Adoption guide
Rescue kittens in Oxford and Reading
More people around Reading and Oxford type "kittens for sale" than "cat rescue". The rescues joining our pages had more than a dozen kittens between them in early November, nearly all living with volunteer fosterers. Here is where they were, how a foster-home adoption runs, and the jobs a young kitten still needs after it comes home.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 7 November 2026
The short answer
On 7 November 2026, Sunshine Cat Rescue had nine kittens of 14 to 21 weeks with fosterers around Oxfordshire, at £95 each, and Nine Lives Cat Rescue in west Oxfordshire had three pairs of 4 to 6 months, at £130 a kitten. Both send a volunteer to your home before you meet a kitten. A kitten too young for neutering goes home on condition that you have it done.
- Rescue adoption fees
- Each rescue sets its own 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 kittens up to 16 weeks start from £175. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
- Sunshine Cat Rescue
- £95 a cat or kitten, a minimum donation paid before it comes home.
- Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary
- £120 a cat or kitten; a kitten too young for neutering and jabs is done by your own vet, at your cost.
- Nine Lives Cat Rescue
- £130 a kitten up to a year old.
- Owning a cat
- £11,400 to £13,600 or more over a cat's life, PDSA estimates.
Where the rescue kittens were on 7 November
Kittens from these rescues appear on our Oxford kittens page once this update is live.
Sunshine Cat Rescue, fosterers across the county
Its gallery showed five girls of 14 weeks, Tammy, Tamsin, Willow, Tara and Tiffany, two brothers of the same age, and Blossom and Rosco, a 21 week pair. It also asks people to check its Facebook page, where more kittens go up.
Nine Lives Cat Rescue, west Oxfordshire
Three pairs: Strider and Po and Buell and Harley at 4 months, and Tom and Tiggy at 6 months, all meant to go together. Its list of homed cats showed more than a dozen kittens adopted in September and October alone.
Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, Stadhampton
Two hand-reared girls of 3 months, Davina and Peggy, were with one of its foster families, and its other cats were older.
Adopting a kitten from a foster home
Neither Sunshine nor Nine Lives has a cattery, so the order is: application, a visit to you, then a visit to the kitten.
- Apply. Both take an online application. Nine Lives aims to review it within 7 days and doesn't go by who applied first.
- A volunteer visits you. Sunshine sends someone to talk through the kitten and basic cat care; Nine Lives calls it a home survey.
- Meet the kitten where it lives. The fosterer shows you round, tells you its food and routine, and Sunshine lets you adopt straight away if all is well. Nine Lives brings the kitten to you.
- Expect a follow-up. Sunshine comes back within six months to check neutering, jabs and the chip.
Jobs a young kitten still needs
The rescues neuter and chip when a kitten is big enough; a younger one leaves with homework.
- Neutering. Sunshine rehomes very young kittens on condition that you neuter them at the right age; Thames Valley Animal Welfare says kittens under about 4 months or 2 kilos are too small.
- The microchip. In England a cat must be microchipped by 20 weeks, and Four Paws says a kitten that left unchipped must be chipped and neutered before it goes outdoors.
- Staying in. Thames Valley Animal Welfare advises keeping kittens indoors for at least six months, and until they are vaccinated, neutered and chipped.
- A companion. Nine Lives usually homes a kitten under six months with another kitten or a young cat, and Thames Valley Animal Welfare pairs kittens where it can.
Searching "kittens for sale" in Reading or Oxford?
A rescue kitten isn't sold: the £95 to £130 above is a donation towards its vet work. Four Paws says neutering alone costs it about £120 for a male and £160 for a female, before the chip and vet checks.
If you buy instead, see the kitten with its mother. Under Lucy's Law, in force in England since 6 April 2020, a kitten under six months can only be sold by the person who bred it; rehoming centres are not caught. Never pay a deposit on a kitten you haven't seen, and report a seller who asks you to to Report Fraud.
Kittens in winter, and other places to look
Most rescue kittens arrive from about May or June to November or December, Thames Valley Animal Welfare says, so the list thins out over winter. Cats Protection Oxford & District also rehomes kittens, at £120, on its own site. Our cat rescues guide compares all seven rescues we list around Oxford.
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
Where can I find rescue kittens in Oxford?
With the foster-based charities: on 7 November 2026 Sunshine Cat Rescue had nine kittens across Oxfordshire and Nine Lives Cat Rescue six in west Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary had a hand-reared pair in foster.
How much is a rescue kitten in Oxford?
Sunshine Cat Rescue asks £95, the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary £120 and Nine Lives Cat Rescue £130 a kitten. Each is a donation towards vet care, not a sale price.
Are there kittens for sale in Reading?
Rescues near Reading rehome kittens rather than sell them; Thames Valley Animal Welfare's fosterers are around the town. Most of its kittens come between about May or June and the end of the year, so there may be few in winter.
Will a rescue kitten come neutered?
Only if it is old and heavy enough. A kitten under about 4 months goes home unneutered, and you have it done, and chipped, before it goes outside.
Do Oxford rescues rehome kittens on their own?
Usually not under six months: Nine Lives Cat Rescue homes young kittens with another kitten or a young cat, and Thames Valley Animal Welfare pairs them where it can.
Can I meet a rescue kitten before applying?
Not with the foster-based rescues. Sunshine Cat Rescue and Nine Lives Cat Rescue visit your home first, then introduce you to the kitten at its fosterer's.
Keep reading
- Kittens for adoption in and around Oxford
- All rescue cats in and around Oxford
- Cat rescues in Oxford and Oxfordshire, compared
- Every cat adoption guide for Oxford
- Rescue pets in Oxford
Kittens in other cities: Reading, Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Ipswich, Kendal, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Truro, Worcester
Kitten guides in other cities: Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Glasgow, Ipswich, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Truro
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Oxford? 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: Sunshine Cat Rescue: adopt (fee, dated snapshot of kittens) · Sunshine Cat Rescue: about (neutering condition for young kittens) · Sunshine Cat Rescue: adoption process (home visit, foster meeting, follow-up) · Nine Lives Cat Rescue: home page (kitten fee, dated snapshot, adopted list) · Nine Lives Cat Rescue: adoption process (review, home survey, pairs, delivery) · Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary: Davina & Peggy (dated snapshot) · Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary: the adoption process (cat fee, kittens too young) · Four Paws Cat Rescue: adopt a cat (unchipped kittens) · Four Paws Cat Rescue: FAQs (neutering costs) · Thames Valley Animal Welfare: adopting kittens (neutering age, indoors) · Thames Valley Animal Welfare: rehoming process (kitten season, pairs) · Cats Protection Oxford & District (kitten fee) · GOV.UK: microchipping for cats becomes compulsory · GOV.UK: Lucy's Law · PDSA: the cost of owning a cat · Report Fraud · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023