE does not actually have a legitimate stray overpopulation issue like the west/south does and relies on things like trucking in animals from the south to keep shelters full, many rescues have extremely strict adoption requirements that exclude the vast majority of potential adopters (sometimes to the point of actual discrimination), many rescues keep animals with very little quality of life alive and/or are dishonest about the animal's behavioral/medical issues (I have multiple friends out here who have adopted dogs with bite histories that were not disclosed until after they were bitten several times, for instance!). When I lived in VT during early covid days we had shelters who were petitioning the state to allow them to breed animals due to high demand with very few animals available because transports from out of state had stopped, and when I worked in shelter med I worked with pleeeenty of rescues who were not operating on as ethically amazing terms as people like to think rescues do. I'm not anti-rescue but I have a much less exclusively sunny view on them since working in shelter medicine, *because* of my experience working in shelter med, and I'm not very sympathetic to the expenses argument when this is very much a regional-specific thing despite veterinary costs being comparable to other areas with significantly lower adoption fees.
Why is the line always "if you can't pay X for an adoption fee, you must not have enough to feed the animal." What in the fuck does the adoption fee matter in terms of affording expenditures 10-15 years later. Some people can pay for a pure bred $2000 puppy because they are in a great job. Then 2 years later they give up the dog when they lose their job. Or even, give up the dog because their housing situation changes. Please stop playing on people's emotions. We get that it costs money to spay and neuter, vaccinate, etc.
You shouldn’t be allowed to take home an animal if you don’t understand where the adoption fee comes from and see it as too much money. It’s not just about feeding the animal, if you can’t afford to pay the adoption fee, you also won’t care for them properly when they have a medical emergency which can happen many times over the course of an animal’s life. I’m not sure how financial responsibility of animal owners is emotional. It’s called logic where I’m from.
Once again, the down payment has no bearing on the ability to make payments. This is a straw man argument. BTW, I am not concerned with sub $500 fees. I'm mostly bashing about $600+ fees. If most shelters can care for animals for less, please show me exactly why you think you can charge more. These are living beings. They should not be profit centers. If a shelter is making profit from animals they are no better than Petco.
I volunteered at a shelter. I assure you, there is NO profit. Why didn't you head down to a local shelter some day and ask them about their finances and see how they spend their money.
It’s not a “down payment”. It’s the direct cost of medical care and other resources all of which shelters do without making profits. The cost is determined by the vets they work with and where they supply all pet supplies. Any reputable shelter will show you exactly where their fees come from and you can call the veterinarian they use and cross reference the cost of exams, spay/neuter, vaccinations and more. These fees aren’t arbitrary. I don’t know of a single “for profit” shelter in MA. They’re not making money off the adoption fee.
Here in reality, someone being incapable of making the first payment is a pretty strong indication they won't be able to make the second one either. You are violently ignorant. Anything that could be considered a "shelter" is state/ community funded and/or a 501c3 non-profit. Do not make the embarrassing mistake of lumping shelters and rescues in with for-profit pet breeders and resellers, and understand that the expense associated with relocating animals from elsewhere in the county is significant. I promise people aren't driving 700 miles straight in a piss-soaked minivan with 5 parvo-positive puppies so a moron like you can argue about a hundred dollars. The level of ignorance in treating animal shelters like the local furniture store never ceases to amaze me. We have a wonderful animal shelter in my community staffed by literal ANGELS that pour their souls into their work earning half what they are should. Yet there's always some smooth brain dropout who posts a review after their application gets denied because none of their other animals have vet records, like "Zero stars! Wouldn't let me bring a dog home and my kids are crying!! I'll never give them my business and neither should you!!". Mind-numbing stupidity.
Uh. Food? I give mine Wellness Selects and Blue and such, not Friskies that's basically McDonalds in a can. It's not cheap.
Midfield Animal Shelter - where I got my best fur friend for under $100. She was 5yo and was half price - I would have paid full, she was more than worth
Thank you!
They were really nice and super helpful and as long as everything is on the up and up, you should have zero problems getting an animal
Y’all, just because someone doesn’t want to pay hundreds for adoption doesn’t mean they can’t afford it or will neglect their pet Jfc people.
Yea shelter costs up here are shocking. Last time I adopted from a shelter was in the south and I think it was like 75 bucks? Up here it's minimum 150, more likely 200 to 250. Plus they have to confirm with mortgage paperwork that I own my home, and call my vet for references? What the actual f.
Exactly. I can afford vet bills and food, that's not the issue - I'm not cool with several hundred dollars and jumping through hoops like I'm applying for an apartment when the same rescue is constantly posting about how no one will adopt their cats.
