Adopting a rescue kitten in London: 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 London and within about 35 miles. When we checked in October 2026, Celia Hammond Animal Trust had the most kittens listed with us, followed by Protected Paws Animal Rescue and Hounslow Animal Welfare Society (HAWS). Most of these rescues keep their cats in foster homes, so you meet a kitten in someone's house rather than a cattery.

The biggest surprise for many London adopters is that a single kitten is hard to get. Croydon Animal Samaritans says kittens "are much better homed as pairs", because they learn from playing together how hard is too hard when biting. L.I.C.K. says it doesn't rehome single kittens: it homes them in pairs, or with a young cat already in the home, and Celia Hammond Animal Trust says a pair of kittens keep each other company and settle more easily, especially into a home with an adult cat.

On indoor homes, London's rescues pull in opposite directions. L.I.C.K. is an "indoor first" rescue and asks for a cat-proofed home, while HAWS won't home kittens where they can't go outside, Animal Rescue and Care doesn't advocate solely indoor homes for young kittens, and Pussycat Lodge won't rehome to a flat except in special circumstances. Battersea generally places cats where they have a garden or other outside space, with some exceptions. Celia Hammond Animal Trust does rehome pairs of kittens to indoor-only homes, provided they have not been used to going outdoors, and says they need a spacious home and lots of your time. If you live in a flat, apply to a rescue whose rules allow it.

The order varies, but most London cat rescues follow the same steps. A "home check" or "home visit" is an informal chat at your home, in person or by video, to see that it suits the kitten.

1. Read the rescue's rules, then apply. Most use a form; Feline Friends London asks for an email with the cat's name in the subject line, and you can also ask it to keep your details for kittens.
2. Talk to the rescue. At Celia Hammond Animal Trust a member of its homing team phones you back to discuss your offer of a home.
3. Have the home visit. Celia Hammond Animal Trust says it usually lasts half an hour to an hour, that some are done by video call, and that it is "not there to inspect your home". Protected Paws Animal Rescue does every home check by video call.
4. Meet the kittens, usually at the foster home. Animal Rescue and Care gives you the fosterer's details after the home check so you can arrange a time.
5. Sign the adoption form and pay the fee or donation, often to the fosterer, and take your kittens home. Many rescues include a few weeks' free insurance.

The rescues in the cost box above ask £85 to £160 for a kitten. The fee usually buys vet work you would otherwise pay for: Foal Farm Animal Rescue says every cat leaves vaccinated, neutered, microchipped and treated for fleas and worms, and Croydon Animal Samaritans includes five weeks' free insurance.

Buying puts those costs on you. Cats Protection says a registered pedigree costs from £200 to well over £1,000, and that you then have all the usual costs of owning a cat on top. PDSA puts those at a minimum of £79 a month.

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

• Vaccinations. Celia Hammond Animal Trust vaccinates kittens from eight weeks against cat flu and enteritis, with two vaccinations 3 to 4 weeks apart, and tells you when the second and the annual booster are due. Feline Friends London rehomes kittens at 9 weeks with a first vaccination, and with the full course from 13 weeks. L.I.C.K. says it can't provide vaccinations at the moment.
• Neutering. Many rescues neuter before rehoming once a kitten is old enough. If not, you sign to do it: Celia Hammond Animal Trust gives you a date it must be done by, and Feline Friends London asks that kittens are neutered and microchipped by 6 months.
• Microchips. Celia Hammond Animal Trust registers you as the new owner of a chipped kitten. The law on microchipping cats in England is below.

Celia Hammond Animal Trust says kitten season runs from spring to late autumn, when it looks for homes for lots of young mothers and their kittens. Outside it there are fewer kittens, and Battersea says those it has are adopted very quickly.

If no kittens are listed when you look, consider a young adult cat: rescues know an adult's character, and some, like Animal Rescue and Care, suggest an older kitten for homes where everyone works all day.

Rescue kittens are adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue matches you, and you pay its adoption fee or donation. 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 (formerly Action Fraud).