Adoption guide
Rescue kittens in Belfast and Northern Ireland
Typed "kittens for sale Belfast" or "kittens for sale Northern Ireland"? Rescues near the city have young cats too; the youngest we found were 2 to 3 months old. Below: where they were on the day we looked, the fee at each rescue, and what to know if you buy one instead, including the rules that are still to come in Northern Ireland.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 6 November 2026
The short answer
On 6 November 2026 Paws and People in Banbridge had two 3-month-old kittens at £50 each, Almost Home Animal Rescue NI at Moira had kittens of around 18 to 20 weeks, and Assisi Animal Sanctuary at Conlig had three young cats, all reserved. Assisi charges £100 for a kitten. Our Belfast kittens page shows who is waiting today.
- 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.
- Kittens near Belfast
- Assisi Animal Sanctuary: £100 for a cat or kitten. On PAW on 6 November 2026: Paws and People £50; Belfast Kitten Rescue £90 a cat or £180 for a bonded pair. Almost Home publishes no fee.
Where the young rescue cats were near Belfast
Our Belfast kittens page carries every young cat we list within 25 miles of Belfast. This is what the rescues themselves showed on 6 November 2026:
Paws and People, Banbridge
Binx and Salem, both 3 months old, were on Paws and People's PAW listings at £50 each, with a 9-month-old, Sabrina, at the same fee. Salem's write-up says the kitten can go with its sibling or on its own. Banbridge is about 22 miles from Belfast.
Almost Home Animal Rescue NI, Moira
Almost Home's cat page had Elroy and Ellie, both around 18 to 20 weeks old, with Ellie reserved. Its form asks where the cat will live during the day and at night, and whether you would take a bonded pair.
Assisi Animal Sanctuary, Conlig
Kumiko Cat Lounge and Belfast Kitten Rescue, Belfast
The cats at Kumiko Cat Lounge on the Upper Newtownards Road are young adults and older cats, among them Trudy, who was 7 months old in July 2026. Belfast Kitten Rescue, Kumiko's partner rescue, arranges the adoptions.
What the rescues ask of kitten adopters
Kittens are snapped up fast, but the rescues still want to get to know you first:
- A form, a call, a visit. Assisi calls you after your application, invites you to meet the cats that suit you, and can't rehome on the same day.
- No busy roads. Belfast Kitten Rescue wants its cats to go outside safely and won't rehome near a busy road, unless a cat's write-up says it can live indoors.
- Neutering help. Assisi contributes towards the cost when a young animal leaves before it has been neutered.
- A chip by choice. In Northern Ireland microchipping a cat is optional, but nidirect recommends it as a safe and permanent way to identify your cat.
Kittens elsewhere in Northern Ireland
Some rescues we list are outside Belfast's 25 miles, so their kittens appear on our Northern Ireland cats page instead. Petal's Place Cat Rescue, which says it is based 20 minutes from Banbridge and Newry, had two bonded pairs of 5-month-olds in Newry. Our cat rescues guide covers every rescue around Belfast.
Searching "kittens for sale Northern Ireland"?
A rescue doesn't sell a kitten: it matches one to your home after you apply, and the fee goes towards its vaccinations, worming and neutering. Nor do we sell anything: the young cats on our kittens page are adopted through the rescue caring for them.
If you buy, Northern Ireland does not yet have Lucy's Law, so third-party sales of kittens are not banned here yet. DAERA said on 7 October 2026 that its own version has been approved, would stop dealers and other third-party sellers selling kittens, and should come forward by the end of 2026 with a lead-in period. Under the proposals, buyers will generally see a kitten with its mother where it was bred, so ask to do that now.
Found a stray kitten in Belfast?
Belfast City Council says it has no authority over stray or feral cats, and warns that a cat that looks stray may well have an owner, so don't start feeding it. For advice on cats it points to Cats Protection.
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
Are there rescue kittens in Belfast?
Yes. On 6 November 2026 Paws and People in Banbridge had two 3-month-old kittens, Almost Home Animal Rescue NI at Moira had kittens of about 18 to 20 weeks, and Assisi Animal Sanctuary had three young cats, all reserved.
How much is a rescue kitten in Northern Ireland?
Assisi Animal Sanctuary charges £100 for a cat or kitten. On 6 November 2026 Paws and People asked £50 on PAW and Belfast Kitten Rescue £90 a cat, or £180 for a pair. Almost Home publishes no fee.
Is Lucy's Law in force for kittens in Northern Ireland?
Not 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.
Do kittens have to be microchipped in Northern Ireland?
No. A cat's chip is the owner's choice in Northern Ireland, though nidirect recommends one as a safe and permanent way to identify your cat.
Can I adopt one kitten on its own near Belfast?
It depends on the kitten. Paws and People said Salem could go with its sibling or alone, while Almost Home asks on its form whether you would take a bonded pair. Check with the rescue caring for the kitten.
Are there free kittens in Belfast?
Not from a rescue: the fee goes towards vaccinations, worming and neutering. Be careful with "free kitten" adverts, and always see the kitten with its mother.
Who do I tell about a kitten scam in Northern Ireland?
Report Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040. Call the PSNI on 101 if the scam is happening now, or if the seller lives in Northern Ireland and you know who they are.
Keep reading
- Kittens for adoption in and around Belfast
- All rescue cats in and around Belfast
- Cat rescues in Belfast and Northern Ireland, compared
- Every cat adoption guide for Belfast
- Rescue pets in Belfast
Kittens in other cities: Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Ipswich, Kendal, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Truro, Worcester
Kitten guides in other cities: Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Glasgow, Ipswich, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Truro
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: Paws and People on PAW: profile and listing fees · Paws and People on PAW: Salem (sibling or alone) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: cats (dated snapshot) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: general application form · Assisi Animal Sanctuary: adopt (cats, reserved, fee, process) · Assisi Animal Sanctuary: Dandelion (2 months) · Kumiko Cat Lounge: our cats · Belfast Kitten Rescue on PAW: profile (busy roads) and listing fees · Petal's Place Cat Rescue on PAW: profile and listings · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · nidirect: welfare of cats · nidirect: reporting a scam · DAERA: green light for Lucy's Law (7 October 2026) · Belfast City Council: report an animal issue (stray cats) · Report Fraud