Good luck. My wife and I got our old dog when we were in Alabama (shoutout to Greater Birmingham Humane Society). Things are really different up here. We ended up going with a (responsible) breeder for our current pair of cats because none of the rescues wanted to adopt to us with a little kid (aside—one of those kittens bonded almost immediately with the kid and the pair are now inseparable).

You also need to keep in mind that kittens are seasonal, even more so here than down South. You'll have a (comparatively) easier time finding one in late spring or summer than you will right now.