This is a page dedicated to cat rescue centres in London. There are a number of very well-known rehoming centres in London. I have, by the way, listed one that is near Watford, just north of London. Some of the facilities listed are combined animal hospitals/rehoming centres. This is a select group with facilities for the public to visit. If you want to be added please leave a comment. I will add it rapidly! 😊. I guarantee.
The search tool below may be useful because I have lots of information on this website about animal and cat rescue centres which you can easily find with this Google custom search tool.
I have used Google customised mapping to show where these centres are and if you click on the flags, you can see photographs (for some entries), the occasional video and words about the centres. The map can be dragged around the window (hold left click and drag mouse) and zoomed (use buttons on the map).
Note: The listed rescues are described as “animal rescues”. It would pay to check whether they have cats available because they may rescue dogs only for example and also over the years things change. Sometimes they close as has happened to the RSPCA Putney Animal Hospital and rescue centre. They sadly closed their doors several years ago in order to sell off this valuable site. They cashed in on the value of the location. I think this was a very poor decision. Anyway, simply check before visiting because it is too difficult to constantly upgrade this map. Thanks.
As mentioned, these are cat rescue centres in London that you can visit at certain times to see cats that need new homes and to make arrangements to adopt. There are details on the map (click on the flags) for the major entries. A lot of rescue organisations use foster homes. You will be directed to the homes of the foster carers by the rescue. Fostering is a very good way to temporarily home rescue animals pending adoption as the environment is calmer and less noisy.
Here is a list of the featured cat rescue centres in London that I have mapped above:
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
What can one say about this institution, perhaps the most famous rehoming facility in the world and it is about 6 miles from where I live? The video embedded in the map (click on the flag to see another) tells you about the rehoming process.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is the premier cat rescue centre in London (and for dogs, of course). At August 2009 there was a bit of a crisis in cat rescue as there was more than the usual abandonments and less than the usual adopters due to the recession. The maximum number of cat cages is 145 (at 2009). I suppose people looking to give up their cats were turned away. The answer (and I know this can be hard) is to not abandon come what may. Abandoning cats and dogs should the lowest priority when reducing the family budget as everything else is inanimate.
RELATED: Earless tortie cat the first to be rehomed by Battersea Dogs & Cats in lockdown
The video above shows the rehoming process at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. For many years it was simply called Battersea Dogs Home but it was changed in 2005. It was built in 1860.
The history is the most impressive part of this institution’s story, I think:
| Date | Event |
| 1860 | “Temporary” home established by Mrs Mary Tealby. It was first located in Holloway, North London, several miles from Battersea. |
| 1871 | Home moves to Battersea |
| 1883 | The dog’s home takes in cats for first time |
| 1909 | Horse drawn vans (and 2 motor vans) used to collect strays from London |
| 1918 | Airedale Jack a famous resident dog of the home dies a war hero and receives a posthumous VC |
| 1960 | Queen Elizabeth becomes patron |
| 1984 | First full-time veterinary surgeon is employed |
| 1990 | Microchipping introduced |
| 1995 | Rehabilitation department commences |
| 2000 | BBC makes 3rd series on this famous centre |
| 2008 | Work starts on a new facility – the work goes on….. |
RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital
The full title is RSPCA (Sir Harold Harmsworth Memorial Hospital). This is another famous animal hospital, made more famous by a recent television series and the chief veterinary surgeon is also famous thanks to the good old tele…It is primarily a hospital but re-homes animals as a number of them are homeless.
This hospital was built in 1968 from money bequeathed in the Will of Sir Harold Harmsworth.
The RSPCA run the centre and vets train there. Obviously, RSPCA inspectors bring homeless and sick animals to the facility be they wild or domestic.
Wood Green Animal Shelters
This is another one of the very well-established animal rescue centres and for the purposes of this page cat rescue centres in London. There is more than one centre as it has expanded greatly over the years.
It was founded by Louisa Snow in 1924, not long after the first world war that left many abandoned and injured animals on the streets of London. The site in Godmanchester, bought in 1984 it covers 52 acres.
