First step for adoption in the UK?

Hello, I have just moved into my first house and would like to adopt my first two kittens when the house is decorated which is likely to be in one or two months time.

I have browsed alot of shelter websites and there isnt many kittens/Juvenile cats up for adoption, I assume this is because they find homes quickly and so dont need to be advertised on their websites?

So I thought hey why not visit my local animal shelters nearer the time, but then I remembered they have their cats in foster homes, it seems more like a US thing of having shelters with cats available for viewing or is this also true in the UK?

So for those of you who have adopted in the UK, how did you go about it?

Thanks!

My first cats I got from parents of a good friend: the parents lived in the country and their cats were not neutered so too many kittens and the ones I took were in serious need of a home.  Another friend took one of the brothers and we didn't like to think about the remaining kitten.  I always hoped I'd get my next cat/s s similar way as knew of others in my area who had entire cats and would periodically be looking for kitten homes.  Sadly no kittens when the second of my girls crossed the bridge.  I found that in the UK little had changed from when I first looked to adopt: the rescue societies in my area only let older cats that have always been indoors go to indoor adopters.  As I had had my girls for 18 and 22 years I really wanted a young cat again, and living in an upper apartment with no access to outdoors a rescue cat was not going to happen.  I looked at on line and newspaper adverts but didn't feel the adverts were honest or reliable in terms of information and decided that for me it was most appropriate to go for a pedigree cat from an ethical breeder.  

The PDSA (People's Dispensary For Sick Animals) usually have cats and kittens available for adoption up on their website. They also have adoption fairs where you can go and meet the cats, have you checked to see if there is a PDSA in your area? It's kitten season right now so in a month or two there should be lots of young cats looking for a home.

Keep us posted, I'd love to see some pictures of your new family member if you adopt one.

Here's a link to an article Stephiedoodle wrote for TCS recently.  She talks about the rescue centre she has connections with, and the article has links in it to a web site which lists all the rescue / shelter places around the UK region by region.  Hopefully this will help you in your search too.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/kitten-season-in-the-uk

Thanks Norachan, I had a look on the PDSA website, but they didnt seem to do adoptions, just veterinary care, and the ones in my area were PDSA charity shops, but thanks for trying to help, and I will keep you posted

Thanks for the heads up about Stephiedoodle's article MServant but I was browsing through the cat chat website Stephiedoodle linked before I began this thread with no luck with local shelters, but I guess in a few months there will be much more cats to adopt

It is getting to that time of year so I hope you do.  Let people around you know you're looking as well, in case they know someone whose cat is having kittens.  That's how I got my girls, and I know quite a few people who've been lucky in the same way.