Purrfect Pals

Things I liked about purrfect pals:
–the volunteers were really nice.
Things I didn’t like:
— nobody knew the adoption counselor schedule over the holiday weekend, this meant an extra trip to the store
— when I did locate the adoption counselor, it turned out they needed special clearance to adopt out the cat I was interested in. This meant another extra trip to the store
–In between trips, somebody else applied for and got the cat I fell for because I don’t have somebody home all day to take care of the cat. Or at least, that’s what they told me over the phone. Maybe there were other things on my application that they had concerns with — that’s what I get for not lying on the application. How on earth is anybody getting through the screening process?
There are plenty of other cats who need homes. and some of us not-​so-​perfect people need pets, too. I would go someplace else where they treat you with some respect.

Careful when you apply for a cat — Indoor policy only. Any hint of outdoor time, even supervised, and if you have had a lost or missing cat, they won’t approve the application. Also, the interview is more of an interrogation, done after they let you bond with the cat of your choice. We were there for 3 hours total only to be turned down. They keep your information and share it with all their stores (without your permission). Very, very disappointing because they should just be upfront. if they were upfront about the indoor policy, we wouldn’t have applied. There are other resources. The interviewer said the indoor policy is posted everywhere. Untrue. Try to find it on their website. I couldn’t find it anywhere.

I adopted my first pet, an adult cat, from a Purrfect Pals adoption event at the Bellevue PetsMart. She is an amazing companion at the ripe ol’ age of 8; I really lucked out. Purrfect Pals told me her background story, provided her full medical history from birth, and guaranteed me that she recently had all of her shots and tests done. They had the paper for that as well. The adoption process was more thorough than expected. For example, the volunteer had to SPEAK to my landlord to ensure cats are allowed in my apartment/​I had to sign a clause (PUN!) in the adoption papers promising that I would not let her outside and that I would get her annual check ups, and agree not to change her name. I did end up changing it though, because her birth name was terrible. I don’t want to offend any one so I won’t write what it was. (Okay it was Twyla.) All in all, they seemed to really care about her new home. Knocked off a star because my cat was TERRIFIED of the other cats and wasn’t given a separate box to hide in. There were a lot of cats in a small space. And no one likes that… it’s creepy.

When we adopted Maggie May, I was assured that she was a sweet, loving animal that worked well with other animals. After bringing her home and acclimating her, the cat was ANYTHING but good with other animals. She began attacking the other cats and guarding food viciously, and would not allow the other animals near the food bowls regardless of whether or not she was eating at the time. It got to the point we had to lock them in separate rooms to feed them. We drew the line when she began attacking people as well.
The shelter is located in a dilapidated residental area with several abandoned homes. It’s far out enough that two phone carriers (Both T Mobile and ATT phones) had absolutely no service. The driveway is dirt and gravel and the shelter looks like a converted house with an RV attached that seems to serve as their ‘clinic’. There are several rooms with glass walls dedicated to cats. The furniture inside these rooms is dirty and tattered, in dire need of replacement. The air stinks of ammonia and dirty cat boxes. Tthe floor was dirty and stained and appeared to have cat urine on it, as well as mud and dirt. Almost all of the cats were dirty and matted, with collars that were too tight. I did not see any food bowls or available litter boxes, which perplexed me because of the smell in the building. I didn’t see any cats that appeared healthy. They were either far, far too skinny, or morbidly obese.
The receptionist did not ask my name or why I was returning the animal; instead, she said, «Looks like we’re getting another one back,», gave me some forms, and abruptly left. She did not return. After 45 minutes a volunteer showed up and let me know after I asked for a refund of the donation fee that I wouldn’t be reimbursed unless I can prove the animal was vicious with medical documentation of attacks — the bites and swollen scratches I showed her were not enough. Maggie was listed again on the website within hours.
I left with a very bad taste in my mouth and the sinking feeling that I should not have returned the cat to Purrfect Pals — it would have been far kinder to have taken her to a different shelter where she would have been given the care and attention she deserved.
Needless to say, this shelter is completely unprofessional and poorly run. They seem to be a company that only wants to get animals in and out like they’re on a conveyor belt instead of actually attempting to match them up with families that help. Purrfect Pals has no love for the animals they adopt out, which explains the torrid living conditions they’re kept in and the fact that they don’t care who adopts them. Stay away from this shelter. There are far better places that treat their animals, and their adopters, with respect and care. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately they failed to give me a ‘purrfect’ experience and fail their animals on a daily basis, it seems.

