Rescue guide
Cat rescues in Belfast and Northern Ireland, compared
Belfast has a cat lounge where you can sit with rescue cats before you apply for one. Around it are a sanctuary at Conlig, a volunteer rescue at Moira and small foster groups that post their cats on PAW. All of them join LocalPetFinder with this update. This guide compares what they charge and how they decide who gets a cat.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 6 November 2026
The short answer
In Belfast itself, Kumiko Cat Lounge on the Upper Newtownards Road shows cats from Belfast Kitten Rescue, at £90 a cat or £180 a pair on 6 November 2026. Assisi Animal Sanctuary at Conlig, about 10 miles away, charges £100, and Almost Home Animal Rescue NI at Moira, about 14 miles, had 29 cat cards that day. Cats Protection's centre at Dundonald rehomes cats too, though we don't list it.
- Rescue adoption fees
- Each rescue sets its own adoption fee, and Cats Protection says you can expect to pay £80 to £120 on average for an adult cat and £100 to £120 for a kitten, varying between its branches. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
- Belfast Kitten Rescue (at Kumiko)
- £90 a cat, £180 for a bonded pair, on its PAW listings on 6 November 2026.
- Assisi Animal Sanctuary
- £100 for a cat or kitten.
- The Barn and Paws and People
- £80 a cat at The Barn and £50 at Paws and People, on their PAW listings that day.
- Almost Home Animal Rescue NI
- Its site gives no fee, so raise it at application.
Cat rescues near Belfast compared
We list the cats of every rescue in this table from this update, and applications go straight to the rescue. Distances are straight-line miles from Belfast; the PAW groups are placed by the towns their cats were in on 6 November 2026.
| Rescue | Where | How you adopt | Cat fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kumiko Cat Lounge with Belfast Kitten Rescue | Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast | Meet the cats in a session, enquiry form, Belfast Kitten Rescue arranges it | £90 (pair £180) |
| Assisi Animal Sanctuary | Conlig (about 10 miles) | Form on the cat's page, a call, a visit | £100 |
| Almost Home Animal Rescue NI | Moira (about 14 miles) | Form on the cat's card, then a visit | Not published |
| The Barn Animal Rescue | Carrowdore and Newtownards (about 14 miles) | Application on its website | £80 (PAW) |
| Paws and People | Banbridge (about 22 miles) | Through its PAW listings | £50 (PAW) |
How each cat rescue near Belfast works
The set-ups range from a cat lounge to a sanctuary and private foster homes, so the steps differ too.
Kumiko Cat Lounge and Belfast Kitten Rescue
Kumiko is a cat lounge that works in partnership with Belfast Kitten Rescue, and says every cat you meet there is a rescue cat preparing for adoption. Sessions are kept small. If you feel a connection with a cat, you fill in its enquiry form; someone from Belfast Kitten Rescue then gets in touch, and the adoption is arranged with the rescue directly.
Belfast Kitten Rescue funds itself and fosters cats in its own homes. It wants its cats to be able to go outside safely, so it won't rehome to anywhere on or near a busy road unless a cat's write-up says it can be an indoor cat.
Assisi Animal Sanctuary, Conlig
Assisi says every cat it rescues is neutered, vaccinated, wormed, treated for fleas and chipped. You apply on the cat's own page, the team calls you, and if the cat you chose isn't the right fit it suggests another before you visit. It can't rehome on the same day, and a reserved cat's page has no form.
Almost Home Animal Rescue NI, Moira
On 6 November 2026 Almost Home had 29 cat cards, six of them reserved, from kittens of about 18 weeks to pairs such as Brenda & Boris. Its form asks about the children who will meet the cat, where it will live by day and by night, and whether you would take a bonded pair. You also agree to bring the cat back to Almost Home if you can't keep it.
Smaller cat groups on PAW
Paws and People in Banbridge and The Barn at Carrowdore post their cats on PAW alongside their dogs.
Choosing a cat rescue from Belfast
Our Belfast cats page shows who is listed today. When you pick a rescue, weigh up:
- Your road. Belfast Kitten Rescue won't place a cat near a busy road, so if you live on one, look for a write-up that says the cat can live indoors.
- Meeting first. At Kumiko you can spend time with the cats before you enquire; Assisi asks you to visit once your application is through.
- One cat or two. Almost Home asks whether you would take a bonded pair, and Belfast Kitten Rescue charges £180 for a pair it wants kept together.
