Tabby Cat Rescue & Adoption in Melbourne

6 rescue Tabbies are available for adoption in Melbourne right now. Every listing links straight to the rescue.

How much does a Tabby cat cost to adopt in Melbourne?

Adults: $150 to $350
Kittens: $200 to $400

Typical Australian rescue range. The fee usually covers desexing, core vaccinations, microchipping, worming, and a veterinary health check before placement. The exact amount varies by rescue and by the cat's age and medical history, and the live number is on each rescue profile below.

Cheese & Mac - Tabby cat available for adoption in Melbourne

Cheese & Mac

11 months • Tabby

Malehigh EnergyIndoor Only
Forever Friends Animal Rescue
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Dot - Tabby cat available for adoption in Melbourne

Dot

7 years • Tabby

Femalelow Energy
Kids
Forever Friends Animal Rescue
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Hilary - Tabby cat available for adoption in Melbourne

Hilary

6 years 8 months • Tabby

Femalelow EnergyLong Haired
Kids
Forever Friends Animal Rescue
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Oat Latté!! ☕️🎀💖 - Tabby cat available for adoption in Melbourne

Oat Latté!! ☕️🎀💖

2 years 11 months • Tabby

Femalelow Energy
DogsOther Cats
Forever Friends Animal Rescue
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Señorita Spud - Tabby cat available for adoption in Melbourne

Señorita Spud

1 year 3 months • Tabby

Femalelow Energy
Forever Friends Animal Rescue
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Squizz & Snow - Tabby cat available for adoption in Melbourne

Squizz & Snow

5 years 8 months • Tabby

Femalelow Energy
Other Cats
Forever Friends Animal Rescue
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About Tabbies

The Tabby is a medium cat breed. Adult cats typically weigh 3.6 to 5.4 kg and live 12 to 18 years. Typical traits: pattern-not-breed, varies-widely, common, adaptable.

Any household, tabby is a coat pattern that appears across many breeds and the everyday domestic cat. Temperament varies with the individual. There isn't a real one; tabbies fit almost any household when matched to the individual cat.

Adult Tabbies need about 20 minutes of daily exercise; adolescent cats typically need 30 minutes. The coat is short-coated with moderate shedding, and brushing every 4 weeks keeps the coat manageable.

LocalPetFinder aggregates adoptable Tabbies from rescues across Australia into one searchable place. Use the city links to narrow to your area, or browse the full list below.

Common Tabby health concerns

Breed-associated conditions worth asking any rescue about before you adopt. A good rescue will already know whether a cat has been assessed for these.

Dental disease

Periodontal disease is the most common feline health issue; annual cleanings recommended.

Source: VCA →

Chronic kidney disease

Common in older cats regardless of breed.

Source: VCA →

Editorial summary for adopters, not medical advice. Ask the rescue about a specific cat's health, and consult your vet for individual guidance.

How adoption works in Melbourne

Tabbies in Melbourne are listed by a range of local rescues and shelters. Applications, home checks and adoption decisions are handled by the rescue directly. LocalPetFinder brings the listings together so you do not have to check each rescue separately, and does not take a fee.

Tabby adoption in Melbourne: common questions

How many Tabbies are available for adoption in Melbourne?

As of October 2026, 6 Tabbies are available for adoption in Melbourne across 1 rescue on LocalPetFinder. Listings are refreshed regularly as cats are adopted and new ones arrive, browse the current Tabbies above and apply directly through the rescue.

Where can I adopt a Tabby near me in Melbourne?

LocalPetFinder lists Tabbies available for adoption from rescues across Melbourne and Victoria. Every listing links straight to the rescue that has the cat, and the application is handled by them, not by us.

How long do Tabbies live?

Tabbies typically live 12 to 18 years.

How much exercise does a Tabby need?

Adult Tabbies need about 20 minutes of daily exercise. Adolescent cats (under 2 years) typically need 30 minutes, more than mature adults.

What are common health concerns for Tabbies?

Breed-associated conditions to ask the rescue about include Dental disease, Chronic kidney disease. See the citations in the health section above for authoritative information on each. This is an editorial summary, not medical advice, so check with your vet for individual guidance.

How much does it cost to adopt a Tabby in Australia?

Adoption fees for a Tabby from an Australian rescue typically range $150 to $350 for adults, with kittens usually $200 to $400. That fee normally covers desexing, core vaccinations, microchipping, worming, and a veterinary health check before placement. The exact number varies by rescue and the cat's age, medical history, and how long they have been in care, and the live amount shows on each rescue profile.

Are these Tabby cats for sale in Melbourne?

Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Tabby here comes from an Australian rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet shop, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $150 to $350, with kittens at $200 to $400 and already include vaccinations, worming, microchipping and desexing when age-appropriate, versus roughly $1,000 to $3,000 or more to buy a Tabby from a breeder. If you searched "tabby for sale melbourne" or "tabby kittens for sale", adopting gets you a healthy, vetted cat for a fraction of the price.

Where can I buy a Tabby in Melbourne, and should I?

You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Tabby breeder typically charges $1,000 to $3,000 or more and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Tabby costs $150 to $350, with kittens at $200 to $400 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap tabby-for-sale ads on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, which are frequently backyard breeders or kitten-farm resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick animals and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on seeing where the kittens were raised and getting vet records, and check the breeder against your state's pet-sale rules. For most families in Melbourne, adopting a rescue Tabby is cheaper, faster, and gives a cat in need a home.

Are there free Tabby cats in Melbourne, or tabbies under $500?

Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Tabby in Melbourne typically costs $150 to $350, with kittens at $200 to $400, which is comfortably under the "$500" people search for. What the fee buys is work already done, the vaccinations, worming, microchipping and desexing, which would cost more than the fee itself if you arranged it yourself, and it is still far below breeder prices. Be wary of genuinely free tabby listings. An animal advertised free to a good home has usually not been vetted, and free rehoming ads are the route flippers and unregistered breeders use to move animals with no health guarantee and no recourse. Paying a rescue fee buys you a cat someone has already examined, treated, and been honest with you about.

Are there Tabby kittens in Melbourne, or only adults?

Both, but adults far outnumber kittens, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Tabbies arriving in Melbourne rescue are adolescents and adults, because that is the age at which first homes tend to give up. Kittens do come through, usually as accidental litters or with a surrendered mother, and they are typically spoken for quickly. Setting an alert beats refreshing the page. It is also worth asking whether you actually want one: an adult arrives with a temperament a foster has already observed and described, where a Tabby kitten is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.

Where can I find a Tabby near me in Melbourne?

Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Melbourne rescues and shelters and are refreshed regularly, so what you see is what is genuinely available rather than a stale directory. If nothing suits today, that is normal for this breed: rescue intake is intermittent rather than steady, and a breed with none listed this week often has several next month. Setting an alert beats checking back, and it is worth widening to nearby suburbs and towns, since most rescues serving Melbourne will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one council area.

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