Rescue guide
Cat rescues in Edinburgh: the best ones compared
We list two cat rescues within about 25 miles of Edinburgh: one in the city, and one near Kinross, about 20 miles away. Here they are side by side, with what each charges and how it works, plus the Scottish SPCA and Cats Protection, which rehome cats too but whose cats we don't list.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 29 October 2026
The short answer
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home at Seafield is the cat rescue we list inside Edinburgh, and charges £150 for an adult cat. Fife Cat Shelter, at Cleish by Kinross about 20 miles away, had six of the seven cats listed with us near Edinburgh when we checked on 29 October 2026, and asks £120 for a neutered cat. The Scottish SPCA's centre at Balerno has a cattery too; we don't list its cats, so search its own site.
- 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.
- Cat fees near Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home asks £150 for a cat aged 9 months to 9 years (£220 for a pair), £100 for a cat over 9 and £200 for a kitten (£280 for a pair of kittens). Fife Cat Shelter asks £120 for a neutered cat (£180 for two) and £100 for a kitten not yet neutered (£150 for two).
- A lifetime with a cat
- PDSA estimates a cat costs at least £11,400 to £13,600 over its lifetime, with set-up costs of about £366 and a minimum of £79 a month (its 2024 figures, not counting buying the cat).
Edinburgh cat rescues compared
These are the cat rescues whose cats we list within about 25 miles of Edinburgh. Click a name to see the cats it has listed with us today. Each rescue runs its own application and fee: we don't rehome cats ourselves.
It is a short list, and we would rather say so. On 29 October 2026 we listed seven cats near Edinburgh and no kittens; the live count is on our Edinburgh cats page. The Scottish SPCA and Cats Protection, further down, are the steady route when our list is thin.
| Rescue | Where | How you adopt | Fee (their words) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home | Seafield Road East, Edinburgh EH15 1EH | Online application for one animal; a reply within a week; a visit by invitation | £150 a cat (£220 a pair), £100 over 9 years, £200 a kitten (£280 a pair) |
| Fife Cat Shelter | Cleish, by Kinross (about 20 miles); cats in catteries and foster homes nearby | Contact it to visit; cats must be collected in person, as it never delivers | £120 a neutered cat, £100 a kitten not yet neutered |
The two rescues, and who else to try
Here is what each one is like to deal with from Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Seafield
A long-established Edinburgh charity that rehomes cats as well as dogs, and the only cat rescue we list in the city. Its rehoming page asks for an online application for one animal at a time and aims to tell you within a week whether you have been successful. Where several applications match a cat, it moves forward with those who can visit earliest, so apply when you are ready for a new pet. Every cat goes home with a month's pet insurance, and an optional cat pack costs £17.
Fife Cat Shelter, by Kinross
Not an Edinburgh rescue, but close: Fife Cat Shelter is at Cleish, by Kinross, about 20 miles from Edinburgh, and keeps its cats in catteries and foster homes nearby. Its six cats on 29 October 2026 were aged from 10 months to 7 years. It asks a donation of £120 for a neutered cat, £180 for two, £100 for a kitten not yet neutered and £150 for two kittens, paid when you collect. It never delivers, so plan to collect your cat in person, and a kitten too young to be neutered must be neutered by the time it is 6 months old.
The Scottish SPCA at Balerno
The Scottish SPCA's Edinburgh and Lothians centre in Balerno, about 7 miles from Edinburgh, is its oldest centre and has a cattery for 42 cats. The Scottish SPCA also rehomes animals; search on its own site.
Cats Protection
The UK's big cat charity rehomes through local branches, and it says its cats are vaccinated, microchipped, flea and worm treated, neutered (or come with a voucher if too young), health checked by a vet and given four weeks' free insurance. We don't list its cats, so search its own site for the branch nearest you.
How to choose a cat rescue from Edinburgh
Each rescue works a little differently, so match it to your week and your home.
- Travel. Fife Cat Shelter never delivers, so you need a way to get to Kinross and back with a cat. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is in the city, and moves forward with the people who can visit earliest.
- Kittens or adults. Kittens are seasonal and were not listed on our check. An adult cat's character is already known, and both rescues publish a lower fee for an older cat or an unneutered kitten.
