Rescue guide
Cat rescues in Peterborough, compared
More people around Peterborough look for a rescue cat than for a rescue dog, yet the cat rescues we can list are small. Four of them add their cats with this update: Peterborough Cat Rescue, whose cats live in foster homes in the city, a cattery at Bourne, a foster network around Holbeach and a small rescue near Wisbech. This guide is honest about how few cats that is, and tells you where else to look.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 6 November 2026
The short answer
For a rescue cat in Peterborough, start with Peterborough Cat Rescue, a volunteer charity whose cats live in foster homes around the city and cost a minimum donation of £100. Three Counties Dog Rescue at Bourne has cats for £100 too, and Lincs Ark asks £110. On 6 November 2026 the four rescues we list had about 30 cats between them, so search Woodgreen and Cats Protection as well.
- 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.
- Peterborough Cat Rescue
- Minimum donation £100 a cat; flea and worm treated and chipped, four weeks of Petplan cover.
- Three Counties Dog Rescue
- A minimum of £100 a cat, paid after the trial; neutered, vaccinated and chipped.
- Lincs Ark
- At least £110 a cat or kitten; neutered, vaccinated, chipped, flea and worm treated.
- Ravenswood Pet Rescue
- £70 a kitten on 6 November 2026.
- Owning a cat
- £11,400 to £13,600 or more across a cat's life, by PDSA's estimate.
Cat rescues near Peterborough compared
Before this update we listed no cats near Peterborough. These four are where our Peterborough cats now come from; each runs its own application and checks. The cat counts are from their own pages on 6 November 2026.
| Rescue | Where the cats are | On its pages | How you adopt | Cat fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterborough Cat Rescue | Foster homes in Peterborough | 13 cats, 10 already with a viewing or applications | Apply on the cat's page, then meet it at the fosterer's | £100 minimum |
| Three Counties Dog Rescue | Cattery at Bourne (about 15 miles) | 9 cats | Visit by appointment, home check, trial | £100 minimum |
| Lincs Ark | Foster homes around Holbeach (about 19 miles) | 6 cats, all in pairs | A chat, then a home visit, usually by video | £110 minimum |
| Ravenswood Pet Rescue | Near Wisbech (about 18 miles) | 3 kittens | Questionnaire, home check | £70 a kitten |
How each cat rescue near Peterborough works
Two of the four have no building at all: the cats live with volunteers until they are adopted.
Peterborough Cat Rescue
A small, volunteer-run charity with no rescue centre: every cat waits in a foster home. You apply first on the cat's own page and get an emailed decision; if it is a yes, a homing volunteer rings to talk it through and sets up a meeting at the foster carer's home, and you sign and pay the donation in cash there. At its Homing Days the order flips: a chat and a form, then you see the cats. Each cat comes with four weeks of free Petplan cover.
Unless a cat is listed as indoor-only, it needs safe outdoor access. Renters need written permission from the landlord, and it asks you to keep a new cat in for the first 4 to 6 weeks. It can't hold a cat for you while you go on holiday.
Three Counties Dog Rescue, Bourne
The name says dogs, but it has taken in cats because other rescues' doors were closed, and keeps them at its Bourne cattery. They go through the same steps as its dogs: a visit by appointment, a home check and a trial before you pay. It rehomes only within a 50 mile drive of Bourne.
Lincs Ark, South Lincolnshire
A self-funded volunteer charity covering Boston, Spalding and Holbeach, with all its cats and rabbits in foster homes. Its rules: no indoor-only homes unless the cat chose it or has a medical reason, no homes near busy roads, and families and dogs are fine if the cat is. It said it had more cats and kittens not yet ready for its website.
Ravenswood Pet Rescue, near Wisbech
A small independent rescue that had three kittens of 8 to 9 weeks on 6 November 2026, each chipped with a first jab and £70; neutering is left to you when the kitten is old enough.
