Rescue guide
Cat rescues in Plymouth: the best ones compared
There is no single best cat rescue in Plymouth: it depends on the cat you want, whether it will go outside, and who else lives with you. These are the rescues within about 25 miles of the city whose cats we list, side by side, plus the Cats Protection branch that covers Plymouth.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 28 October 2026
The short answer
The two rescues nearest the city centre whose cats we list are at Plympton and just east of the city: Woodside Animal Welfare Trust, which asks £70 to £300 for a cat or kitten over 14 weeks and offers a discount for a pair, and Gables Dogs & Cats Home, which asks £70 for a crossbreed cat and £75 for a crossbreed kitten. Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) at Ipplepen, about 23 miles, asks £190 for a cat aged 6 months to 10 years. Cats Protection's Plymouth & Rame branch charges £85 for a cat; we don't list its cats.
- 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.
- Plymouth-area rescues that publish a fee
- Gables Dogs & Cats Home: £70 for a crossbreed cat and £75 for a crossbreed kitten. Woodside Animal Welfare Trust: cats and kittens over 14 weeks £70 to £300, kittens under 14 weeks £85 to £300. Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): £190 for a cat aged 6 months to 10 years (£360 a pair) and £165 for a cat over 10. Cats Protection's Plymouth & Rame branch: £85 for a cat and £105 for a kitten up to 6 months.
- Owning 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).
Plymouth cat rescues compared
Every rescue below has the cats we list within about 25 miles of central Plymouth. Click a name to see the cats it has listed with us today, or follow the link in its section below to the rescue's own page. Each rescue runs its own application, checks and fee.
| Rescue | Where | How you adopt |
|---|---|---|
| Woodside Animal Welfare Trust | Elfordleigh, Plympton, just east of the city | Phone for a viewing appointment; homes within about 25 miles |
| Gables Dogs & Cats Home | Merafield Road, Plympton, on the eastern edge of Plymouth | Application (over 21s only); if you match, a call, videos of the cat and a meeting |
| Margaret Green Animal Rescue | Wingletang centre, near Tavistock, West Devon (about 15 miles north) | Contact the centre; the fee is discussed when you reserve |
| Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) | Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot (about 23 miles) | Apply on a cat's page; meet the cat and an assessment interview |
Published adoption fees
These are the cat fees the rescues publish on their own sites. A fee usually covers neutering, vaccinations and a microchip already done. Where a rescue publishes no fee, ask it when you enquire.
| Rescue | Cat fee |
|---|---|
| Woodside Animal Welfare Trust | Cats and kittens over 14 weeks £70 to £300; kittens under 14 weeks £85 to £300; two kittens under 14 weeks £160 to £180; pedigree cats up to £300 |
| Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) | "Cats 6 months to 10 years: £190 / £360 for a pair", "Cats over 10 years: £165", kittens under 6 months £300 (£550 a pair) |
| Margaret Green Animal Rescue | Discussed with you when you reserve; no figure published |
| Gables Dogs & Cats Home | "£70 for a cross breed cat", "£75 for a cross breed kitten", pedigree prices vary |
Which Plymouth rescue for which cat
Here is how each rescue works, nearest first.
Woodside Animal Welfare Trust, Plympton
At Elfordleigh, Plympton. Cats are viewed strictly by appointment: phone to book one and to hear its current homing procedure. Every cat's fee includes neutering, vaccinations, microchipping and flea and worm treatment, and there is a discount for adopting a pair.
Its answers to common questions are useful: it homes to Plymouth and areas within about 25 miles, it rehomes to households with children if the cat is assessed as right for the children's ages and the home, and it rehomes cats indoors if staff judge they are likely to tolerate it, often older cats. It also says it often has more cats and kittens than it lists online, so it is worth a call.
Gables Dogs & Cats Home, Plympton
At 204 Merafield Road, Plympton. Gables asks only that you live on a safe road, and rehomes in Devon, Somerset, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, to people over 21. Some of its cats are still getting used to people and need a quiet, patient home, and some need to live indoors, which can suit a home with no safe outside space. You fill in its adoption application for a cat you like, or as a general application; its rehoming team calls you if it has a potential match, sends videos and photos of the cat, and arranges a meeting.
