Our cats and kittens most urgently in need of foster are listed below. Every time an animal leaves into foster care, it opens a space in our shelters to save another in need. You are truly changing lives: not just for these cats, but also for others whose lives depend on a spot at PAWS.

If you are new to fostering with us, please apply here to get started. If you’ve fostered with PAWS before, you can email foster@phillypaw.org for the link to schedule a foster meet & pick-up appointment if you don’t have the link already. When you arrive to meet or pick up potential fosters, please bring a carrier with you (if you do not have a carrier, let us know). We will provide you with a sample of what the cat has been eating here in the shelter, along with the cat’s paperwork and any meds they may be on.

For a refresher on PAWS’s foster policies and procedures, view our online orientation here.

Read on to find your next foster cat!

(updated December 2nd, 2025)

 

Urgent Medical & Behavior Cats

These cats need to finish their medical recovery to become healthy enough for adoption. They will heal faster and be much happier in a home than in the shelter.

	Name: Bingo *URGENT, special placement needed* Location: Old City Adoption Center Date of Arrival: 5/04/2025 Bingo was the name-O! ….of a cat needing foster. This sweet guy is in need of a special foster home! Unfortunately, he has some odd snacking habits- fabric, shoelaces, human food, blankets, rugs, etc.. We suspect he may have Pica, but would love to see how he is doing in a foster home that can house him in a restricted space with limited fabric options for him to chew, with folks who are Type A about tidyness, and who are able to still give Bingo the mental and physical enrichment he needs. (MINIMALISTS! We need you!!) We are hoping by greatly removing his options to chew and instead subbing in playtime, enrichment, and attention, Bingo will feel less inclined to get “creative” about how to keep himself busy. His previous owner also said he is the biggest love bug! Bingo is a little under a year old, already neutered, and while he has previously lived with cats, we think -for now- it may be a better option to have him in a pet-free foster space, to rule out stress from other animals as a contributing factor for his past behavior. We have Bingo on a hypoallergenic diet (no treats, PAWS will provide the diet) to see if potential GI issues could contributing to his suspected Pica issue. The diet will be until further notice, and we’ve also recently started Bingo on new medication to try and help as well.
	Name: Nyla *URGENT* Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 12/02/25 Nyla unfortunately was recently returned by her adoptive home because she was very stressed by the baby in the home. But now Nyla is even more stressed by being at our shelter. We’ve started her on Gabapentin, which can go in her food if needed, but what she’d benefit from the most is going into a child-free foster home. She has her sweet moments and her sassy moments, so a moderately behaviorally savvy foster would be helpful. She is an active, playful gal who could possibly be introduced to another cat in the future after plenty of decompression time, testing for FIV/FeLV, and a slow intro to the home. Nyla is already spayed and a little over 3 years old.
	Name: Rosemary *URGENT* Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/12/25 Rosemary’s such a sweetheart who needs a moderately med-savvy foster’s help! She’s already spayed but has a grade 4 (out of 6) heart murmur and needs a cardiology visit to ensure she’s in a good place to sedate for a super urgent dental procedure! Her mouth is in rough and we have her on pain medication until it can be addressed; we just want to make sure it is safe to sedate her before doing so. Rosemary’s original estimate had her around 4ish years old, but it’s very possible she may be much older. She loves cheek scritches and in her better days she’ll be a very fluffy gal, but upon arrival at the city shelter she was so matted she needed to be shaved down- so she’s looking a little naked right now! Rosemary has a serious face but LOVES everyone she meets!
	Name: Andy *URGENT, FeLV+* Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/16/25 We are a little obsessed with Andy… Okay maybe a super obsessed. We are hoping he will have the most amazing glow-up, but he looks (and probably feels) a little rough right now. He came to the city shelter emaciated, covered in fleas (and anemic as a result), missing chunks of hair from scratching so much, and hypothermic from being outside in the cold for so long. We were really worried about the little guy, but he’s turned out to be the NICEST boy, and he’s already making a great improvement! He’s gained 2lbs thus far and his fur is already growing back in. Andy will need help from someone who is comfortable with easy meds, and who has their own form of transportation plus a relatively flexible schedule for repeat rechecks- he’s getting weekly anemia rechecks right now, but we’re hoping the stretches of time between rechecks will extend soon. He’s very affectionate and excited to see people but between his anemia and FeLV he runs the risk of catching ill the longer he stays at our shelter. We also don’t know if his FeLV may cause other underlying issues to surface after we get to know him and his health more, so a foster should be understanding of his not-entirely-stable status right now. We believe Andy to be around 3-4 years old, and he is already neutered!
