Adopt a cat in Catalonia

Province by province

Each province has its own page on Michipedia, with the shelters we have located and their contact details. In Catalonia there are 27 listed.

Cat associations in Catalonia

They work only with cats, almost always through foster homes: their cats are socialised in a home, and they can tell you what each one is really like.

EEl Jardinet dels GatsA Barcelona cat association with cats for adoption, sponsorship and volunteering. BarcelonaCats only Barcelona Gat i GosAn association that rehomes rescued cats: adoption, sponsorship and volunteering. BarcelonaAdoption Gats de GràciaLooks after the street cats of the Gràcia neighbourhood and rehomes those that can live indoors. BarcelonaColonies DeGatsA small rescue that feeds colonies in and around Sant Andreu and has cats for adoption. BarcelonaColonies BadagatsOver two hundred cats in its care, with adoption profiles and special cases. BadalonaCats only Progat CornellàVolunteers who care for the community and abandoned cats of Cornellà de Llobregat. CornellàColonies Gats del CarrerThey work with vets for the cats that live on the street, and have cats for adoption. Sant Vicenç dels HortsColonies AAragatFocuses on street and abandoned cats, with cats for adoption. EspluguesStreet cats GeligatsFriends of the homeless cats of Gelida: adoptions, sponsorship and volunteering. GelidaCats only AAdoptagatA non-profit association focused on responsible cat adoption. IgualadaCats only Progat TerrassaFor the street cats of Terrassa: managed colonies and adoption. TerrassaColonies GiroGatsCats for adoption in Girona and Barcelona, with a section for special needs. GironaCats only PProgat BegurNeutering and health checks for the street cats of Begur, plus adoptions. BegurColonies AAmics dels Gats de la FlorestaAdoptions, foster homes and colony management in Les Garrigues (Lleida). Les GarriguesColonies RodagatProtects street cats with the TNR method and finds homes for those that can be adopted. Roda de BeràTNR VallsGatAn association founded in Valls (Alt Camp) in 2008, with cats for adoption and clear conditions. VallsCats only

Search sites: start here

They bring together the listings of hundreds of rescues. Each link takes you straight to the cat section, where you can filter by province, age and sex. The sites are in Spanish, but your browser’s translate option copes well with the listings.

MiwukiThe longest-running adoption search site in Spain, with cats listed by province and town. Bambú DifundeCats for adoption from rescues all over the country, with a page for each province. Save One AnimalA national platform that brings together the listings of over a thousand organisations, with a filter for cats. Dejan HuellaDetailed profiles of cats and dogs, with a section for each region. Kiwoko AdoptaSearch across nearly five hundred partner rescues, many of them cat-only associations. MundimascotaAdoption listings for cats and kittens, by province. WallamascotasA noticeboard of cats for adoption from private owners and associations.

Cat colonies: your town council’s programme

Since Law 7/2023, cats that live on the street are “community cats”, and managing them is the town council’s job: a census, neutering (the TNR method: trap, neuter and return, known in Spain as CER) and authorised carers. If you have spotted a colony, want to look after one, or have found a kitten that cannot go back to the street, start here.

Barcelona · Cat coloniesBarcelona. How the city’s managed colonies work and what to do if you see community cats. Girona · Cat colony controlGirona. City council information on the managed colonies and the association that looks after them. GGats de GironaGirona. The association that brings together the people who care for the colonies of Girona. Lleida · Ethical management of cat coloniesLleida. La Paeria (Lleida city council) explains how it monitors and manages the city’s colonies.

Before you adopt: what the law requires in Catalonia

Spain’s animal welfare law, Law 7/2023, sets the common minimum for the whole country; each region also has its own law and register, and each town council its own bylaws.

The national law requires every cat to be identified with a microchip and neutered before six months of age, except those registered as breeding animals with a registered breeder (art. 26). It bans the sale of cats in pet shops: only registered breeders may sell them (art. 27), and it does not allow a pet to be left unsupervised for more than three days in a row. Public centres must hand animals over for adoption identified, with a contract, and neutered or with a commitment to have it done (art. 23). In Catalonia, Legislative Decree 2/2008, the consolidated text of the Animal Protection Act, also applies, and the microchip is recorded in the General Register of Companion Animals (ANICOM). It already required cats to be microchipped, and town councils must keep a census. Neutered when sold or given away. The Catalan law requires animals that are sold or given away to be handed over neutered, with the exceptions it sets out (arts. 11 and 24). If the cat you adopt comes from a rescue, they or your vet will usually take care of transferring the microchip registration into your name. What each Spanish region requires (Spanish) →

Other sources

Third-party directories, in case you want to compare (in Spanish). These do take you away from Michipedia.

Other regions