Rescue guide
The best cat rescues in London, compared
There is no single best cat rescue in London: the right one depends on the cat you want, where you live and whether your cat can go outside. These are the cat rescues within about 35 miles of central London whose cats we list, side by side.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 19 October 2026
The short answer
For a big choice in one place, Celia Hammond Animal Trust rehomes from its centres in Lewisham and Canning Town. For an indoor-only cat, London Inner City Kitties calls itself an "INDOOR first" rescue. For a cat in west London, Hounslow Animal Welfare Society covers many W, TW and KT postcodes. Battersea, Cats Protection and Mayhew also rehome cats in London; we don't list their cats, so check their own sites.
- Rescue adoption fees
- Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. Battersea charges £100 for a cat over six months and £130 for a kitten, 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.
- London cat rescues that publish a fee
- From a suggested minimum donation of £85 per cat at Celia Hammond Animal Trust to £100 to £175, by age, at Foal Farm Animal Rescue. Hounslow Animal Welfare Society asks £100 for a cat over 6 months and £125 for a kitten, and London Inner City Kitties £100 a cat or £170 a pair. The table below quotes each one.
- Buying a pedigree cat
- Cats Protection says, in its "Getting a pedigree cat" advice, that a registered pedigree can cost anything from £200 to well over £1,000 depending on the breed.
- A lifetime with a cat
- PDSA estimates a cat costs at least £11,400 to £13,600 over its lifetime, with a minimum of £79 a month (its 2024 figures, not counting buying the cat).
London cat rescues compared
Every rescue below is based, or keeps the cats we list, within about 35 miles of central London. Click a name to see the cats it has listed with us today, or follow the link to the rescue's own page. Each rescue runs its own application, home check and fee: we don't rehome cats ourselves.
| Rescue | Where | How you adopt | Fee (from its page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Rescue and Care | Twickenham; cats in foster homes | Online form (18 or over), home visit, then meet the cat at the fosterer's | Kitten £130, pair of kittens £230; neutered adult £90, or £110 vaccinated |
| Bushy Tail Cat Aid | Foster homes; each listing names its town | "Pre adoption house check and adoption fee applies" | Not published |
| Cat Lady TNR | Grays, Thurrock | Home check; each cat's write-up gives the home it needs | Not published |
| Celia Hammond Animal Trust | Centres in Lewisham (SE4) and Canning Town | A call from its Homing Team, a home visit, then meet cats by appointment | "A suggested minimum donation amount of £85 per cat" |
| Croydon Animal Samaritans | Foster homes in South London and Surrey | Contact the fosterer named on the cat's post | £120 per adult cat; kitten £160 fully vaccinated, or £120 if your vet vaccinates |
| Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre | Hurst, near Wokingham, Berkshire | Form on the cat's profile, then meet by appointment | Not published |
| Feline Friends London | Fosterers across London | Apply by email | £120 adult cat, £90 for cats aged 10 and over; kitten under 6 months £125, pair £200 |
| Foal Farm Animal Rescue | Biggin Hill, London Borough of Bromley | Application, introductions, home check, then collection | "Between £100 and £175", by age |
| Hounslow Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) | Foster homes in W, TW and KT postcodes | Form, a home visit "within a few days", then meet the cat | £100 for a cat over 6 months, £125 for a kitten |
| Last Chance Animal Rescue | Edenbridge, Kent | Household visit, then a home check | Not published |
| London Inner City Kitties (L.I.C.K.) | Foster homes in East and North London, and SE16 | Phone screen, meet the cat through its fosterer, home check when the cat is delivered | £100 a cat, £170 a pair |
| National Animal Welfare Trust Hertfordshire | Watford | Homefinder form, a call, then a centre visit | £120 for a cat, the charity-wide fee |
| Protected Paws Animal Rescue | Foster homes in and around London | Online form; every home check is by video call | Not published |
| Pussycat Lodge | Brentwood, Essex, foster based | Phone interview, ID, then a home check | A donation, amount not published |
| Rescue Remedies | Cattery at Smallfield, near Horley, Surrey | Questionnaire, interview, then meet the cat at the cattery | An "appropriate donation", amount not published |
Which London cat rescue for which cat
The table is alphabetical. Grouped by how they work and the cat you have in mind, the picture looks like this.