I both foster for Purrfect Pals and I have adopted from the shelter. I’ve worked with them since October 2012, and I chose to volunteer for their shelter specifically because of their no-​kill policy, and their different rooms for cats that are FIV+, have FeL, are morbidly obese, etc. This is not a state-​funded shelter, so they rely on private donations and contests for their income. There are several cats that are permanent residents because they need constant medical care. They are a fun crew to work with as well. The cat I adopted had been found outdoors with a string wrapped so tightly around her back leg for so long that she had to have it amputated. Purrfect Pals brought her in from another shelter to provide her with medical care so that she would not be put to sleep. And there are the costs. Putting her down is much cheaper than amputating her leg. This is why adopters will pay $ 100 for a spayed/​neutered cat with up-​to-​date shots. They are paying for second chances at life from a private, not-​for-​profit organization. I understand the frustration a potential adopter may have with the guidelines for care, such as no declawing and keeping the cat indoors, but ultimately, it’s up to the owner. My cats go outdoors frequently when the weather is nice, and I also have small children. In the end, it always comes down to a good fit. Cats have many different and complex personalities, just like humans.

Since I wrote my first first review, I’ve adopted another two cats from Purrfect Pals, and have had wonderful experiences. One, I adopted from one of the Petsmart locations, and the volunteer was helpful and kind and very excited about seeing a kitty find a good home.
The second cat was over a year later, and we drove up to Arlington (which is a bit of a drive) to meet all the cats in the adoption room. We had an adoption volunteer showing us around, and we met wonderful cats but nobody who’d fit in with my other cat, when another volunteer said «Well, you have to meet Joey!» Joey was waiting to go out to a Petsmart location, but hearing what we were looking for, the volunteer thought he might be the perfect cat.
And they were right! Not only do they care so much about cats, they really understand what you’re looking for and how important it is to find the right cat for your home.

I love this place! They offer a free spay clinic occasionally and are very caring!

I greatly admire the way this organization is run and I love the two cats whom I’ve adopted through them. Purrfect Pals does things right. I’ve visited their facilities in Arlington and was impressed with the operation.

Like another reviewer I’ll give them 1 star for good intentions but I have issues with the veracity of their disclosure and post adoption support. I recently adopted «Scrub», a five year old male tabby who is a great cat. Scrub was ill when I chose him and I assumed they would wait a few days before I brought him home. Against my instincts they were quite ready to send him home right then and there after shooting him up with penicillin and giving me a 10 day course of amoxycillin. Scrub’s staph infection cleared up but he immediately had spraying issues. This was after I was assured that his urinalysis was clear so I assumed the problem was behavioral. $ 200 worth of Feliway products didn’t ameliorate the problem. I called numerous times for advice and support but getting someone to answer the phone or return a call wasn’t happening. I wound up taking him back in tears. A few days later I went back to see him and perhaps see if this was a curable behavior issue. The first thing I was told is that he had a urinary blockage and that he was in quarantine then told I couldn’t see him. I’ve had cats all my life and had no experience with or knowledge of physically caused spraying. So, as it appears now, Scrub’s condition is manageable but they don’t intend to let me have him back. He’s quite missed by my S.O., our other cat and myself. I feel like I was «closed» with misrepresentation by an organization more concerned with getting a $ 100 adoption fee out of me than providing full disclosure. While I support their mission I wouldn’t trust them as far as I can throw them. If I were to adopt there I would make it conditional upon my own vet’s examination report prior to adoption. I’m not sure whether Purrfect Pals’ staff vet is incompetent or just less than honest.

