Adoption guide
Rescue kittens in Southampton and Portsmouth: where to adopt one
Far more people around Southampton and Portsmouth search for kittens for sale than for a cat rescue, yet the rescues at Fair Oak, Waterlooville and Bordon all had kittens or young cats on the day we checked. Here is where rescue kittens were on the day we checked, what each charity charges for one, which rescues insist on pairs, and what to look for if you buy instead.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 5 November 2026
The short answer
For a kitten near Portsmouth, start with St Francis Animal Welfare at Fair Oak, which had 11-week-old kittens listed with us on 5 November 2026 and charges £150. Purrfect Paws at Waterlooville asks £200 a kitten, and HappyCats Rescue near Bordon homes kittens only in pairs unless you have a suitable cat. Our Portsmouth kittens page shows what is listed now.
- 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.
- Kittens around the Solent
- The Cat & Rabbit Rescue Centre: £110. St Francis Animal Welfare: £150. Purrfect Paws: £200, neutering and four weeks' insurance included. HappyCats Rescue: from £150 for a kitten under five months, £250 a pair, neutering under contract later.
Where to find rescue kittens near Southampton and Portsmouth
The live count above links each kitten to its rescue. On 5 November 2026, the kittens listed with us within 25 miles of Portsmouth were all at St Francis Animal Welfare; the other rescues below had young cats on their own pages that day.
St Francis Animal Welfare, Fair Oak
On Mortimers Lane at Fair Oak, about 15 miles from Portsmouth and 6 from Southampton, St Francis had two lots of 11-week-old kittens and a 7-month-old listed with us. Home checks apply, viewing is by appointment, and a kitten costs £150. See our St Francis page.
Purrfect Paws Feline Welfare, Waterlooville
Purrfect Paws runs its rehoming hub with a tea room on Stakes Hill Road, open Tuesday to Saturday. On its cats page that day was a bonded pair of young brothers, about 5 and 6 months old, found on the streets as tiny kittens, already neutered and chipped. Fill in its enquiry form; it replies when it has a match.
HappyCats Rescue and Phoenix Rehoming
HappyCats Rescue, based in Bordon, had two litters born on 21 July 2026, most of them reserved. It rehomes anywhere in the UK, but only by its application form, and it keeps no waiting list. Phoenix Rehoming had a 10-week-old kitten fostered in Eastleigh; you meet each animal in its foster home.
Second Chance, Southampton
Second Chance runs a kitten registry all year round, while warning that it never knows when kittens will be ready. Sign up and it contacts you. Its cats are on our Second Chance page.
Pairs, roads and neutering rules
Some rescues here set firm rules for kittens:
- Two kittens, not one. HappyCats Rescue homes kittens in pairs unless a suitable cat already lives with you; our bonded pairs page lists pairs near Portsmouth.
- Away from traffic. HappyCats won't home a cat on a busy road or near a railway line, and Second Chance asks for kitten homes away from main roads.
- Indoors until neutered. HappyCats wants males neutered at 5 months and females at 6, and kittens kept in until then.
- Island kittens stay on the Island. Feline Welfare on the Isle of Wight rehomes only there.
What a rescue kitten comes with
A kitten from HappyCats Rescue or The Cat & Rabbit Rescue Centre leaves with vaccinations begun, a microchip and flea and worm treatment, and the Purrfect Paws fee includes neutering. Whoever you get a kitten from, in England a pet cat must be microchipped by 20 weeks. If you are open to an adult, our guide to cat rescues around Portsmouth covers the rest.
Searching "kittens for sale Southampton" or "Portsmouth"?
Rescue kittens aren't sold: you apply, the rescue matches you to a kitten, and the fee covers part of the care it has had. Nothing on our kittens page is for sale; each kitten goes home through its rescue.
If you buy, Lucy's Law has applied in England since 6 April 2020: no pet shop or dealer may sell a kitten under six months, so it must come straight from the breeder or a rehoming centre. Meet the kitten with its mother, and walk away from anyone wanting a deposit first; report them to Report Fraud.
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 adopt a kitten in Southampton?
St Francis Animal Welfare at Fair Oak, about 6 miles from Southampton, had kittens listed with us on 5 November 2026. Second Chance at Mansbridge keeps a kitten registry all year, and Phoenix Rehoming had a kitten fostered in Eastleigh.
Where can I adopt a kitten in Portsmouth?
Purrfect Paws Feline Welfare has a rehoming hub at Waterlooville, and HappyCats Rescue fosters around Bordon. St Francis Animal Welfare at Fair Oak, about 15 miles away, had young kittens listed with us on 5 November 2026.
How much is a rescue kitten near Portsmouth?
The Cat & Rabbit Rescue Centre charges £110, St Francis Animal Welfare £150 and Purrfect Paws £200. HappyCats Rescue asks at least £150 for a kitten under five months or £250 for a pair.
Can I adopt one kitten on its own?
Not from HappyCats Rescue unless a suitable cat already lives with you; it homes kittens in pairs. Ask other rescues about their own rule.
Are there free kittens in Southampton or Portsmouth?
Not from rescues, which all charge a fee towards vaccinations, microchipping and neutering. Be wary of "free" kitten adverts: meet the kitten with its mother and check it is healthy before agreeing anything.
When must a kitten be neutered after adoption?
HappyCats Rescue wants males neutered at 5 months and females at 6, under a signed contract, with the kitten kept indoors until then. Purrfect Paws neuters its cats before they go.
Keep reading
- Kittens for adoption in and around Portsmouth
- All rescue cats in and around Portsmouth
- Cat rescues in Southampton and Portsmouth, compared
- Every cat adoption guide for Portsmouth
- Rescue pets in Portsmouth
Kittens in other cities: Southampton, 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, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, 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, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Preston, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Truro
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Portsmouth? 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: St Francis Animal Welfare: adoption fees (kittens) · St Francis Animal Welfare: adopt (home checks) · Purrfect Paws Feline Welfare: home page (hub, hours) · Purrfect Paws Feline Welfare: cats for adoption (dated snapshot, kitten fee) · Phoenix Rehoming: adopt (dated snapshot) · HappyCats Rescue: cats needing homes (dated snapshot, donations) · HappyCats Rescue: adoption criteria · The Cat & Rabbit Rescue Centre: adopt a cat (kitten fee) · Second Chance Animal Rescue (Southampton): cats (kitten registry) · Feline Welfare: rehoming (Isle of Wight only) · GOV.UK: Lucy's Law · gov.uk: microchipping for cats becomes compulsory · Report Fraud · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023