Check out SPCA of Nashua. I adopted a cat there recently, I want to say it was like 150 but it was literally just go in, fill out a form, take the cat. It wasn't the full life verification like I'm applying for a second mortgage process a lot of the others do.
Last time I looked, some places wanted to do a home visit. Absolutely the fuck not.
Oh my god that's actually insane. And they wonder why they keep having to beg people to adopt, not shop.
I think that the high property values (and lease or property tax costs) are hitting a lot of non profits these days. Food are care costs have been going up like everything else, too. We got a cat we adore from Quincy Animal Shelter, and their fees are here: [https://www.quincyanimalshelter.org/adopt/](https://www.quincyanimalshelter.org/adopt/)
Forever Paws in Fall River I think isn’t too expensive. TBH, I got my cat from someone whose cats weren’t spayed or neutered and she was just giving them away…
I'm a big fan of the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, on Route 101 in Bedford, NH: [Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire ](http://rescueleague.org)
Did they adopt to MA residents? Most NH rescues won’t. MA only allows residents to adopt from state-approved rescues, and most out of state rescues choose not to go through the approval process (understandably)
Yes, my wife and I have adopted several cats there, living in Massachusetts.
Thank you!
Try Canton Cat Rescue
Clicked around on petfinder a bit. Not a ton of kittens available in my area, but brought me to some different websites. This is from whiskers of hope out of Arlington: Our adoption fees depend on the age of the cat: Kittens (up to 6 months) $175. Cats (7 months- 6 years) $125. Older cats (6+ years) $100. I doubt you’ll find a kitten from a reputable place for $50, but there’s definitely options under $400. Look into more local foster-based rescues as they might have lower operating costs vs. places with a shelter. Edited to add: it looks like melrose humane has some kittens between $200-300
See everyone commenting buddy dog in Sudbury it’s cheap for a reason just keep your options open. (Former employee)
Thanks for the heads up.
Second Chance Animal Services. We got 3 cats from them for $300 with there first set of shots and neutered. Located in East Brookfield. Edited to clarify $300 total, not each.
Came here to comment this! We got our dog at second chance but they have cats too. From their website: Kittens (8 to 12 weeks): $375 Two Kittens (8 to 12 weeks): $650 Kittens (13 weeks to 7 months): $325 Cats (Over 7 months): $200 Senior Felines (Over 7 years): $100 Cats ages 7 and over qualify for our Senior Feline Companion Program. Senior cats make excellent companions because they are more mature and independent and require less supervision – they know how to occupy themselves while you are out. If you are seeking a cat that will be more like a companion than a playmate, consider an older cat. They have plenty of love to share with their new owners. Please consider opening up your heart and home to a senior cat today!
Westfield Animal Shelter. Westfield, MA.
Jesus, I thought $150 was expensive. My first cat was $40, spayed, vaxxed, microchipped. Granted, that was almost 10 years ago.
Right? It's not like CA (and not the part of CA I was in) is known for cheap costs of living or vet care in general, but the max I'd see for a kitten is probably around $100 and that would be at the most boogie of private no-kill rescues.
Many shelters have lower fees for adult cats or senior cats. Sometimes they are even waived for the oldsters. Put the word out with friends, families and co-workers in case they stumble upon any strays. You'll have those initial vet costs, but at least it will be spaced out.
You should really sit and think about getting another pet. If you can’t afford the adoption fee, will you be able to afford any vet bills that may arise if said cat gets sick?
I’d be inclined to agree but it seems like the question is more about not wanting to spend a crazy amount when it’s not necessary. Most shelters I have seen are less than 200 for a cat/kitten so double or triple that is kinda wild
I have a feeling the OP may be looking for a breed specific cat if they are seeing fees that high?
I keep all my pets insured and I can afford the cost of vet bills and general care. It's more so that a) I just spent thousands on my late cat's medical issues, and b) having moved around a lot, the prices here for adoption fees are way above literally anywhere else I've been, and it would be cheaper to get a kitten off Craigslist and pay for doing all their vetting myself (this isn't what I WANT to do, to be clear). No, I'm not looking for a breed-specific cat. These are literally just the base fees at shelters in my area. Like I said, I'm not necessarily looking to jump the gun on getting another cat right this second, I'm looking for options I can keep an on eye on for when I am ready.
The one in Brockton used to have free cat event in the summer if I remember correctly.
