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They’re not spooky, just special — and they’re waiting to meet YOU! If you think perfect is boring, now’s your chance to be charmed by a pet as unique as you are. Today through November 14, you can name your own adoption fee for any Perfectly Impurrfect PAWS pet (look for the special marker on their adoption profile).

These are cats and dogs facing longer stays with PAWS, simply because they have a common medical condition or a special preference for their home – maybe they take daily medication, have a manageable senior condition, or would be happiest in a pet-free or adult household. But while they may be a little different, they’re all treat and no trick — and the joy they bring to your life is pure magic!

PAWS specializes in great matchmaking, and offers support, guidance, and training for adopters as they welcome a new pet into their lives. Visit PAWS’ adoptions page at our #linkinbio to meet our Perfectly Impurrfect pets. A lifetime of love is just a few clicks away! ...

Red Bean Bun needs your help (and so do our other ringworm babies)! This tiny kitten has a big spirit, but her size has us very concerned about her health if she remains at the shelter. Her siblings are nearly twice as big, and we’ve had to separate her to monitor her food intake more closely — which means poor Bean is all by her lonesome 😢

We’d really love to get Bean into a foster home as soon as possible, ideally with her siblings Spider Roll and Sweet Potato (but even solo is better than staying here for too long)! If you’re not sure about taking Bean and her siblings, we also have several other kittens in our ringworm ward who are just as sweet, and just as desperate for love, playtime, and affection.

Fosters and adopters who open their homes to ringworm kitties can attest that they’re some of the most friendly and loving cats you’ll meet, and all it takes to change a life is a separate space in your home and a few weeks of TLC!

To foster or adopt one or more of our adorable fungal felines, email foster@phillypaws.org with the subject “ringworm kittens”!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Some ringworm fast facts:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

🔹 It’s not a worm — it’s a fungal infection of the skin that usually shows up as small patches of hair loss in pets⁠⁠. ⁠⁠

🔹 It’s a mild infection, but contagious to people and pets, so a separate room for fosters is the best way to prevent it from spreading during treatment.

🔹 It usually takes 4-8 weeks to clear up (and many of these babies are already a few weeks into their treatment)! ⁠

🔹 We have twice weekly “dip days” at our Grays Ferry clinics for ringworm fosters/adopters to drop their kitties off for medicated baths — no need to do it at home! ...

Little Girl is a little delight! This pint-sized pup was found outside in a crate before being brought to the city shelter, but she’s now safe with PAWS and more than ready for a fresh start. We’re still getting to know this aptly named sweetie petite-y, but so far she’s shown herself to be a gentle, loving dog who just wants a calm and cozy foster home where she can decompress and have some stability.

Little Girl is more than a little anxious in our kennels, which has translated into a lot of stress-induced barking (we can’t blame her — we’d be stressed out too)! Because we don’t know how much her barking may carry over into a home, fosters should be prepared for some chatter on her end (that means a little extra patience, and thicker walls so neighbors aren’t grumpy)!

Little Girl would do best in a calm, reassuring home without young kids or overly active pets, ideally with someone who’s home most of the day to keep her company. If you can open your heart and home to Little Girl and help her feel safe again, please email foster@phillypaws.org for more information about fostering this 5-6 year old, 13 pound cutie! ...

It took a lot of catnip for Oliver to poke out of his hidey hut today! This shy boy is terrified at the shelter and is looking for a foster to show him that everything’s going to be alright. He just lost his home, and is having an understandably hard time after finding himself in such a strange new place.

Oliver was found as a stray kitten a little under a year ago, and while he’s very nervous at the moment, he was a social and affectionate guy with the folks who rescued and cared for him for the first 11 months of his life.

He’d be very grateful to move to a quiet foster home where he can come out of his shell, and he may even be okay with mellow furry friends once he’s had some decompression time to himself (he’s lived with female cats and calm big dogs and reportedly did fine with them).

If you have a spare space for Oliver (and some extra catnip to share), email foster@phillypaws.org to learn more about this sweet boy!

Ps. Can’t foster, but want to help? We’re running low on hidey huts for nervous friends like Oliver, and our shy cats would be grateful if you’d like to send any from our wishlists (link in bio). ...

Trish would like to speak to a manager about our wet kitten food! Our smallest residents have big opinions and BIG appetites, and we’ve already run through our wet kitten food stores from last week. Trish and her friends would be very grateful for any amount you can send! If you’d like to help, there are a few ways to donate:

🔸Send through our Chewy or Amazon wishlists (link in bio)

🔸Drop off at any PAWS location during open hours

🔸Ship through the retailer of your choice to:
PAWS
2900 Grays Ferry Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19146

If you can’t send supplies, you can also share this post to get the word out, or send funds directly via Instagram, Venmo (username @phillypaws), or through our #linkinbio. ...

Did you know one of PAWS’ sweetest cats is waiting to meet you at our Old City location? Kodama is an absolute joy of a tortie who charms every person she encounters! Loving, curious, and endlessly chatty, this 2 year old cutie has opinions on everything and loves to be in the mix with her humans.

