Adopting a rescue kitten in Birmingham: rescues, rules and costs

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every kitten (12 months or under by its listed age) with the rescues we list in Birmingham and within about 25 miles, and each profile links to the rescue. Most of these rescues are run by volunteers who keep cats in their own homes, so you usually meet a kitten in someone's house.

A single kitten is hard to get from Birmingham's rescues. Redditch Cat Rescue rehomes kittens in pairs, or with an existing cat for some litters, Wythall Animal Sanctuary rehomes young kittens only in pairs or to a home with a young cat, Avon Cat Rescue prefers pairs, and Coventry Cat Group says "Adopting 2 kittens is better". Freddie's Felines lists some pairs that cannot be split.

On indoor homes, Fur and Feathers Animal Sanctuary adopts all its cats on an indoor-only basis, though a catio or cat-proof garden is fine, and Left Paw Cat Rescue marks some cats to be rehomed indoor only. Coventry Cat Group wants safe indoor homes or cat-safe gardens, and Midlands Animal Rescue Team asks you to keep a new cat in for two months.

Children matter too. Wythall Animal Sanctuary doesn't rehome to homes with children under 3, Team Cat Rescue says an adoption is not guaranteed with children under 5, and Coventry Cat Group usually won't home kittens where there are children under three or where nobody is home all day.

The order varies, but most cat rescues around Birmingham follow the same steps. A "home check" is a short visit or video call to see that your home suits the kitten.

1. Read the rescue's rules, then apply or enquire. The Animal House Rescue has an "Apply to Adopt" button on each cat's card, and Coventry Cat Group says it replies to its enquiry form in about four days.
2. Talk to the rescue. At Team Cat Rescue you chat with its Rehoming Coordinator, and the kitten is reserved for you pending a home check.
3. Meet the kittens, usually at the foster home: Midlands Animal Rescue Team asks your family to visit the foster home first.
4. Have the home check. MART does it within the next few days, Fur and Feathers Animal Sanctuary visits in person for about 30 minutes, and Wythall Animal Sanctuary does most cat home checks by video or photos.
5. Sign the adoption contract, pay the fee, and take your kittens home in a proper carrier: MART says cardboard carriers are not suitable. MART says its whole process should take just a few days.

Most Birmingham cat rescues that publish a fee ask £90 to £100 for a kitten. The fee usually buys vet work you would otherwise pay for: Team Cat Rescue says its cats are chipped, neutered unless too young, have at least their first vaccinations and come with five weeks' insurance, and The Animal House Rescue includes five weeks' free insurance.

Buying puts those costs on you. Cats Protection says a registered pedigree costs from £200 to well over £1,000, and that you then have all the usual costs of owning a cat on top. PDSA puts those at a minimum of £79 a month. One rescue takes a deposit: Coventry Cat Group asks a non-refundable £50 to hold a cat that isn't ready to go yet, with the rest due three days before adoption.

Young kittens often go home before their vet work is finished, so ask the rescue what has been done and what you agree to do. This is what Birmingham rescues say on their own pages:

• Done before adoption. Redditch Cat Rescue says all its cats are neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before going to new homes. Wild Acre Rescue says its kitten package includes vaccinations and a microchip.
• Neutering you arrange. Midlands Animal Rescue Team sends unneutered kittens under 5 months home with a vet form, and says the charity doesn't pay for that neutering. Fur and Feathers Animal Sanctuary asks for kittens to be neutered no later than 6 months old, and Wild Acre Rescue's kitten package includes a neutering contract.
• Microchips. The law on microchipping cats in England is below: a kitten must be chipped before it is 20 weeks old.

The live count changes as kittens are adopted and new ones arrive, so an empty day doesn't mean an empty month. Contact the rescues in the table directly: many post new kittens as soon as they are ready to go.

Consider a young adult cat as well. A rescue knows an adult's character already, and an adult can suit a home where everyone is out for part of the day better than a single kitten would.

Rescue kittens are adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue matches you, and you pay its adoption fee or donation. The same goes for "free kittens": a reputable rescue always asks a fee towards vet work, and a "free to good home" advert has no rescue behind it. The law on selling kittens in England is in the next section.

If you decide to buy a pedigree, Cats Protection suggests a breeder registered with a breed association such as the GCCF, and seeing the kitten with its mother at home rather than buying from a video or social media advert. If an advert looks like a scam, report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).