Its fee is £70 for a crossbreed cat and £75 for a crossbreed kitten, with pedigree prices varying, and includes neutering, a vet health check, a microchip, vaccination and flea and worm prevention. It doesn't advertise all its kittens online, so it keeps a kitten waiting list.
Margaret Green Animal Rescue, Wingletang
Its Wingletang centre is near Tavistock in West Devon, about 15 miles north. Its rehoming fee is discussed with you when you reserve a cat, and covers neutering, vaccinations, worming and flea treatment, health checks and microchipping.
Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry), Ipplepen
At Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot, about 23 miles east. You apply with the "Apply to rehome me" button on a cat's page; if you and the cat match, its cattery team invites you to meet the cat and for an assessment interview. Every cat is vaccinated, microchipped and neutered, wormed and flea treated, and examined by a vet. It assesses each match with children individually, and its rehoming is by appointment.
How to choose a cat rescue near Plymouth
Start with the cat: our Plymouth cats page lists every cat with each rescue. Then check four things on the rescue's own page:
- Indoors or out. Woodside rehomes cats indoors if staff judge they will tolerate it; ask any rescue whether a cat needs outdoor access.
- Children and other pets. Woodside and Animals in Distress assess each cat against your household, so describe it fully.
- Your age. Gables rehomes only to people over 21.
- The fee and what it covers. Gables, Woodside and Animals in Distress publish cat fees (see the table); ask the others.
Cats Protection Plymouth & Rame
Cats Protection's Plymouth & Rame branch is run by volunteers and covers postcodes PL1 to PL11, PL13, PL19, PL20 and PL21. It charges £85 to adopt a cat and £105 for a kitten up to 6 months old, and you enquire through each cat's own listing. We don't list its cats, so search the Cats Protection website for the branch.
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
What is the nearest cat rescue to Plymouth city centre?
Of the rescues we list, Gables Dogs & Cats Home at Plympton and Woodside Animal Welfare Trust just east of the city, at Elfordleigh. Cats Protection's Plymouth & Rame branch is volunteer-run, with a charity shop in Cornwall Street.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat in Plymouth?
Gables Dogs & Cats Home asks £70 for a crossbreed cat, Woodside Animal Welfare Trust £70 to £300 for a cat or kitten over 14 weeks, Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) £190 for a cat aged 6 months to 10 years and £165 for a cat over 10, and Cats Protection's Plymouth & Rame branch £85 for a cat. The fee usually covers neutering, vaccinations and a microchip.
Can I adopt a cat to live indoors?
Sometimes. Woodside Animal Welfare Trust rehomes cats indoors if its staff judge they are likely to tolerate it, and says older cats are often best suited. Ask any rescue which of its cats can live indoors.
Do Plymouth cat rescues rehome to families with children?
Yes, cat by cat. Woodside rehomes to households with children if the cat is assessed as right for the children's ages, and Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) assesses each match with children individually.
Can I adopt two cats together?
Yes. Woodside Animal Welfare Trust offers a discount for a pair, and Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) charges £360 for a pair of cats aged 6 months to 10 years.
Can I visit a cat rescue without an appointment?
Mostly not. Woodside says cats are viewed strictly by appointment, Gables calls you and sends videos of the cat if you match, and the FAQ of Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) says all rehoming is by appointment. Phone before you go.
Does Cats Protection rehome cats in Plymouth?
Yes. Its volunteer-run Plymouth & Rame branch covers postcodes PL1 to PL11, PL13, PL19, PL20 and PL21 and charges £85 for a cat. We don't list its cats, so search the Cats Protection website.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Plymouth? 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: Woodside Animal Welfare Trust: adopt a cat · Woodside Animal Welfare Trust: adopt a pet (fees and cat questions) · Gables Dogs & Cats Home: rehoming (cat fees and process) · Margaret Green Animal Rescue: rehoming fee · Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): cat rehoming process (read in Chrome) · Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): FAQs (read in Chrome) · Cats Protection Plymouth & Rame (homepage linked) · Cats Protection: homepage · 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