- A pair. Both rescues publish a fee for two: £220 at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and £180 at Fife Cat Shelter for two neutered cats.
- Flats and indoor cats. Many Edinburgh homes are flats, so read each cat's profile for whether it has lived indoors or needs to go out, and tell the rescue honestly about your home. If you rent, get your landlord's permission in writing first.
How adopting a cat works
The order varies, but the steps are similar.
- Find a cat on the rescue's site or ours, and read its profile for the home it needs.
- Apply or get in touch. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home takes an online application for one animal; Fife Cat Shelter asks you to contact it before visiting.
- Meet the cat. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home invites you to visit once your application is matched.
- Pay the fee and take your cat home. Fife Cat Shelter takes its donation when you collect in person.
Find a cat near Edinburgh
Each page lists every cat of that kind with the rescues above, nearest first, and says so honestly when none is listed: kittens, older cats, indoor cats, bonded cats, domestic shorthairs, black cats and tabby cats.
Looking for a dog as well? Our guide to Edinburgh dog rescues compares the dog rescues near the city.
Found a cat rather than looking for one? In Scotland, as in England and Wales, the council stray service set up by section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 deals with stray dogs, not cats. Take a found cat to a vet or a cat rescue to be scanned for a microchip, so its owner can be traced.
The law in Scotland
Microchipping cats
In Scotland, 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
In Scotland, Lucy's Law has banned the third-party sale of kittens under six months since 1 September 2021.
Rehoming licences
In Scotland, since 1 September 2021, anyone sourcing five or more animals in any 12-month period to rehome as pets needs a licence (Scottish Government). A licence is a useful sign that a Scottish rescue is what it says it is.
Questions
Tap a question to expand
What is the best cat rescue in Edinburgh?
Among the rescues we list, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home at Seafield is the one in the city, and Fife Cat Shelter at Cleish, by Kinross, about 20 miles away, had most of the cats we listed near Edinburgh on 29 October 2026. The Scottish SPCA at Balerno and Cats Protection rehome cats too; search their own sites.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £150 for a cat aged 9 months to 9 years and £100 for a cat over 9. Fife Cat Shelter asks £120 for a neutered cat. Cats Protection says its fees average £80 to £120 for an adult cat.
Can I adopt a cat for free, or for £100 or less, near Edinburgh?
Not free from a rescue, but £100 is possible: Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £100 for a cat over 9, and Fife Cat Shelter £100 for a kitten not yet neutered, which you agree to have neutered by 6 months. A free cat advert usually comes from a private owner, so ask what vet work has been done.
Where can I adopt a kitten in Edinburgh?
No kitten was listed with us near Edinburgh on 29 October 2026, so check our Edinburgh kittens page for today's. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £200 for a kitten or £280 for two, and Fife Cat Shelter £100 for a kitten not yet neutered or £150 for two.
Are older cats a good choice, and do they cost less?
Often, yes. A rescue already knows an older cat's habits and character, and Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £100 for a cat over 9, against £150 for a younger adult.
Can I adopt two cats together?
Yes. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £220 for a pair of cats or £280 for two kittens, and Fife Cat Shelter £180 for two neutered cats or £150 for two kittens. Our bonded cats page lists pairs that must go home together.
Does Fife Cat Shelter deliver cats to Edinburgh?
No. Fife Cat Shelter says it never delivers cats, so you collect your cat in person near Kinross, about 20 miles from Edinburgh, and pay the donation then.
Does LocalPetFinder list Scottish SPCA or Cats Protection cats?
No. The Scottish SPCA also rehomes animals, from its Edinburgh and Lothians centre at Balerno among others; search on its own site. Cats Protection rehomes through local branches; search its site for the nearest one.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Edinburgh? 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: Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home: our rehoming process (fees) · Cats Protection: adoption fees and what they cover (homepage linked; its terms ask that deep links be approved; fee row in canonical-facts.md) · Scottish SPCA: Edinburgh and Lothians rescue and rehoming centre · LocalPetFinder listings near Edinburgh, checked 29 October 2026 · PDSA: the cost of owning a cat · legislation.gov.uk: Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 149 (seizure of stray dogs; extends to England, Wales and Scotland) · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · Scottish Government: further protection for animals · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016