A lack of affordable veterinary care can force difficult decisions on low-income pet owners. Chelsey Marks has seen people decide whether to spend money on their pet or rent, utilities or groceries.  “A lot of the time, they’ll choose the pet over themself,” said Marks, executive director of Friends of Felines. The nonprofit on Tuesday opened the doors for its new clinic offering low-cost vet care for cats and kittens. It’s located next to the Friends of Felines adoption center at 4157 Cherry Ave. N.E. in Keizer. For 20 years, Friends of Felines has served the area’s cats and cat owners, arranging over 19,000 adoptions since 2004. Starting as a small, volunteer operation, the nonprofit expanded in the fall of 2021 to a spay and neuter clinic. It reached 10,000 surgeries performed on Aug. 13.  According to its website, the organization now has 10 paid employees and over 200 volunteers. For the wellness clinic, Friends of Felines hired a new veterinarian, veterinarian assistant and customer service representative.  The new wellness clinic provides vaccines, physical exams, microchips and spaying or neutering at half the price of an average veterinary clinic. That means $70 to neuter a kitten, rather than the $300 common at other clinics. “What we’re seeing is that if you just bring down the cost, people can make ends meet,” Marks said.  Clinic construction began in spring this year with money raised at the organization’s annual fundraiser. The construction cost $135,000, and Marks said they anticipate spending another $70,000 on renovating their rescue shelter.  Kittens waiting for their surgeries at Friends of Felines’ new wellness clinic. (Madeleine Moore/Salem Reporter) At Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, Marks said one of her main goals is reducing the “financial, emotional, physical and educational barriers” to veterinary care. Friends of Felines also does outreach to increase public knowledge of veterinary services.  The organization also has a community medical fund for pet owners who can’t afford the services their pet needs. Recently, Marks said, a woman came in after her cat fell out of a window and broke its leg. The organization used its community fund to pay for the care her cat needed.  “You shouldn’t have to relinquish your pet when it wasn’t your fault and mistakes happen,” Marks said, referring to how some owners, who can’t afford veterinary care, have to give up their pet for them to be treated.  Board president Amy Williams said for many people, their cat, or any other pet, is the only belonging they have. At Friends of Felines, every staff member and volunteer understands that maintaining owners’ bonds with their cats is crucial. When Marks was hired in 2019, “her entire vision was to make it (veterinary care) affordable to the community,” Williams said.  To keep services affordable, Friends of Felines relies on donors and fundraising events. The next fundraiser is on Oct. 26 at the Willamette Heritage Center and will have auctions and signature feline cocktails. Tickets and event information are available online.  Information about how to donate to Friends with Felines is available on the organization’s website. Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected]. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Friends of Felines opens low-cost vet clinic to help keep cats, owners together appeared first on Salem Reporter.