Rescue centres you can visit
Celia Hammond Animal Trust is one of the biggest cat rescues we list in London and has two centres inside the city, in Lewisham and Canning Town. You meet cats by appointment at a centre or a foster home, after a home visit, and each centre rehomes to set areas: Lewisham to South East London postcodes and nearby areas such as Bexley, Croydon and parts of South West London, Canning Town to East London, the IG postcodes and parts of North London. Foal Farm Animal Rescue in Biggin Hill is inside the London Borough of Bromley, and its cats leave vaccinated, neutered, microchipped, flea treated and wormed. Further out, Rescue Remedies has a cattery near Horley, and National Animal Welfare Trust Hertfordshire, Last Chance Animal Rescue and Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre rehome cats from their own centres.
Foster-based rescues across London
Most London cat rescues have no cattery: the cats live with volunteer fosterers and you meet them in a home. London Inner City Kitties has fosterers in East and North London, Hounslow Animal Welfare Society covers listed towns in the W, TW and KT postcodes only, Animal Rescue and Care is based in Twickenham, Croydon Animal Samaritans covers South London and Surrey, and Feline Friends London has fosterers across London. Protected Paws Animal Rescue keeps its cats in foster homes in and around London, and Pussycat Lodge in Brentwood is foster based too.
Kittens
Several London rescues prefer to rehome kittens in pairs. L.I.C.K. says "we DON'T rehome single kittens", and Croydon Animal Samaritans says "Kittens are much better homed as pairs". Our rescue kittens guide has every London kitten rescue's rules, and the kittens page lists every kitten we have in London today.
Older cats
Feline Friends London charges less for older cats: £90 for a cat aged 10 or over, against £120 for an adult. The older cats page lists every older cat we have in London today.
Pedigree cats
Pedigree cats do come into rescue. Our Ragdoll adoption guide covers the pedigree rescues that take London adopters, and the breed pages below list any pedigree cats with the rescues above.
Indoor-only cats in London: each rescue's rule
Many Londoners live in flats or beside busy roads, so many adopters ask whether they can have an indoor-only cat. London's rescues answer it differently, and the indoor cats page lists the cats whose rescue says they need an indoor home. This is what each rescue says on its own page:
| Rescue | Its position on indoor homes |
|---|---|
| London Inner City Kitties | "An INDOOR first cat rescue"; asks for a cat-proofed home |
| Celia Hammond Animal Trust | Rehomes pairs of kittens and young adult cats to indoor-only homes, provided they have not been used to going outdoors |
| Rescue Remedies | "We will home to 'Indoor' homes if suitable for the cat" |
| Last Chance Animal Rescue | "Sometimes" has indoor cats; no cats on fast or busy roads |
| Animal Rescue and Care | Homes a cat indoors only if it has a special requirement |
| Hounslow Animal Welfare Society | No kittens to homes where they can't go outside |
| Croydon Animal Samaritans | Kittens kept in until 6 months; generally no kittens to flats |
| Pussycat Lodge | Not on or near a busy road; no flats except in special cases |
| Battersea Dogs & Cats Home | "We generally like to place cats in homes where they have access to a garden or another form of outside space" |
How to choose a London cat rescue
Start from your own home, because each rescue's rules decide who it can rehome to. These are the ones London adopters run into most.
- You live in a flat. Apply to a rescue that rehomes indoors, such as London Inner City Kitties or, for pairs of kittens and young cats never used to going out, Celia Hammond Animal Trust. Pussycat Lodge rehomes to flats only in special cases.
- You live on a busy road. Last Chance Animal Rescue won't rehome cats on fast or busy roads and asks about a cat flap, and Pussycat Lodge won't rehome on or near a busy road. An indoor-only cat may be the answer.
- You have children. Hounslow Animal Welfare Society generally doesn't rehome to families with children under 4. Celia Hammond Animal Trust welcomes children, but says babies and toddlers must be supervised and that many of its cats are not suitable for homes with young children. Pussycat Lodge says families with young children "will certainly be considered", and Battersea says it is cautious about rehoming to families with young children.