We got the best cat I have ever had from Purrfect Pals. She was born in the care of a volunteer’s home and had a ruptured cornea at birth. As a result of their excellent care, she is the most well adjusted cat you can imagine. Nothing rattles her. The humane society would have «spayed» her mother (aborted her.) I am so grateful that they let her live! She has been such a blessing to us. We have 4 cats and I have literally had hundreds of cats in my lifetime (used to live on a farm) and this is one special kitty.
If you haven’t visited their facilities, I urge you to do so. Visit the leukemia kitties. What does the «Humane» Society do with cats that test positive for leukemia?
I have read the other reviews and they do concern me. Perhaps Purrfect Pals should screen their volunteers more carefully. I do believe everyone there loves kitties, but not everyone who loves kitties is suited to even own a kitty let alone work in a shelter.
Whether you adopt a cat from the Humane Society or Purrfect Pals or a pet store or a breeder, you are taking a risk health-​wise. I have seen a kitten suffering seizures at a local pet store and the staff swore it was healthy. I adopted a kitten from the Humane Society that was neutered, had a full series of shots, and two tattoos by 6 weeks old and suffered from extreme, life threatening, stop-​breathing and turn-​blue asthma at least once a month all of his life. I have a purebred cat with congenital heart disease that was supposed to kill him by age 6 (he’s 16 now!!!) But my point is, health problems happen no matter where you get your furkid. I’m really sorry for those of you that had bad experiences, but it doesn’t just happen at Purrfect Pals.

There seem to be many people leaving comments about how to run a shelter. I would advise each of you to open a shelter that does everything correctly. You may find that it isn’t quite as simple as you suggest. Or, more realistically, try volunteering at shelters and/​or take in animals through your own home and place them. These fairly insignificant activities as compared to running a shelter based upon, mostly volunteer help, will provide a real education.
Instead of complaining get out there and help solve the problem of over-​population.

I am surprised at the negative reviews here. We adopted Dexter (the artist formerly known as Tipster) at the Renton Petsmart, and just got another kitten named Ginger at the Bellevue Petsmart. Both experiences have been extremely positive and happy. Dexter was abandoned by his former family, and although he is quite a nut I will never understand why, he is such a hugger. After adopting him, at his FREE vet visit that is included in the adoption, I got talked into getting him tested for cat scratch disease, which he did have, and had to take antibiotics for 3 weeks. That is not a huge deal to me. Animals that live in a shelter are going to be exposed to that kind of thing. If you get a free cat off craigslist, there is the possibility to spend hundreds of dollars in vet care; if you are a responsible owner. When you adopt from Purrfect Pals the kitty comes with blood testing for diseases, spay/​neuter, vaccines, flea treatment and a free vet exam certificate. I liked adopting from them because I knew what I was getting into with each individual cat. That is easily worth $ 100 to me. Every volunteer I have come across has been very caring and knowledgeable about the individual kitties at their location. Now I am up to two cats which is going to be my limit (SERIOUSLY) but I will still visit and I am considering becoming a volunteer because I believe in their mission. I love cats!!!

I will give them one star for good intentions and ideas i believe they have in mind, but this is only how far they go. I understand that the shelter tries to save cats, take them off the streets and bad homes, but it is such a poorly managed organization that all of their attempts to do well kind of fade away.
I had my own bad experience with a shelter. I adopted a cat knowing in advance that it had litter box issues, but that didn’t bother me much because it was more an issue of a breed than manners. I have to say that i’ve been looking at that cat for quite a while and got to know him before adoption. First problem the medical records were somewhat disorganized; we were told one thing, another appeared to be done. Once i brought the cat home it just started going to the bathroom like crazy and vomiting all over the place. I’ve had cats before and i know how they are supposed to behave even though every animal is different there are always similarities. Next day i took him to the vet who looked at the cat, examined him and declared that the cat is extremely ill, underweight due to some health issue and probably has some sort of cancer in his GI system. His advise was to take cat back to the shelter and let them deal with it. Instead i went to another vet clinic so another doctor can examine him; after a series of blood work and all sorts of test they suspected the same thing, tumor in his GI.
The problem here is that the process of this cat getting sick was ongoing, it didn’t happen overnight and they couldn’t even see that. THe bottom line is maybe they try to save animals but they actually make them suffer and inbreed infections. If you ever visited the shelter, the first thing you notice is a strong smell of unclean cat litter box; the small room cramped with bunch of cats and the staff isn’t educated about feline health problems. They are unprofessional in their practice of saving animals. When i visited a shelter one of the cats nose had green discharge all over it, so i asked what was wrong with him and the girl said the cat has upper respiratory infection, but she didn’t know anything about it. Well that cat was in a common room with other healthy cats and while URI is very common in shelters it is also highly contagious, so instead of keeping the animals in isolation, it roams among other cats.
This place needs some serious changes, some serious work needs to be done. You can’t just say «I want to save an animal» and open a shelter without no knowledge. They don’t monitor their cats’ health, weight, they mess up their medical records and give away sick pets without warning. They have a pretty high adoption fee $ 100 and provide no insurance or further assistance with a pet.