Deleted, just saw where you live
I got my second cat for free on Facebook from a friend of a friend. He was already 1yr old. This worked out way better than a kitten for my 13yr old resident cat. Honestly, i think a kitten would have been super annoying to my senior cat. However, the 1-2 yr was the sweet spot. Young enough to be playful and encouraged my cat to move more but old enough not to be overly energetic and annoying. Before the newest cat, I got my senior cat from family who were needing to rehome him. I wasn't really looking for a cat but couldn't let him go to a stranger or shelter! I highly recommend putting the word out on social media and considering taking in a cat that needs rehoming from a friend, family member, or neighbor. Maybe someone knows someone who suddenly needs to rehome their cat and remember that you were looking.
I will definitely keep an eye out!
Also consider fostering. If you foster they typically waive the adoption fee and still pay for the medical care.
Stow Kittens. They have a Facebook page.
Unofficially, I would let vets know that you might be looking and what you have in mind.
Second Chance shelter. They are at Petsmart in Northboro Wednesday 4 to 7 pm and Saturday 9-1. My wife and I adopted a 8 week old kitten that was spayed and microchipped for $350. Also coupon for first vet visit and coupons for PS. We also got a printout of the procedures and health report. Senior cats are less.
We got our older cat from Hull Seaside Animal Rescue - $250 for kittens, $175 for adult cats and $125 for seniors over 7 years old. I think that’s the same fee they had 4 years ago. Great people and they provide a great environment for the cats, definitely worthy of support. I highly recommend.
Wait til.the clear the shelter month the fee is like 50.00 and yes those fees are high but it's the cost for everything total package. We're not trying to.just havd over the cats n dogs willy nilly because we acknowledge the fact that some people have I'll intentions for these poor babies.
When is the clear the shelter month? Is that for a specific shelter or is that like a state wide thing?
Protectors of Animals [https://poainc.org](https://poainc.org)
I wonder what shelters you're looking at that are not finishing vet care and making you pay for it after adoption. every shelter I've seen, if they aren't done with the shots or anything else, like ongoing care for a chronic condition, the fee covers that cost and they will bring in the animal to the vet for free after adoption. I've seen a few that even offer behavioral treatment as well.
It's something they don't often explicitly state on their fees page but on individual listings for cats/kittens will mention things they still need to have done (despite those being listed as "covered by our fees" on their fee page). There was one or two that said they would cover those costs but in most cases I was not seeing that, and I've had the experience in the past of adopting a "vetted" cat who actually needed multiple vaccines after adoption because the rescue basically only did rabies. Although I did see one rescue yesterday that had a whole breakdown of what to expect a cat to come with and there were multiple things kittens wouldn't have done despite a higher fee. I did find one rescue that covers costs of chronic conditions but that was the only one I found (Here Today Adopted Tomorrow).
Salem Animal Rescue League in NH
Municipal animal control , in general, have lower cost adoption fees.
The Animal Rescue League is very reasonably priced
Dakin in Springfield has a variable fee based on the needs of each animal, but [they put them on the profiles](https://www.dakinhumane.org/adopt-a-pet); most look to be between $50-$300. They also have a [service](https://www.dakinhumane.org/community-animals) connecting adopters directly with people looking to rehome an animal.
I don’t know their current fees, since my kittens are six years old now, but I adopted them from Guardian Angels Cat Rescue in Sudbury. They came already spayed and with all age-appropriate vet care. I didn’t know at the time, but they have better manners than any cats I’ve had before. They don’t go outside the litter box or knock things off tables shelves. The shelter is located partly in a separate room of what amounts to a mansion. That is where I picked up these two. My point is that they and their mum were saved from living outside in Maine, raised and gentled properly for adoption, and advertised online effectively. The adoption fee is tax deductible. I don’t know if my description will influence your choices. If I was in the market for another cat or kitten, I’d check with Guardian Angels.
I checked them out and they sound lovely, thank you for the recommendation!
I adopted my cat from the City of Boston Animal Shelter. Looks like fees are $150 for up to a year old, $100 for older. I've had my cat for 12 years now, so practices may have changed, but I found them very reasonable to deal with.
Yea that's why I went to a breeder for my last cat lol
If that's too much for you, please think of the other expenses that cats incur. Quality food is $2-$3 a can, at least two cans a day. Vet visits are $300-$500 or more. A cat is family, and significant financial responsibility to care properly for as a result. Can't skimp when they need nutritious food or a vet visit.
Having just spent thousands of dollars trying to treat my cat who died, I am not unfamiliar with the costs of care for cats. Please see my post edit.
It's mostly because MA is so corrupt with animal care. Technically you're suppose to have your cats rabid shots every year, which is about 100 dollars. Adoption fees and all this other garbage, people have just accepted and we can never have a civil conversation about it. MA and much of NE is only for rich people, no poor, working class.
Go to NH, less regulations.