- You want one kitten. Expect to be offered two: L.I.C.K. doesn't rehome single kittens and Croydon Animal Samaritans prefers pairs.
- Check your postcode. Hounslow Animal Welfare Society covers listed towns in the W, TW and KT postcodes only, and Celia Hammond Animal Trust rehomes from each centre to set areas. Read the rescue's area before you fall for a cat.
- You rent. Expect to show your landlord's permission: Battersea may ask for it, and Cats Protection's South London Cat Centre asks for it before a reservation.
How adopting from a London cat rescue works
The order varies, but most London cat rescues follow the same steps. A "home check" or "home visit" is a visit or video call to see that your home suits the cat. Celia Hammond Animal Trust, for one, says it is "not there to inspect your home".
- Find a cat on the rescue's site or ours, and read its profile for the home it needs: indoor or outdoor, children, other cats, dogs.
- Apply. Most rescues use a form or questionnaire; Feline Friends London takes applications by email. Not every rescue replies to every applicant: Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre says it is not always able to contact you if you are not chosen.
- Talk to the rescue. At Celia Hammond Animal Trust a member of its Homing Team calls you, and London Inner City Kitties starts with a phone chat.
- Have the home check. Protected Paws Animal Rescue does every home check by video call, Celia Hammond Animal Trust sometimes uses a video call on WhatsApp, and Hounslow Animal Welfare Society visits within a few days of your form.
- Meet the cat, at the centre or the foster home, then pay the fee or donation and take your cat home. L.I.C.K. does its home check when it brings the cat to you.
Charities with London cat centres you can contact directly
Some of the best-known cat charities rehome cats in or near London. We don't list their cats, so search their own sites. Battersea, Cats Protection and Blue Cross fees are in the cost box above.
- Battersea Dogs & Cats Home rehomes cats from its London centre in Battersea, as well as Old Windsor and Brands Hatch. You start by registering your interest online, and it may ask for photos of your home.
- Cats Protection has two London centres, its South London Cat Centre in Mitcham and its North West London Cat Centre in Harrow, plus volunteer branches across London. The South London Cat Centre says its homing process is completed within 2 days of reservation.
- Mayhew is a London animal welfare charity in Kensal Green that rehomes dogs and cats.
- Blue Cross rehomes cats from its Hertfordshire rehoming centre at Kimpton.
- The RSPCA also rehomes animals; search on its own site.
Found a stray cat in London?
Take it to a vet or a cat rescue, who can scan it for a microchip. In England, the council stray service is set up for dogs: the law behind it, section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, is headed "Seizure of stray dogs" and covers dogs, not cats. The RSPCA says it can't respond to calls about healthy stray cats, and in England a cat must now be microchipped (the law section below), so a scan is the quickest way to find its owner.
Find a cat in London
Each page lists every cat of that kind with the rescues above, nearest first: kittens, older cats, indoor cats, bonded pairs, special needs cats, long-haired cats, domestic shorthairs, domestic longhairs, British Shorthairs, Ragdolls, Maine Coons, Siamese cats, Bengals, Persians, black cats, black-and-white cats, tabby cats, ginger cats, grey cats and tortoiseshell cats. Or see every cat in London.
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
Which is the best cat rescue near me in London?
There isn't one best rescue: it depends on where you live and the cat you want. Celia Hammond Animal Trust is one of the biggest, with two centres, in Lewisham and Canning Town. London Inner City Kitties is an indoor first rescue in East and North London, and Hounslow Animal Welfare Society covers many W, TW and KT postcodes. The comparison table on this page sets out each rescue's area, process and fee.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat from a London rescue, and what does the fee cover?
Each rescue sets its own fee, and London cat rescues that publish one ask from a suggested £85 to £175. Celia Hammond Animal Trust suggests a minimum donation of £85 per cat, Hounslow Animal Welfare Society asks £100 for a cat over 6 months, Feline Friends London £120 for an adult, and Foal Farm Animal Rescue £100 to £175 by age. Battersea charges £100 for a cat over six months. The fee usually covers vet work already done: Foal Farm Animal Rescue's cats leave vaccinated, neutered and microchipped.