	Name: Gradient Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/16/25 9ish year old Gradient looks admittedly a little goofy right now.. Is she Muppet, or is she cat? She’s a Muppet of a cat! Gradient here looks a little funky around the face because she has a history of allergies. She was so itchy she’d scratched a bunch of fur off the sides of her face, which is now regrowing. We have some of her vet care history and know she’s been on a few different meds with mixed results, so presently we’re starting her on a course of steroids and a hypoallergenic diet trial, to see if they both keep her from getting itchy again! With her special hypo diet, she can ONLY eat this food, no treats. PAWS can provide the diet until adoption. Gradient also has a history with asthma so we’re keeping an eye out for coughing, in which case we’ll start her on asthma support medication as well.
	Name: Bo Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/16/25 Super-dee-duper senior Bo is at least 17 years old, according to his microchip that says he was first adopted out back in 2008! Since then he’s been rehomed at least once, declawed, and most recently surrendered to the city shelter for litterbox issues with another cat from the home (Pawl). We don’t know if these two boys are chummy at all and/or whether they’ve been causing +/- exacerbating each other’s litterbox issues history, so we’re posting them separately for foster promo. We’ve noticed Bo is doing a lot of drinking and subsequent urinating, so we’re running senior diagnostics to check the cause. He also has a fantastic meow and zero teefers in his mouth- it’s kind of cute, honestly. Since Bo is also declawed, this may or may not also have contributed to his past litterbox issues. We’d love to send Bo into foster with someone who has the patience and capacity to help troubleshoot potential causes for rogue litterbox usage (IF seen in a new ‘blank slate’ space at all!)– this could include things like keeping the litterbox super tidy, trying lower sided boxes for easier accessibility, trying a softer litter in case his declawed paws are sensitive or even popping some pee pads in/around the box worst-case scenario.
	Name: Nick Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/16/25 Nick’s a sweetie, that’s for sure! He’s around 15 years old, give or take, and he’s already neutered. His original round of bloodwork at the city shelter showed signs of intense inflammation, and a repeat round through PAWS reveals likely IBD, so we’ve started Nick on a GI support diet as well as some nausea support medication. He’ll need a diligent foster to keep tabs on his tummy’s ups and downs while we find the right combination of medication to help him feel his best.
	Name: Nona Pine Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/07/25 Nona’s a lovely little lady around 8-10ish years old, give or take, and she’s recovering from a recent dental procedure! We realized she has stomatitis, a painful autoimmune condition where the only ‘cure’ is to full mouth extractions, so we’re helping Nona feel comfortable post-op while her gums calm back down. She’s a smidge shy at first but is really sweet after you sit with her for a few minutes. After running some diagnostics we’ve also discovered Nona has hyperthyroidism! Since she’s still recovering from her recent dental procedure, we’re going to wait to start her Methimazole treatment (to be given twice daily for life to keep her thyroid regulated) until she’s feeling a little more recovered.
	Name: Rodrick Anthony Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/19/25 Handsome long haired tuxie Roderick came to PAWS with a not-so-handsome ruptured cornea and will be getting an eye surgery to correct this ASAP (our vets may decide to neuter him at the same side). On top of that, he has a kitty cold, so he’s taking oral antibiotics and some pain meds to help his eye feel better. Rodrick will need some rechecks at our Grays Ferry clinic to make sure he is recovering well from his cold and that his eye is healing well- it seems to be thus far, but there is some scarring. If the eye turns out not to be stable, worst-case scenario we would remove it, but we are going to take things at Rodrick’s pace!
	Name: Taffy Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/24/25 Tiny Taffy is SO SWEET! This lil lady is between 1.5 -2 years old, and just finished raising a litter of kittens. She caught a shelter cold, and is now taking some oral antibiotics for about a week to help her feel better. She’d love to recover in a home. After she is feeling better, she can be spayed, and then start adoption promotion!

Cats/Kittens in Need of Foster Transfer or Sitter

These kitties are already in foster, but need a new foster home or a foster sitter to avoid having to come back to the shelter!

