Rescue kittens and cats in Taunton

St Giles is the one place near Taunton whose cats appear on our cats page and kittens page. On the day we checked it had Darcy and her siblings, who play hard and nap together, so they were to go in pairs to a home with children over 8; they had lived with cats and a cat-savvy dog before. Two timid sisters, Edith and Edna, who were abandoned by their owner, had already been reserved.

That is a handful of cats, not a cattery full, so check often and set an alert.

We list none of these organisations' animals; each keeps its cats on its own website.

• Cats Protection Taunton & Minehead. A small volunteer branch of Cats Protection with a Taunton team for TA1, TA2, TA3 and TA21 (Wellington) and a Minehead team further west. It also handles lost and found cats in its area.
• Cats Protection Yeovil & District. Covers Yeovil and the TA10 to TA20 postcodes south and east of Taunton; you enquire on a cat's listing and meet it in a volunteer's home.
• Ferne Animal Sanctuary. At Wambrook, near Chard, rehoming cats as well as dogs; its terms don't allow other sites to copy its listings, so enquire on its own pages, where you can also join a waiting list.
• RSPCA West Hatch. The RSPCA's West Hatch Animal Centre near Taunton rehomes its cats through the RSPCA's own website.

The St Giles cat form asks whether you want one cat or a pair, how a cat would get outside (a cat flap, a window, the door), who lives with you and visits, and how long the cat would be alone. Renters need proof of the landlord's permission. If the Rescue Office thinks you match, it books a meet and greet at Wrantage; ring before you set off, since cats can be reserved in the meantime.

After you reserve, a home visitor contacts you within 10 working days. Once the kitten is yours, make sure its microchip is registered to you: in England a cat must be chipped by 20 weeks and the details kept current.

If you decide to buy, a few checks keep you and the kitten safe:

• Buy where it was born. Lucy's Law has, since 6 April 2020, barred pet shops and dealers in England from selling kittens under six months they did not breed.
• See the mother. Meet the kitten with its mum in the home where it was born, rather than buying from a video or a social media advert.
• Age and chip. In England a kitten must be chipped by 20 weeks, so ask about the chip if the kitten is older than that.
• Never pay for a kitten unseen. Report a seller who wants money first to Report Fraud.