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

The count under the short answer is live, and our Carlisle kittens page links each kitten to its rescue. If the list is short, check back or ask the rescues to tell you when kittens are ready.

Eden Animal Rescue says it finds homes for its animals, "rather than animals to suit homes". You send its questionnaire with photos of your home and garden, where the kitten will sleep and where it will eat, and a member of the team calls you about possible matches. If you rent, it needs your landlord's written permission, and if you already have pets it may ask to contact your vet. It rehomes only within Cumbria.

At Oak Tree Animals' Charity you fill in a questionnaire for the kitten you like, and it aims to reply within 72 hours; sometimes you can reserve the same day. Both rescues see adopters by appointment, so don't just turn up.

Eden Animal Rescue asks a minimum donation of £110 a kitten, or £180 for two. Every animal it rehomes is vaccinated, microchipped and treated at least once for worms and fleas, and neutered unless it is too young or has a medical reason to wait, so ask what a young kitten still needs. Oak Tree Animals' Charity asks £170 for a kitten, which is flea treated, wormed, chipped, vaccinated, neutered where appropriate and checked by a vet.

A kitten bought from an advert may come with none of that done, so neutering, a full course of vaccinations and the microchip are extra bills on top of the price. PDSA puts a cat's set-up costs at £366 before the monthly bills begin.

Ask the rescue what has been done and what you agree to do later. This is what the rescues near Carlisle say on their own pages:

• Neutering. Eden neuters every animal unless it is too young or there is a medical reason to wait. If your kitten is too young, ask whether the rescue arranges it later or expects you to.
• Microchip. Both rescues microchip their kittens. In England the law also requires a cat to be microchipped before it is 20 weeks old (see the law section below), so a kitten bought privately must be chipped by then.
• Vaccinations and parasites. Oak Tree vaccinates, de-fleas and worms every animal and has it checked by a vet. Take the vaccination record to your own vet so boosters follow on.

Rescue kittens are adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue matches you, and you pay its donation. Every kitten on our Carlisle kittens page is adopted that way. The same goes for "free kittens": a rescue asks a fee towards vet work, and a "free to good home" advert has no rescue behind it.

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. Never pay a deposit for a kitten you haven't seen, and if an advert looks like a scam, report it to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud.