Adopting a rescue kitten in Leeds: 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 Leeds and within about 25 miles, and each profile links to the rescue. Only one of the cat-only rescues below fosters inside the city itself; the rest are in Bradford, Keighley, Huddersfield and further out, so a short drive is normal.

Many rescues would rather a young kitten went with a sibling. Heronbank Cat Rescue says that where possible it likes to rehome young kittens in pairs, so they play with each other rather than pester an older cat, and Yorkshire Cat Rescue prices a bonded pair of kittens at £250 against £135 for one.

Where you live matters as well. Cat Action Trust 1977 (Leeds) likes to rehome its cats away from busy and main roads, so it checks your address before anything else, and Yorkshire Cat Rescue matches homes in flats or on busy roads with cats that are used to staying in.

If you rent, get permission first. Heronbank Cat Rescue asks for your landlord's permission, and Leeds City Council tenants need the council's written permission before getting a pet. The council's policy allows a maximum of two cats or dogs, so a pair of kittens takes up the whole allowance.

The order varies, but most cat rescues around Leeds follow the same steps. A "home check" is a short visit, sometimes at the moment the kitten is delivered, to see that your home suits it.

1. Apply or enquire. Pawprints Cat Rescue asks you to fill in its enquiry form first, and Yorkshire Cat Rescue takes online applications for each listed cat and phones the people it thinks are the best match.
2. Pay any pre-check fee. Heronbank Cat Rescue contacts you for a £10 home check fee before it processes your form. The £10 comes off the adoption donation if the check passes, is refunded if it fails, and is not refunded if you pass but decide not to adopt.
3. Meet the kittens, by appointment. Pawprints visits are by appointment once your enquiry is processed, and Yorkshire Cat Rescue keeps its kittens in foster until they are reserved.
4. Have the home check. Cat Action Trust 1977 (Leeds) always checks your address and visits, and Pawprints does its home check when it brings the cat to you.
5. Pay the fee and take your kittens home. Heronbank asks for the donation in full before collection and says its process can move quickly, so only apply if you are ready to adopt soon. Yorkshire Cat Rescue also expects you to be ready to take a cat home promptly.

Cat rescues around Leeds that publish a kitten fee ask £100 to £135. The fee buys vet work you would otherwise pay for: at Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity the £130 includes vaccinations, neutering, a microchip, worming, flea treatment and four weeks' free insurance, and Heronbank Cat Rescue says its kittens are triple vaccinated, microchipped, flea and worm treated and insured for five weeks, with neutering done or booked and paid for.

Buying puts those costs on you. Cats Protection says a registered pedigree costs from £200 to well over £1,000, and PDSA puts the running costs of any cat at a minimum of £79 a month.

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

• Neutering you arrange. Pawprints Cat Rescue rehomes kittens over 12 weeks only, with a neutering agreement.
• Follow-up visits. Heronbank Cat Rescue carries out second vaccinations and neutering at its vet in Mirfield, and you must be able to get there. Any cats you already have must be fully vaccinated.
• 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. Heronbank says its listing page can lag behind, and points adopters to its Facebook page for the latest kittens.

Think about a young adult cat too. A rescue already knows an adult's character, 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 something 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, which replaced Action Fraud.