Rescue guide
Cat rescues in Exeter: the best ones compared
Exeter has fewer cat rescues than you might expect, and they work in different ways. Here are the ones that rehome cats to the city, side by side: where they are, how you apply, what they charge, and which local cat charity helps with neutering rather than adoption.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 1 November 2026
The short answer
On 1 November 2026 every cat listed with us near Exeter was with Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) at Ipplepen, about 17 miles away, which asks £190 for a cat aged 6 months to 10 years and £165 for a cat over 10. Cats Protection East Devon rehomes cats in the EX5, EX8 to EX11 and EX15 postcodes for £80 an adult, and ARC Animal Rescue Centre near Ottery St Mary prices cats individually, from £175 for a cat already microchipped, neutered or vaccinated.
- Rescue adoption fees
- Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. 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, and Blue Cross fees start from £150 for cats aged 4 months to 7 years. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
- Exeter-area cat rescues
- Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): £190 for a cat aged 6 months to 10 years (£360 a pair), £165 over 10 years, £300 a kitten under 6 months (£550 a pair). Cats Protection East Devon: £80 an adult cat, £100 a kitten under 6 months. ARC Animal Rescue Centre: priced per cat, from £175 if it is microchipped, neutered or vaccinated.
- Owning a cat
- PDSA estimates that 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, not counting the cost of getting the cat.
Exeter cat rescues compared
The first two rescues below have animals listed with us; the third is a Cats Protection branch that lists its own cats on its own site. Each one runs its own application and fee: we don't rehome cats ourselves.
| Rescue | Where | How you adopt | Cat fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) | Ipplepen, just outside Newton Abbot (about 17 miles from Exeter) | Apply online on the cat's page; a rehoming appointment if you match | £190 (6 months to 10 years), £165 (over 10), £300 a kitten |
| ARC Animal Rescue Centre | Just outside Ottery St Mary, East Devon (about 10 miles from Exeter) | Call or email the centre; viewing by appointment; rehomes within 30 miles | Priced per cat; from £175 if microchipped, neutered or vaccinated |
| Cats Protection East Devon | Volunteer branch for EX5, EX8, EX9, EX10, EX11 and EX15 | Enquire through the cat's listing on Cats Protection's site | £80 an adult cat, £100 a kitten under 6 months |
How each one works
The three take different routes, from an online form to a phone call to a Cats Protection listing.
Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry), Ipplepen
At Ipplepen, just outside Newton Abbot, about 17 miles south of Exeter and about 4 miles from Torbay. It is a different charity from a Salford rescue with a similar name. All its cats are on our Animals in Distress page, and it rehomes cats by appointment: you apply with the green "Apply to rehome me" button on a cat's page and complete its questionnaire. If you and the cat are a good match, the cattery team invites you in to meet the cat and for an assessment interview before the cat goes home.
It receives a large number of applications for each cat and says it can't reply to everyone, so if you don't hear back, keep applying for other cats that suit you. Every cat is vaccinated, microchipped and neutered, wormed and flea treated, examined by a vet, and goes home with a free Pet Remedy starter pack.
Children are matched cat by cat: where it can, it says whether a cat could live with children, and that may depend on the children's ages and whether they have lived with cats before. It may charge more than its standard fee for some breeds.
ARC Animal Rescue Centre, Ottery St Mary
Best known for its dogs, ARC says its purpose is to rescue and rehome dogs and cats in its area, and its cats are priced individually. On 1 November 2026 its home page showed only dogs, so call or email the centre to ask whether it has a cat that suits you, and watch our ARC page.
Two of its rules matter most for cats. It rehomes within a 30 mile radius of Ottery St Mary, which covers Exeter, and it prefers its cats to go to quieter, safer areas rather than homes on a main or busy road. Its minimum donation is £175 for a cat that is microchipped, neutered or vaccinated, and a home check by its team carries a non-refundable £20.
Cats Protection East Devon
A volunteer branch of Cats Protection covering the EX5, EX8, EX9, EX10, EX11 and EX15 postcodes, so check your postcode is on that list; central Exeter's EX1 to EX4 are not. Its cats are listed on Cats Protection's own site, and you enquire through the listing of the cat you like.
Every cat is health checked, neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, flea and worm treated, and comes with 4 weeks' free Petplan insurance. Its fee is £80 for an adult cat and £100 for a kitten under 6 months.