Her last foster shared that she’d be a great work from home sidekick, but if you have to head out, she’ll greet you at the door and see you off when you leave. Once it’s time to relax, she loves TV time on the couch with her people and is an excellent Netflix and chill buddy.

Kodama has a slight head tilt due to an old ear infection, and it honestly just makes her cuter ♥️ She’s tested positive for feline leukemia (FeLV), a virus that weakens a cat’s immune system but doesn’t require any special treatment — just your love and affection. We hope you’ll consider opening your home to this special girl, and would love to answer any questions you have about her!

Come visit Kodama at our adoption center soon, or email adoptions@phillypaws.org to learn more! ...

It’s #VetTechAppreciationWeek, and when we say our vet techs do it all, we are NOT kidding! 💪 From drawing blood and monitoring anesthesia to cleaning wounds, giving vaccines, calming nervous pets, and so much more (honestly, too much to list)! Their days are long, their work is demanding — and sometimes pretty gross — and yet they show up with unwavering kindness and heart.

We’re endlessly grateful for everything our vet techs do — whether they’re offering comfort during a scary moment, easing pain, or celebrating a recovery, their care changes lives every day. Thank you, PAWS vet techs, for doing it ALL with love!

Do you have a favorite memory or moment with a PAWS vet tech? We’d love to hear it below! ❤️ ...

Update: foster found! We have some extra-fragile babies who really need some TLC in a foster home! Seitan, Tofurkey, and Tempeh were abandoned at the shelter and are much skinnier than we’d like them to be. They’re very happy to be safe and well-fed, but they’re having a hard time gaining weight due to some tummy upset, and would benefit tremendously from a quiet and attentive home where they can recover.

Seitan (all black ears) has us especially concerned: she’s significantly skinnier than her sisters, which puts her at much higher risk of catching a shelter illness that her tiny body can’t fight. She’s receiving fluids and medication to help her get more stable, and is still very curious, bright, and affectionate (as are her sisters)!

If you feel comfortable administering fluids (or learning how to do so — it’s easier than you might think!) email foster@phillypaws.org to get in touch with our team about these sweet ladies. ...

Melon is a 40-pound ray of sunshine who’s looking for a foster home! ☀️🐾 This peppy goofball is around 8 months old and still very much in her puppy era — curious, affectionate, and always ready to party. She greets every day (and every person!) with tail wags and enthusiasm, and her playful spirit is 100% contagious.

Melon’s had a successful dog meet at PAWS and would do well in a foster home with a confident dog friend who can match her happy-go-lucky energy (though it’s not a requirement). She’s also a total lovebug who adores snuggles once she’s had her playtime fix!

As a younger gal, Melon is still learning the ropes (house training included!), but is an incredibly fast learner when treats are involved and has already mastered her sits. With some structure and guidance, she’s going to blossom into an amazing companion (and is already well on her way to being one)!

If you’d like to give this sweet treat a place to learn, grow, and shine, email foster@phillypaws.org to learn more about Melon! ...

Kenshi loves to burrow under his hidey hut 🥹 The only thing he’d love more? A foster home with you ♥️

This sweet boy is completely blind, and was trying to survive outside before a Good Samaritan brought the shelter. He’s still healing from several wounds he sustained during his time as a stray, but is so happy to have a warm, soft bed to burrow under and feel safe.

After all he’s been through, Kenshi would be so grateful to recoup in a foster home and enjoy some much-deserved pampering (and lots of beds and blankies to burrow under, of course). He’s around 2 years old, and is very trusting and affectionate in spite of being in a strange place. We don’t know how he feels about other pets, so he’d need his own separate space for very slow intros if you have other fur friends at home.

Our foster team would love to tell you all about this gentle soul, so please reach out to foster@phillypaws.org if you’d like to learn more! ...

Morning squeaks and wheaks with Orzo and Gnocchi (watch with sound)! These two little baby beans are our newest bundles of guinea pig joy. They’re around a month old and are in foster care with their sweet mama, Cannellini. We are aiming to place Orzo and Gnocchi together, since guinea pigs greatly benefit from having a buddy to prevent loneliness (you’d also have the option of adopting Cannellini, though it’s not required)! They do all get along very well and love chattering at one another.

Interested? Read on for more info about this sweet family, follow their foster page @akadrwill, or visit our small animals adoptions page to apply (link in bio)!

Gnocchi has shown the heart of an adventurer from the day she arrived! She loves exploring new places, especially by way of zoomies after breakfast or when rooting around for dinner snacks. She loves chattering away with her sister and would do great anywhere she can get some good playtime in.

Orzo is a little more on the shy side, but still bursting with energy – as she will happily demonstrate by popcorning around any time food is involved, or just because she’s excited to be here – Orzo loves to watch everything that’s going on before following her sister’s lead.

Cannellini (mom) is full of personality and loves to have someone in the room with her to have dinner with (she will literally holler to get your attention and then calm down and start snacking as soon as she sees it’s a familiar face bringing food). She’s been away from pigs her age for a couple months, so it might take a little bit to get her used to other “adults” again, but she adapts to any situation with pluck and aplomb! ...