Rescue guide
Cat rescues in Norwich and Norfolk, compared
Three Norfolk rescues near Norwich add their cats to LocalPetFinder with this update: a volunteer-run cat farm near Mattishall, a sanctuary at Woodrising and a rescue on the Broads at Hickling. This guide compares where they are, what they ask, how each one picks homes, and what to know about roads, flats and older cats before you apply.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 6 November 2026
The short answer
For a cat near Norwich, start with Venture Farm Cat Rescue, a volunteer-run rescue about 11 miles west near Mattishall that asks a £100 donation for a cat of 1 to 10. PACT Animal Sanctuary at Woodrising asks at least £90 for an adult and won't home on busy roads, and FAITH Animal Rescue at Hickling sees adopters by appointment after a form. Venture Farm and FAITH check your home first.
- 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.
- Venture Farm Cat Rescue
- Donations asked: £100 for a cat of 1 to 10 years, £80 over 10, £250 for a pair of kittens; vaccinated, neutered, chipped and vet checked.
- PACT Animal Sanctuary
- Minimum donations: £130 up to 2 years, £90 from 2 to 10, £60 over 10.
- FAITH Animal Rescue
- No fee on its site; ask when you apply.
- Owning a cat
- £11,400 to £13,600 or more across a cat's life, by PDSA's estimate.
Norwich and Norfolk cat rescues compared
Before this update we listed no cats near Norwich; these three rescues are where our Norwich cats now come from. Each takes the application and runs its own checks.
| Rescue | Where | Cats | How you adopt | Cat fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venture Farm Cat Rescue | Near Mattishall (about 11 miles) | Cats; kittens in pairs | Viewing by appointment, home check, collect on an agreed day | £100 donation (1 to 10 years) |
| PACT Animal Sanctuary | Woodrising, near Hingham | Cats and kittens | Application form, visit at the sanctuary with your household | From £90 (2 to 10 years) |
| FAITH Animal Rescue | Hickling (about 15 miles) | Cats, kittens and dogs | Cat form, meeting by appointment, home check | Not published |
How each cat rescue near Norwich works
The three differ less on price than on where they will place a cat. Read the rules of the one holding the cat you like.
Venture Farm Cat Rescue, near Mattishall
Venture Farm sits a couple of miles south of Mattishall, near Dereham, and every helper there and in its shop is a volunteer. Viewings are by appointment: the team introduces you to cats it thinks will suit, checks your home if you choose one, and then sets a time for you to collect. It asks for updates and photos afterwards.
It has no fixed fee but asks a donation of £100 for a cat of 1 to 10, £80 for an older cat and £250 for a pair of kittens, which it homes only in twos. Some cats on the farm are permanent residents because of age or health, and those aren't for rehoming.
PACT Animal Sanctuary, Woodrising
PACT is a small charity at River Farm, Woodrising, near Hingham, with a wildlife hospital alongside its rehoming. It is appointment only: apply by form and expect a reply within a couple of weeks. Its cat rules ask you to insure the cat, keep other pets neutered and vaccinated, and bring everyone in the household to meet it at the sanctuary.
It won't home a cat on an A or B road or a busy main road, though it will look at a catio or a cat-proof garden. An outdoor cat can go to a ground-floor flat with a private garden, and an indoor cat to some flats without one.
FAITH Animal Rescue, Hickling
FAITH keeps its cats in a communal cat house with sofas, shelves full of hidey holes and a large meshed run, plus separate cabins for cats that prefer to be alone. Each cat is vaccinated against leukaemia as well as flu and enteritis, and is neutered and chipped.
You send its cat form first, and it arranges a meeting only once it has a match. Under its agreement a new cat stays indoors for 6 to 8 weeks, and goes back to FAITH if you ever can't keep it.
Choosing a cat rescue from Norwich
Check our Norwich cats page for who is listed today, then think about these:
- Your road. PACT turns down homes on A and B roads and busy main roads, so ask before you apply if you live on one.
- Your home. PACT considers flats only in set cases; the others decide cat by cat after a home check.
- Kittens. Venture Farm homes kittens only in pairs, so plan for two.
- A shy cat. Venture Farm's write-ups on 6 November 2026 described young cats found living outside that need a quiet home and time to settle.
Older cats near Norwich
Both Venture Farm and PACT ask less for a cat over 10: £80 and £60. Every pet cat in England must be microchipped, and all three rescues chip theirs before they leave.
Cat rescue near Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft
From the coast, FAITH at Hickling is the nearest of the three: about 12 miles from Great Yarmouth and about 20 from Lowestoft. Our Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft cat pages start from those towns.
Cats Protection and kittens
Cats Protection rehomes cats too; its cats aren't on our pages, so look on its own site as well. For kittens, our rescue kittens guide has where they were when we checked and the rules that come with them.
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
Is there a cat rescue in Norwich?
Not inside the city on our list. Venture Farm Cat Rescue is about 11 miles west near Mattishall, PACT Animal Sanctuary is at Woodrising near Hingham, and FAITH Animal Rescue is at Hickling, about 15 miles north-east.
Which cat rescues cover Norfolk?
Venture Farm Cat Rescue, PACT Animal Sanctuary and FAITH Animal Rescue all list cats with us from this update. Cats Protection also rehomes cats; search its own site.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat near Norwich?
Venture Farm asks a £100 donation for a cat of 1 to 10 and £80 over 10. PACT asks at least £130 up to 2 years, £90 from 2 to 10 and £60 over 10. FAITH doesn't publish a fee.
Can I visit Venture Farm Cat Rescue?
Yes, by appointment only. The volunteers introduce you to cats that may suit you, then check your home before you collect a cat on an agreed day.
Will PACT rehome a cat to a flat?
Sometimes. PACT considers an outdoor cat for a ground-floor flat with a private garden, and an indoor cat for some flats without one, depending on size.
Can I adopt a cat near Norwich if I live on a main road?
Not from PACT, which won't rehome on an A or B road or a busy main road. It will consider a home with a catio or a cat-proof garden.
Is there a cheaper fee for an older cat?
Yes. Venture Farm asks £80 for a cat over 10 and PACT at least £60, against £100 and £90 for younger adults.
Can I give my cat to a rescue near Norwich?
FAITH Animal Rescue takes cats from owners through a form and a waiting list, as it runs full. Our Norwich rehoming page covers the other routes.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Norwich? 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: Venture Farm Cat Rescue: home page (appointments, volunteers) · Venture Farm Cat Rescue: contact (south of Mattishall) · Venture Farm Cat Rescue: our cats · Venture Farm Cat Rescue: cat profile with donations and process · Venture Farm Cat Rescue: our oldies (residents) · PACT Animal Sanctuary: home page (Woodrising, appointments) · PACT Animal Sanctuary: cats for rehoming · PACT Animal Sanctuary: cat profile with fees and rules · FAITH Animal Rescue: home page (cat house, vaccines) · FAITH Animal Rescue: adopt an animal (forms) · FAITH Animal Rescue: adoption agreement · FAITH Animal Rescue: I need to rehome my animal · Cats Protection: home 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