Adopting a rescue kitten in Liverpool: 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 Liverpool and within about 25 miles, and our Liverpool kittens page links each one to its rescue. None of the cat rescues we list is inside the City of Liverpool itself, so expect a drive. These are the cat rescues around Liverpool whose cats we list, nearest first:

Kittens need company. Woodlands Animal Sanctuary won't rehome a single kitten to a home without another cat, saying kittens need the social contact, and Warrington Animal Welfare says a single kitten must not be left alone for long periods. Feline Fur Babies North Wales rehomes bonded pairs together.

Roads and space matter too. Warrington Animal Welfare won't rehome cats or kittens on or near a main or busy road, or to a flat above the ground floor without direct access outside, and doesn't rehome kittens as house cats. Freshfields Animal Rescue's cat home check looks at how busy the area is, how close the main roads are, and whether there is a cat flap. If you rent, Freshfields, Warrington Animal Welfare and PawPurrs Halfway House all want evidence of your landlord's permission.

Children's ages matter as well: Warrington Animal Welfare doesn't rehome to families with children under 5, and North Clwyd Animal Rescue doesn't rehome cats at all to families with children under 2.

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

1. Apply or enquire. Freshfields Animal Rescue has its own kitten application form for its Liverpool centre, and North Clwyd Animal Rescue emails you within a few days to invite you to visit.
2. Meet the kittens, by appointment. Woodlands Animal Sanctuary books you a 30 to 45 minute appointment at its cattery, and Freshfields may suggest a particular kitten for your home rather than the one you picked.
3. Reserve and have the home check. North Clwyd Animal Rescue asks a £10 deposit per cat or kitten when you reserve, which is its own process, and says the whole adoption takes around a week.
4. Pay the fee and take your kitten home. Cats Guidance Rescue asks for its £95 fee, preferably by bank transfer, before adoption, and Woodlands takes its fee through its website when you collect. Each of those is that rescue's own process.

Kitten fees around Liverpool run from £95 to £200. The fee buys vet work you would otherwise pay for: Freshfields Animal Rescue says every animal it rehomes is microchipped, vaccinated, flea and worm treated and neutered before it leaves, and North Clwyd Animal Rescue says the same of its animals. If a kitten is too young to be neutered by the adoption date, both arrange for it to be done after adoption. Woodlands Animal Sanctuary says its care costs it over £400 per cat, against its £95 fee.

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.

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

• Vaccinated against the main diseases. Freshfields Animal Rescue vaccinates its cats against feline infectious enteritis and cat flu, says the vaccinations must be kept up every year, and prices its cats and kittens by whether they have had one vaccination or both.
• Neutered and microchipped. Freshfields and North Clwyd Animal Rescue both microchip before an animal leaves and neuter it too, or arrange for a kitten that is too young to be neutered after adoption. In England, the law also requires a cat to be microchipped before it is 20 weeks old (see the law section below).
• Indoors at first. Feline Fur Babies North Wales says no kitten should be let out in its first year, Cats Guidance Rescue asks for at least 8 weeks indoors after adoption, and North Clwyd Animal Rescue up to six weeks.

Rescue kittens are adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue matches you, and you pay its adoption fee. Every kitten on our Liverpool 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. The law on selling kittens in England is in the section below.

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.