Rescue Cat Guarantees

Adoption guide

Rescue Cat Adoption Guide

Kellyville Pets partners with rescue and rehoming organisations to help cats and kittens in their care find new homes. These cats aren't bred or sold by Kellyville Pets - they come to us through our rescue partners, so the specific terms of each adoption, including health support and what happens if things don't work out, are set by that partner, not by Kellyville Pets.

On this page

• Health
• Resurrender
• Our approach

1. Health

Terms vary by rescue partner and are set out in the adoption agreement you sign at the time of adoption - please refer to that agreement for what applies to your adoption. As a general guide:

• Cats and kittens are adopted in their currently assessed health and condition, having typically been vet-checked, desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, and wormed prior to adoption.
• Some rescue partners provide a short period of vet support, generally around 14 days from the date of adoption, for reasonable costs relating to conditions connected to the cat's time in their care - usually only through an approved veterinary clinic, and only with prior contact and approval from the rescue partner. This support typically doesn't extend to specialist referrals.
• Beyond this, ongoing veterinary care and any future health issues become the new owner's responsibility, as part of accepting the cat into your care.

This generally doesn't extend to:

• veterinary costs for conditions unrelated to the cat's time with the rescue partner, or that arise after adoption;
• treatment sought through a vet that hasn't been approved by the rescue partner;
• specialist referrals, in most cases; and
• complications arising from a lack of appropriate post-adoption care, such as aftercare following desexing.

2. Resurrender

Sometimes circumstances change, and a cat adopted through one of our rescue partners can no longer stay in their home. Our rescue partners take this seriously, and returning or resurrendering a cat is something they'd always rather help you avoid than see happen.

Resurrender - returning a cat to the rescue organisation you adopted through - is treated as a last resort, not a first option. Before reaching this point, we'd encourage you to reach out for support, whether that's from your rescue partner directly, a vet, an animal behaviourist, or Kellyville Pets - there may be help available for whatever's making things difficult, before resurrender needs to be considered.

If resurrender is necessary:

• it must be discussed with your rescue partner first, by phone or email, before returning the cat in person, so they can arrange appropriate housing;
• reasons such as a change of mind aren't grounds for a refund of the adoption fee; and
• depending on the rescue partner and how much time has passed since adoption, a resurrender or administration fee may apply - this is set by that organisation, not by Kellyville Pets.

Our approach