We're C4: the Capital's Cat Care Campaign
C4 scheme: Update for vet practices
C4 Scheme Timeline:
1999-2023: The C4 Scheme was maintained via the RSPCA Central London Branch with vouchers issued by them and payments made by the Branch from their funds.
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July 2023: The C4 Scheme passed admin over to Cats Protection, who began onboarding practices onto the new scheme and issuing new style vouchers. Practices were advised that old-style C4 vouchers were no longer valid. New vouchers held year-expiry dates on them and practices were required to submit them for payment no later than 40 days after the neutering operation had taken place.
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December 2023: All old-style vouchers withdrawn and cancelled, after communication to all practices by the C4 team and Cats Protection. All new-style vouchers dated 2023 expired on 31/12.
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Jan 2024: New C4 vouchers rolled out fully, to include provision for microchip, buster collar and go-home Meloxicam if ordered through the Cats Protection Covetrus ordering portal.
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April 2024: with most vouchers now in circulation, a pause was put in place on the issue of further pads.
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September 2024: C4 scheme boundary set to inside the M25. In order tonsure that as many cat owners can access the scheme as possible, vouchers no longer able to be used for feral cat colonies or cats in the care of or recently adopted out by, rescue groups or charities. The cost of neutering these rests with the rescue group involved.
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September 2024: To ensure provision for owners in need, a small number of vouchers were released for the remainder of 2024 to a limited number of practices in areas of high deprivation or at strategic locations.
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December 2024: All vouchers year-marked as 2024 expired on 31/12/24, with the final return submission date for vouchers for surgeries carried out in 2024 now closed, having being by 9th Feb 2025.
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​​​​​January 2025: 2025 vouchers for Q1 sent to the 28 highest volume C4 practices to start the scheme in 2025. All remaining practices contacted to participate in 2025.
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February 2025: A further 32 practices received vouchers
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31 March 2025: All practices with vouchers contacted to ask them to complete the stocktake webform, to enable us to plan for further voucher releases (reminder sent 13/4).
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April 2025 onward - we continue to add new practices to the shceme and have distributed further tranches of vouchers in June, September and a final tranche in October.
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Practice information
Correct at 23rd March 2026:
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Vouchers with a 2025 expiry ceased being valid for use after 31st December 2025 (inclusive). The cut-off date for returning these passed on the 9th February. Any vouchers for surgeries performed in 2025 cannot now be returned as the financial year has closed.
We sent an initial allocation out in January 2026, however this will not have been the full allocation for the year set aside for you, so if you do run short, please reach out to either the Cats Protection Neutering team (email address on the vouchers) or the C4 Manager (Ian) if you have his email address.
We are currently finalising the accounts for 2025 and this will influence how we managing ongoing supply of vouchers in 2026 once we can visualise if funds are able to carry over. We are currently not onboarding new veterinary practices until after June 2026.
Please remember that if you do run short of vouchers, to contact us for more.
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Many thanks!​
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