The short answer
You can rehome kittens for free in Canada by listing them on LocalPetFinder. There is no listing fee and no surrender fee, and you choose who takes each kitten. Three things protect the kittens and you. First, keep every kitten with its mother until at least 8 weeks old. Second, never advertise kittens as “free to good home,” because free kittens flood classifieds every spring and are acquired in bulk with no screening. Charge a small rehoming fee, screen every adopter, and meet in person. Third, if this was an accidental litter, book the mother's spay immediately, because a cat can become pregnant again within weeks.
This is animal-welfare guidance, not legal or veterinary advice
Minimum-age rules vary by province and municipality, and your vet is the right source for the litter's health and vaccination schedule. For the 8-week weaning standard referenced here, see the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. If you suspect a scam, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Two situations people mean by “rehome kittens”
The advice splits depending on which one you are in, so start here.
- One kitten you cannot keep. An allergy, a landlord, a life change, or simply that the timing was wrong. This is common and you are not a bad owner for it.
- An accidental litter to place. Your cat had kittens you did not plan for and now you have several to rehome at once. This needs a little veterinary planning, patience, and an urgent spay booking for the mother.
What neither situation should become is a sales channel. LocalPetFinder is for owners rehoming responsibly, not for commercial litters.
If you cannot keep your kitten
List the kitten for free, describe its age, vaccination status, litter habits, and temperament honestly, set a small rehoming fee, and screen adopters. Kittens place quickly, so you have time to be selective. Our guide to screening adopters covers the questions that matter and the red flags worth walking away from.
If you have a litter to place
This is the part that needs structure. A responsibly-placed litter follows a clear sequence.
- Vet check the mother and the litter early. The vet confirms the kittens are healthy, sets the deworming schedule, and advises on first vaccinations. This also gives you accurate details for each listing.
- Keep every kitten with the mother until at least 8 weeks. Kittens removed too early miss critical weaning and social learning, including litter habits learned from the mother. The BC SPCA and humane societies nationally use the 8-week minimum. Plan placements for the 8-to-12-week window.
- Do first deworming and, where age-appropriate, first shots. A kitten that leaves with a vet start is healthier, safer to place, and reasonable to attach a small fee to.
- Place one kitten at a time, screening each adopter. Do not hand out a litter in a weekend to whoever shows up. Vet each home the same way you would for a single cat.
- Book the mother's spay immediately. This is the urgent one. Cats can become pregnant again within weeks, even while nursing, so spaying the mother is the single most important thing you will do. See spay and neuter costs across Canada for low-cost clinic options.
Why free kittens attract the wrong response pool
Free kittens are everywhere online every spring, and that abundance is exactly the problem. A free post is acquired with little or no screening by hoarders, by people collecting animals for the wrong reasons, and occasionally by resellers. The volume makes individual kittens easy to take with no questions asked.
The protections are simple: list for free but charge the adopter a rehoming fee, take payment only in person at handover, never ship a kitten, and meet every adopter face to face. Our free-to-good-home guide documents the full pattern.
List a kitten or a litter for free
Free to list, no surrender fee, reviewed within 24 to 48 hours. Each kitten appears beside vetted rescue cats in your city, and you screen every adopter yourself.
Start a Free Listing →Free and responsible ways to rehome kittens near you
Listings are city-scoped, so each kitten is seen by local adopters who can come and meet it. The general process and your other free options are covered in our guide to rehoming a cat for free, and city-specific guides cover local shelters and costs:
Rehoming puppies instead? See our guide to rehoming puppies.
Frequently asked questions
How old should kittens be before rehoming them?
At least 8 weeks old, and many rescues prefer 10 to 12 weeks. Kittens need that time to wean fully from their mother and to learn normal cat behaviour and litter habits from her and their littermates. Placing a kitten before 8 weeks is linked to more behaviour and health problems, and humane societies across Canada use the 8-week minimum. If you have a litter, plan placements for the 8-to-12-week window, not earlier, and keep them with the mother until then.
Where can I rehome kittens for free in Canada?
You can list a kitten, or a whole litter, for free on LocalPetFinder in every province. There is no listing fee and no surrender fee, and you screen adopters yourself. What you should avoid is posting kittens as 'free to good home' on Kijiji or Facebook. Free kittens flood classifieds every spring, which makes them easy to acquire in bulk by hoarders and people sourcing free animals for the wrong reasons. List for free to you, attach a small rehoming fee for the adopter, and meet every adopter in person.
My cat had an accidental litter. What do I do first?
First, get the mother and the kittens a vet check. The vet confirms they are healthy, sets a deworming schedule, and advises on first vaccinations and timing. Keep the litter with the mother until at least 8 weeks. While they grow, line up homes one at a time rather than all at once, and screen each adopter properly. Then book the mother's spay right away. Cats can become pregnant again very quickly, even while still nursing, so spaying the mother is urgent, not optional. One accidental litter is common. A second is preventable.
How much should I charge as a rehoming fee for a kitten?
A kitten rehoming fee usually runs $50 to $150, anchored to what you have actually spent on the first vet check, deworming, and any first vaccinations. The fee is a screening tool, not a sale price. It removes your listing from the people who collect free animals in bulk, and it signals to genuine adopters that the kitten has had a vet start. If a screened adopter you genuinely like has tight finances, you can reduce the fee after you meet them. What you should not do is post the kittens free.
Is it safe to give kittens away for free?
Listing for free on a screened platform is safe. Giving a kitten away free to a stranger from a classifieds ad is not. The danger is not the price, it is the audience a free public post attracts. Because free kittens are so abundant every spring, they are acquired with little or no screening by hoarders and by people sourcing animals for the wrong reasons. The protections are simple: charge a small rehoming fee, ask how the kitten will be kept, take payment in person, and meet every adopter face to face before any kitten changes hands.
Should the kittens be kept indoors, and does that matter for rehoming?
It matters, and it is worth asking adopters about. Most Canadian rescues place kittens as indoor cats, both for the kitten's safety and because of local wildlife and traffic. When you screen an adopter, ask whether the kitten will be indoor-only or have safe outdoor access, and make sure their plan fits the kitten you are placing. It is a fair and normal question, and a good adopter will have a thoughtful answer.
Can I rehome a single kitten I cannot keep?
Yes, and you are not a bad owner for it. People discover allergies, housing restrictions, or that the timing was wrong. List the kitten for free, be honest about age, vaccination status, litter habits, and temperament, charge a small rehoming fee, and screen adopters. Kittens place quickly, so you have time to be selective and find the right home rather than the first one.