- The chip. In Northern Ireland microchipping a cat is optional, but nidirect recommends it. Assisi and The Barn chip their cats before they leave, so keep the details up to date.
Cats Protection, the USPCA and cat rescue across Northern Ireland
The Cats Protection Northern Ireland Cat Centre at Dundonald and the USPCA in Newry both rehome cats, but we don't list either, so look on their own sites too.
Outside Belfast's 25 miles, Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary at Ballinamallard in Fermanagh lists cats on our Northern Ireland cats page, as do the Newry cats of Petal's Place Cat Rescue, which says it is 20 minutes from Banbridge and Newry; its Banbridge cats show on our Belfast pages.
Stray cats in Belfast
Belfast City Council says it has no authority to deal with stray or feral cats and that a cat which looks stray may have an owner, so it asks people not to feed cats they don't know. It points to Cats Protection for advice, and tells an owner who can't keep a cat to sign it over to a local cat rescue. Our rescue kittens guide covers the young cats on offer now.
The law in Northern Ireland
Microchipping cats
In Northern Ireland, microchipping a cat is a choice rather than a legal requirement: gov.uk says owners in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland "can choose to microchip" their cat. Compulsory cat microchipping applies in England only.
Lucy's Law: buying a kitten
Northern Ireland does not yet have Lucy's Law, so third-party sales of kittens are not banned there yet. DAERA announced on 7 October 2026 that Northern Ireland's own version has been approved and that it intends to bring the regulations forward by the end of 2026, with a lead-in period before they apply (DAERA).
Questions
Tap a question to expand
Is there a cat rescue in Belfast?
Yes. Belfast Kitten Rescue fosters cats in its own homes in Belfast and shows cats at Kumiko Cat Lounge on the Upper Newtownards Road. Assisi Animal Sanctuary at Conlig and Almost Home Animal Rescue NI at Moira are about 10 and 14 miles away.
Which cat rescues cover Northern Ireland?
Near Belfast: Belfast Kitten Rescue with Kumiko Cat Lounge, Assisi, Almost Home, The Barn and Paws and People. Petal's Place Cat Rescue has cats in Banbridge and, further out, Newry. Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary is in Fermanagh. Cats Protection and the USPCA rehome cats too, on their own sites.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat in Belfast?
Assisi charges £100 for a cat or kitten. On 6 November 2026 Belfast Kitten Rescue asked £90 a cat or £180 for a pair, The Barn £80 and Paws and People £50. Almost Home publishes no fee.
Can I visit rescue cats in Belfast before adopting?
Yes, at Kumiko Cat Lounge, where you book a session with the cats. If one suits you, you fill in the enquiry form and Belfast Kitten Rescue arranges the adoption.
Will a Belfast rescue rehome a cat to a house on a busy road?
Not Belfast Kitten Rescue, unless the cat's write-up says it can be an indoor cat. Ask the other rescues about the cat you like.
Are Cats Protection's cats in Northern Ireland on LocalPetFinder?
No. The Cats Protection Northern Ireland Cat Centre at Dundonald rehomes cats, but we don't list them, and the same goes for the USPCA. Check their own websites.
Do I have to microchip a rescue cat in Northern Ireland?
No. A cat's chip is the owner's choice in Northern Ireland, though nidirect recommends one. Assisi chips every cat before it is rehomed, so keep the details current.
What should I do about a stray cat in Belfast?
Belfast City Council has no authority over stray or feral cats, so it suggests Cats Protection for advice. Don't feed a cat you don't know: it may have an owner nearby.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Belfast? Get your animals listed free.
Every animal links back to your own adoption page, and you can ask to be removed at any time.
Sources: Kumiko Cat Lounge: about (partnership with Belfast Kitten Rescue) · Kumiko Cat Lounge: our cats (enquiry form, adoption through Belfast Kitten Rescue) · Belfast Kitten Rescue on PAW: profile (busy roads) and listing fees · Assisi Animal Sanctuary: adopt (process, cat fee) · Assisi Animal Sanctuary: about (neutered, vaccinated, chipped) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: cats (dated snapshot) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: general application form · The Barn Animal Rescue on PAW: profile and listing fees · Paws and People on PAW: profile and listing fees · Petal's Place Cat Rescue on PAW: profile · Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary: adoption · Cats Protection: Northern Ireland Cat Centre · USPCA: home page · Belfast City Council: report an animal issue (stray cats) · nidirect: welfare of cats · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · DAERA: Lucy's Law approved for Northern Ireland