	Name: Braye *URGENT, needs foster transfer by 12/10/25 at the latest!* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Our sweet allergy boy, Braye, is in need of a foster transfer before 12/10! His day to day care is pretty easy- he gets a daily liquid steroid for allergy control and support for his suspected IBD, though in the future we’re hoping to move that down to every other day. Braye is around 6-8ish years old, give or take; he’s already neutered, and he’s also already posted for adoption! He just needs a new  foster home to crash in until his perfect forever family is found.
	Name: Creme de la Creme*needs foster transfer by 12/19/25 at the latest!* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Creme is such a sweetheart! We were hoping she’d be adoption center-ready by now but a healing scrape on her leg was recently opened, setting back her healing progress. Creme’s foster needs new foster placement for her by 12/19 due to holiday travel, but Creme can start adoption promo in the meantime while we await her leg healing! She’s already spayed and around 4 years old. In the meantime she’s wearing a stylish e-collar to prevent from licking her wound, and getting a short course of pain medication until 12/5. She’ll also be getting a special cream dabbed onto her scape twice daily until healed- super easy!
	Name: Zoe *needs temporary foster transfer from 12/14 – 1/18/26* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Zoe’s a cross-eyed little cutie in need of a temporary foster for about a month, starting 12/14! She is historically a huge ball of stress onsite at our PAWS buildings, so we really need to keep her out of the shelter while her fosters are out of state for the holidays. Zoe is about 3 years old and very sweet but also very independent. She is on two medications (for anxiety, which triggers itching/overgrooming if she has a flare-up / is untreated) that she takes in the morning with a treat. She would do best in a quieter home with no children or other pets.
	Name: Chip *sitter needed 12/19 – 1/2/26ish* (may need longer) Location: Foster Care Chip is a kitty with a lot of love to give! She warms up to new people quickly and loves to be pet. She’ll love spending time with you, especially at night cuddling in bed. She loves to chat and will talk back to you, too! At her age, she is not the most active cat and does not show much of an interest in toys, but she does enjoy the occasional cat video on YouTube as well as puzzle treat dispensers! She is currently taking medication twice a day for her hyperthyroidism. She loves mealtime and takes her pill with her food without any trouble.
	Name: Lucy *sitter needed from 12/19- 12/30* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Lucy is an affectionate little cat who’s happy to hang out, but doesn’t mind being left alone. She’s a low-key gal with some allergies we’re working through, in addition to suspected asthma. She takes a couple easy meds and her current foster can provide these to a sitter. Lucy’s foster will be away from 12/19 – 12/30 and needs sitter coverage for that time while they’re away! Lucy would do best in a child-free, pet-free home. As far as roommates go, it’s hard to find a more easy-going one than Lucy. She respects rules about furniture, keeps herself well-groomed, and uses the scratching post and litter box perfectly. She’s also on an allergy-friendly diet at the moment [that PAWS can provide] but it’s mostly a precaution, since she’s had some episodes of itchiness. Her lungs are also sensitive so she takes a daily liquid steroid (just a tiny bit!) to keep her comfortable. Her meows are quiet and rare (generally, just a warning to back off if she’s a bit overwhelmed), but her purrs are steady and frequent. She’s a bit nervous at first in a new situation or around new people, but give her a calm, quiet environment for her to explore and warm up to you at her own pace, and she quickly shows off how friendly and loving she can be. She only has a few requests: a quiet space with no other pets, infrequent guests (human-only, and no loud parties, please!), and recognition of her quite-reasonable boundaries. Lucy is around 5 years old, already spayed, and has already begun adoption promo.
	Name: Baby Girl *sitter needed from 12/20 – 12/27* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Meet Baby Girl- she’s a gem! She’s a friendly gal who loves people, but would probably prefer to be an only child or have her own room if you can petsit her. She has mild-moderate CH, or Cerebellar Hypoplasia, but she gets around pretty well! She also is presently being treated for a little yeast/fungal infection on her nose (cryptococcus- not contagious!) with an easy once-daily medication, which can be given in food, but otherwise requires no special treatment other than perhaps keeping her face clean if needed. She also takes a daily steroid because she has chronic anemia. Her foster will be out of town visiting family and needs a foster sitter for Baby Girl while they are away. Her foster says, “I am flexible, either having her stay at my apartment (in Fairmount by the art museum), or being moved to your place. She should be the only kitty, or have her own room since she wasn’t a fan of other cats at PAWS. She has CH and should be kept away from stairs. She needs an oral steroid every morning and night, which she always takes very easily! I have an automatic cat feeder and litter box that can be borrowed if needed. Food & meds will be provided.”
	Name: Pork Chop *sitter needed from 12/20 – 12/27* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Our dearest little grannie Pork Chop is ready for adoption, though her foster will need some sitter coverage between the 20th and 27th of December, since they will be away for the holiday. Pork Chop is a regal gal around 15ish years old; she’s already spayed; and she’s only taking some Gabapentin (which could go in food if really needed) – that’s all! She’s a sweetheart senior who just needs a space to hang out for a week.
	Name: Lena *sitter needed 12/24 – 1/01/26* Location: foster care- this pet is not at the shelter! Please email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help. Lena’s fosters will be away the end of the year, and she needs sitter coverage! Per her fosters: “She is social with other animals, she’s just someone’s cranky aunt – happy to engage as long as she can hiss a little. She is also the sweetest lap cat and all 14 pounds of her will warm you in the cold season. I’d be happy to arrange drop off.” (Note: Lena does have a negative test for FIV/FeLV on file but it’s from 2018, so we recommend her sitter keep her separate from any resident cats, since she only needs foster for a short time.) Lena is not on any medication at present but is on strict diet since she’s a chunky gal!

