Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Persian
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
If you can't give your Persian what they need, you're not alone: for some owners the coat is the hard part. Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue says plainly: "If you cannot keep your cat or cope with its coat etc, we can help." Whatever route you choose, tell adopters honestly about grooming, breathing and eyes, because those are what a new home most needs to be ready for.
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Why Persian cats end up needing a new home
The coat is a daily job. The GCCF (the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, which registers pedigree cats in the UK) rates the Persian "high maintenance, daily grooming", and International Cat Care says many Persians cannot keep their coat free of mats on their own. Strawberry's own offer of help names owners who can't "cope with its coat".
Home life matters too. The GCCF says Persians prefer a calm home and gentle handling. Strawberry says most of its cats have come from homes with children or babies, where being in that environment was causing them distress, and for that reason it does not home cats where there are children under 8.
Health care can add up. International Cat Care says breathing problems caused by the flat face are common in Persians, along with runny eyes and teeth that don't line up, and it recommends vet check-ups at least once a year.
None of this makes your cat a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your Persian
Grooming and the coat. Say how often your Persian is combed, whether they are easy to groom, and whether they have needed a clip for mats. The GCCF says the coat needs daily combing with a metal comb and the eyes need wiping every day, so a new home has to be ready for that from the first day.
Breathing, eyes and teeth. International Cat Care says brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), breathing trouble caused by a short face, is common in Persians. Tell adopters whether your cat snores or breathes noisily, how often their eyes run, and what dental care they have had, and hand over your vet records.
Kidney and other tests. The GCCF says Persians can carry a gene for polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and PDSA lists heart and skin problems in the breed. If your cat has had a PKD test, a heart scan or treatment for anything, pass on the results.
A calm household. The GCCF says Persians are creatures of habit that prefer a calm home, and are happy to be petted by children but unlikely to join in boisterous games. Describe your home and how your cat copes with noise, visitors and other pets, so the right adopter recognises a good fit.
Persian Cat rescues that take owners’ cats
The GCCF says breed clubs have a welfare officer "whose job is to try to re-home pedigree cats that are no longer able to stay with their owners". Contact more than one route, and list your cat with us at the same time.
Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescuecats · Fosterers across England and Wales
A volunteer rescue for Persians and other pedigree or pedigree-looking cats (it does not take Bengals), and your cat does not need papers. You fill in a surrender form and send good photos; your cat then goes to one of its fosterers, and it asks for a donation towards transport. Its phone line is for emergencies only.
National charities that take any breed
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Cats Protectioncats
Contact your local Cats Protection branch or centre (not its charity shops), and plan ahead: "there can often be waiting lists". Its Home to Home scheme lets your cat stay at home while it's rehomed, with no specific fee.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your Persian on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your cat is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your cat stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your Persian appears next to rescue cats on the Persian cats pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your cat, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
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Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your Persian: your questions
Tap a question to expand
I can't keep up with my Persian's coat. Can a rescue help?
Yes. Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue says, "If you cannot keep your cat or cope with its coat etc, we can help." If you list your cat yourself, say honestly how matted the coat gets, because the GCCF says a Persian needs combing every day.
My Persian has breathing or eye problems. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. International Cat Care says breathing problems and runny eyes are common in flat-faced Persians, so many adopters will expect some care. Describe what your cat lives with, share the vet records, and let the adopter decide with the full picture.
Will a rescue split up my two Persians?
Not at Strawberry. Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue says it has never split up close pairs and rehomes them as a pair. If you list privately, say whether your cats are bonded so adopters can plan for both.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other cat breeds
Sources: Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue: Giving up your cat · Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue: Home · GCCF: Rescue and rehoming · GCCF (The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy): Persian · International Cat Care: Persian cats and brachycephaly · PDSA: Persian