Cats Protection Exeter is not an adoption centre
People search for "cat protection league exeter". Cats Protection has an Exeter branch covering EX1 to EX9, EX16, EX17 and TQ14, but its page describes its main focus as advice on neutering and, if you qualify, financial help towards the cost; it listed no cats for adoption when we read it on 1 November 2026. If you live in central Exeter and want a cat, the routes above are the ones to try; if you want help getting your own cat neutered, that branch is the place to ask.
The RSPCA shelter in Exeter
The RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter is on Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, in Exeter, and is a branch of the RSPCA. It rehomes its own cats through its own site. We don't list RSPCA animals, so its cats won't appear on our pages: look on its site and apply to it directly if you would like to adopt from it.
How to choose a cat rescue near Exeter
Start with the cat: our Exeter cats page shows every cat listed with us today. Then check:
- Your postcode. Cats Protection East Devon covers only EX5, EX8 to EX11 and EX15, and ARC rehomes within 30 miles of Ottery St Mary.
- Your road. ARC prefers to rehome cats to quieter, safer areas, so tell it honestly if you live on a main road.
- Children. Animals in Distress assesses each cat against your children's ages and experience with cats.
- The fee. Animals in Distress charges £190 for most adult cats and £165 for one over 10; Cats Protection East Devon £80; ARC from £175, set per cat.
Microchipping your adopted cat in England
In England, cats must be microchipped before they are 20 weeks old and registered on a database, a rule in force since 10 June 2024. Animals in Distress and Cats Protection East Devon microchip every cat before it goes; ask ARC about the cat you like. When you adopt, make sure the database shows you as the new keeper.
The law in England
Microchipping cats
In England, cats must be microchipped before they are 20 weeks old and registered on a database, a rule in force since 10 June 2024. An owner found without one has 21 days to comply or may be fined up to £500. Free-living cats (farm, feral and community cats) are exempt.
Lucy's Law: buying a kitten
In England, Lucy's Law has meant since 6 April 2020 that kittens under six months can't be sold by a third party such as a pet shop or dealer: you buy direct from the breeder or adopt from a rehoming centre.
Questions
Tap a question to expand
Where can I adopt a cat in Exeter?
Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) at Ipplepen had every cat listed with us near Exeter on 1 November 2026. Cats Protection East Devon rehomes cats in the EX5, EX8 to EX11 and EX15 postcodes, and ARC Animal Rescue Centre near Ottery St Mary rehomes cats within 30 miles when it has them.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat near Exeter?
Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) charges £190 for a cat aged 6 months to 10 years and £165 for one over 10, Cats Protection East Devon £80 for an adult cat, and ARC Animal Rescue Centre from £175, set per cat.
Does Cats Protection have an adoption centre in Exeter?
Not in central Exeter. Its Exeter branch focuses on neutering advice and help with neutering costs and had no cats for adoption listed on 1 November 2026. Cats Protection East Devon rehomes cats in the EX5, EX8 to EX11 and EX15 postcodes.
Can I adopt a cat from the RSPCA in Exeter?
The RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter on Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, rehomes its own cats through its own site. We don't list RSPCA animals, so apply to it directly.
Can I visit Animals in Distress to see the cats?
Apply first. Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) rehomes cats by appointment: apply on a cat's page and the cattery team invites you in if you are a good match. Its reception is open daily from 10am to 4pm for enquiries.
Can I adopt a cat if I live on a busy road?
It depends on the rescue. ARC Animal Rescue Centre says it prefers to rehome cats to quieter, safer areas, so it will ask whether you live on a main or busy road. Tell each rescue honestly about your road when you apply.
Is it cheaper to adopt a pair of cats?
At Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) a pair costs less than two singles: £360 for two cats aged 6 months to 10 years, against £190 each, and £550 for two kittens, against £300 each.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Exeter? 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: Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): cat rehoming process (fees and process) · Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): FAQs · ARC Animal Rescue Centre: adopters info (30 mile radius, quieter roads, fees) · ARC Animal Rescue Centre: about us · Cats Protection: East Devon and Exeter branch pages (cats.org.uk/east-devon and /exeter; homepage linked per its terms) · RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter: home and contact page · GOV.UK: microchipping for cats becomes compulsory · PDSA: the cost of owning a cat · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · gov.uk: Lucy's Law in England · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023