Choosing a cat rescue from Peterborough
Check our Peterborough cats page for who is listed, then think about these:
- Speed. On 6 November 2026, ten of Peterborough Cat Rescue's 13 cats already had a viewing or applications in, so apply as soon as one suits you.
- Outdoor access. Peterborough Cat Rescue and Lincs Ark both expect a cat to go outside unless it is listed as indoor-only.
- Your road. Lincs Ark won't home a cat near a busy road.
- Ready to go. Peterborough Cat Rescue asks whether you could take the cat within 7 days if approved.
Woodgreen, the RSPCA and Cats Protection
Three charities that rehome cats near Peterborough don't list them with us. Woodgreen Pets Charity has a cat centre at Godmanchester, about 18 miles south, and books visits after you apply. The RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre rehomes cats in the Fens, and Cats Protection's Peterborough & District branch is run by volunteers. Start from Cats Protection's site.
Cat rescue from Spalding, and kittens
From Spalding, Lincs Ark's fosterers around Holbeach are about 7 miles away and the Bourne cattery about 10; our Spalding cats page starts from the town. Every pet cat in England must be microchipped. For kittens, our rescue kittens guide has where they were when we checked.
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 Peterborough?
Yes. Peterborough Cat Rescue is a volunteer charity in the city whose cats live in foster homes; it has no rescue centre to visit. Its cats join our Peterborough pages with this update.
Which cat rescues near Peterborough are on LocalPetFinder?
Peterborough Cat Rescue, Three Counties Dog Rescue at Bourne, Lincs Ark around Holbeach and Ravenswood Pet Rescue near Wisbech. Together they had about 30 cats on their own pages on 6 November 2026.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat in Peterborough?
Peterborough Cat Rescue asks a minimum donation of £100 a cat, Three Counties Dog Rescue a minimum of £100 and Lincs Ark at least £110. Ravenswood Pet Rescue charged £70 a kitten on 6 November 2026.
Why are so few rescue cats listed in Peterborough?
The biggest cat rehoming charities near the city, Woodgreen, the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre and Cats Protection, don't list their cats with us. The four rescues we list are small, so search those charities' sites too.
Can I visit Peterborough Cat Rescue?
Not a centre, because it has none. You apply on a cat's page, and if the application is successful its homing team arranges for you to meet the cat at its foster carer's home. It also holds Homing Days.
Can I adopt an indoor cat in Peterborough?
Only a cat listed as indoor-only. Peterborough Cat Rescue requires safe outdoor access for every other cat, and Lincs Ark doesn't rehome cats to live indoors unless the cat chose it or has a medical reason.
Can I adopt a cat near Peterborough if I rent?
Yes, with your landlord's written permission, which Peterborough Cat Rescue needs to see before the adoption goes ahead.
Can I give my cat to a rescue in Peterborough?
Peterborough Cat Rescue was full, with its waiting list closed, on 6 November 2026. Our Peterborough rehoming page covers the other routes.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Peterborough? 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: Peterborough Cat Rescue: home page (foster-based, volunteers) · Peterborough Cat Rescue: how adoption works (steps, insurance, Homing Days) · Peterborough Cat Rescue: FAQs (landlord permission, keeping in) · Peterborough Cat Rescue: all cats (dated snapshot) · Peterborough Cat Rescue: a cat profile (donation, outdoor access, 7 days, no holds) · Peterborough Cat Rescue: contact us (intake full) · Three Counties Dog Rescue: cats (dated snapshot) · Three Counties Dog Rescue: about rehoming (cat fee, steps) · Three Counties Dog Rescue: about us (cats taken in) · Lincs Ark: home page (area, fosterers) · Lincs Ark: adoption process (donation, home visit, roads, indoor) · Lincs Ark: cats and kittens (dated snapshot) · Ravenswood Pet Rescue: available cats (dated snapshot) · Ravenswood Pet Rescue: a kitten profile (fee) · Woodgreen Pets Charity: contact us (Godmanchester, cat centre) · RSPCA: Block Fen Animal Centre · 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