Kitten Litters (Including Nursing Moms)

These young kittens need a foster home until all are ready for adoption. Some have come in with a nursing momma! Larger litters can be hard to place, and the most helpful option is to take an entire litter so that we open an entire kennel, only take up one foster home, allowing us to immediately save another litter. For kittens without a mom, we are open to separating litters of 4 or more, but we will not split up litters of 3 or less, and we will not pull out singles to send to foster care.

	Name: Minnow *Urgent* Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 12/2/25 Minnow sure is a cutie! She’s around 8 weeks old and being treated for a kitty cold. Once she’s feeling better she can get spayed and start adoption promo, but in the meantime she’s taking a once-daily oral liquid antibiotic, a twice-daily oral liquid antiviral medication, and twice daily eye drops.
	Name: Amy + 3 (Eeny, Meeny, Miney) *Urgent* Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/30/25 Amy’s a new momma ’round these parts, with her three newborns in tow. She’s around 1-2 years old and while seems a bit nervous at first in new spaces, she accepts pets after some gentle talking and letting her make the first moves when interacting. Her babies are 100% dependent on momma right now, so they’ll all need at least another month before babies are ready to start moving onto solids foods. Since Amy’s nervous at our shelter we recommend a quiet, kid-free and pet-free space for her the start off in.
(Better photo pending!)	Name: Binx Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 12/1/25 Binx is a cute little guy being treated for a kitty cold and who also has a pending diagnostic PCR test for possible ringworm. He did not glow under a Woods lamp, another diagnostic tool to check for possible ringworm, but we’re getting a PCR done to be safe. If he pops positive for the fungus he will begin treatment and once he’s kicked his kitty cold he can begin pre-adoption promo. If he tests negtaive, he can be neutered and start regular adoption promo once he’s feeling better from said cold.
	Name: Delilah & baby Florence Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/30/25 What a sweet duo! We’re in love with momma Delilah and her solo baby Florence. Florence is almost 3 weeks old and still very dependent on momma. Delilah herself is around 3-6ish years old but has some ‘unlucky genetics’ – she will need a dental cleaning +/- extractions once her baby is weaned and doesn’t need to nurse from her anymore! In the meantime she seems to be eating comfortably so we’ll just keep an eye out to make sure that continues as baby grows.
	Name: Veruca Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 11/18/25 Veruca just returned from our adoption center with a kitty cold! If you have a limited amount of time you can foster her, then she’d love to get better from said cold in foster care and then head back to a center! She is also being promoted for adoption. Veruca is around 3 months old and already spayed.

Ringworm Cats and Kittens

These cats are recovering from a skin infection that’s easily treatable in an isolated home environment. Caring for these kitties is easy and just takes careful persistence and a separate space in your home. Read out our foster parent guide to ringworm to learn more!

Please check back later!

Shy, Stressed, and Safety Net Program Cats

These cats are very sensitive to the stress caused by the loud shelter environment and need a loving home setting to relax and let their personalities emerge. Learn more about our Safety Net Foster Program here.

Please check back later!

Old City Adoption Center

These cats are waiting for foster care from our Old City location!

Please check back later!

Social Cats (including FAST Candidates)

These sociable cats need a foster home! NOTE: If you are taking a foster cat that’s a FAST program candidate, it can be dropped off at our PetSmart or Old City locations for adoption within 2-3 weeks when they’re healthy, since we need to keep those locations filled with adoptable kitties!

	Name: Roo Location: Grays Ferry Clinic Date of Arrival: 12/1/25 Nine month old Roo has been on a journey! This teeny girl first arrived at PAWS in October and was super thin and anemic. She’s like a new cat these days and has gained weight and her anemia has resolved! She is finishing up a course of steroids for about another week and will need bloodwork in about two weeks to make sure she’s ready for her spay surgery and adoption promotion. She tested negative for FIV and FeLV in early October.