Can I adopt a cat for free, or for £85 or less, in London?
Not for free from the rescues that publish a fee, but £85 is possible. Celia Hammond Animal Trust suggests a minimum donation of £85 per cat, and Feline Friends London asks £90 for a cat aged 10 or over. A rescue fee pays towards vaccinations, neutering and a microchip.
Should I adopt a kitten or an adult cat?
Either, but a kitten often means two: many London rescues rehome kittens only in pairs, and L.I.C.K. doesn't rehome single kittens. Adult fees are often lower, such as £100 at Hounslow Animal Welfare Society against £125 for a kitten.
Can I adopt an indoor-only cat, or a cat if I have children or other pets?
Yes, from the right rescue. London Inner City Kitties is an indoor first rescue, and Celia Hammond Animal Trust rehomes pairs of kittens and young cats never used to going out to indoor-only homes, while Battersea generally looks for a garden or outside space. On children, Hounslow Animal Welfare Society generally doesn't rehome to families with children under 4, and Pussycat Lodge will consider young children. Each cat's profile says whether it can live with children, other cats or dogs.
Why adopt a rescue cat rather than buy one?
Because the cat needs a home, and the fee is lower and covers vet work. London rescues ask £85 to £175, usually with vaccinations, neutering and a microchip included, while Cats Protection says a registered pedigree costs from £200 to well over £1,000. In England, Lucy's Law means a kitten under six months can't be sold by a third party such as a pet shop, but rescues and rehoming centres can still rehome them.
Are older cats a good choice to adopt in London?
Often, yes, and some rescues charge less: Feline Friends London asks £90 for cats aged 10 and over, and Blue Cross fees start from £100 for cats aged 8 or over. Our older cats page lists every older cat with the London rescues we list today.
What happens at a home check with a London cat rescue?
Someone from the rescue visits or video calls to see that your home suits the cat. Protected Paws Animal Rescue does every home check by video call, Celia Hammond Animal Trust sometimes uses a WhatsApp video call, and L.I.C.K. checks your home when it brings the cat to you. Celia Hammond Animal Trust says it looks for hazards such as busy roads and is "not there to inspect your home".
Why aren't Battersea or Cats Protection cats on LocalPetFinder?
We don't list cats from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Cats Protection or the RSPCA, so search their own sites. Battersea has a London centre, Cats Protection has its South London Cat Centre in Mitcham and its North West London Cat Centre in Harrow, and Mayhew rehomes from Kensal Green. The rescues in our table are the ones whose cats you can browse here.
Keep reading
- All rescue cats in and around London
- Adopting a rescue kitten in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Ragdoll cat in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Bengal cat in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a British Shorthair in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Maine Coon in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Persian cat in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Russian Blue in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Siamese cat in London: rescue, rules and costs
- Adopting a Siberian cat in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Every cat adoption guide for London
- Rescue pets in London
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near London? 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: Animal Rescue and Care: cats adoption process · Bushy Tail Cat Aid: cats search · Cat Lady TNR · Celia Hammond Animal Trust: adopt a cat · Croydon Animal Samaritans: kittens · Croydon Animal Samaritans: cats · Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre: adoption process · Feline Friends London: adoption · Foal Farm Animal Rescue: rehoming process · Hounslow Animal Welfare Society: adoption procedure · Hounslow Animal Welfare Society: requirements · Hounslow Animal Welfare Society: areas of coverage · Last Chance Animal Rescue: adopt · London Inner City Kitties: adopt · NAWT: frequently asked questions · Protected Paws Animal Rescue: adopting · Pussycat Lodge: rehoming policy · Rescue Remedies cat rescue: adopt · Battersea: cat rehoming FAQs · Cats Protection: South London and North West London cat centres, and Getting a pedigree cat (homepage linked; its terms ask that deep links be approved) · Mayhew: how rehoming works · Blue Cross: Hertfordshire rehoming centre · RSPCA · RSPCA: lost and found cats · legislation.gov.uk: Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.149 (seizure of stray dogs) · 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 · gov.uk: microchipping for cats becomes compulsory