Disclaimer: I have never adopted a cat from this shelter. This review is written from the point of view of a volunteer.
The only other experience I’ve had with PP is when I tried to surrender a cat – I will go into that later.
First off, the main shelter. Purrfect Pals has its main shelter in Arlington, with adoption centers in pet stores all thoughout Puget Sound. The main shelter has different sections for feral cats, lukemia + cats, FIV + cats, and ‘normal’ cats. It’s not huge, but the cats seemed pretty comfortable and it is clean. On another note, the woman who founded the shelter actually lives in it. she has just one large room in the building that is her own that has about 20 cats living in it. A bit odd, but cool nonetheless.
I mentioned earlier that I tried to surrender a cat here. I have a stray living around outside of my house that I sometimes provide food and stuff for. He’s very sweet so I wanted PP to take him. So I called the shelter and I talked to the woman about the cat. First off, she wanted medical records. I understand that this is a non-​profit shelter and they need to be picky sometimes, but it just seemed odd that it was so urgent to get medical records for a stray. The thing is, he recently got very very sick (hence why I really wanted to find a place for him so he could get better.) When I said this, the woman abruptly told me that they could not take him because they were «in between vets at the moment.» (This was on January 2^nd, 2010.) I am not upset that they could not take this particular cat but I am concerned about the fact that they currently do not have a vet working at this very large shelter.
Anyways, being a volunteer myself I want to note that there are volunteers with this shelter that spend a LOT of their personal time helping out because they really care. It made me a little sad to search for PP on Unilocal only to find that a lot of people have had bad experiences with Purrfect Pals. I believe that Purrfect Pals is a good organization despite its faults, but as someone said earlier, I give it four stars because there is surely room for improvement.

I volunteer at adoption events with Purrfect Pals, so want to add my perspective. When I first started volunteering, I was bummed that PP is sooo honest with the potential adopters. Adopters see a bio that is honest about the cat’s personality, if the cat will get along with other cats or dogs or kids, if the cat is shy or has trust issues, etc. Also, PP turns away adopters based on certain guidelines (indoor/​outdoor, declawing, age of kids in home, etc.)
I just wanted them to all find a home and didn’t want to say anything that would dissuade adopters. Luckily, after interacting with potential adopters and hearing stories of «returned» cats, I see how this process was developed over time. And I completely support it.
Another note is that all adopters sign a contract that agrees to take care of their new cat, including any health issues that arise later. If you’re not on-​board with that risk, then you shouldn’t adopt an animal.
Is PP perfect — no. I’ve been involved with enough non-​profits to know that none of them are. Besides adoption events, PP has sanctuaries for unadoptable cats (FIV, feline leukemia) and provides free spaying/​neutering once a week. I second James S’ review — if you have a problem with any of this and want to help cats, then pick a shelter and donate your time or money to help solve the underlying issues. King County has given up – someone needs to fill the gap.

Purrfect Pals provides the most love and care for their cats that I have ever seen from a shelter or organization. The fact that the adoption counselor knew all their names astounded me and really displayed the time they take to get to know their kitties. Our adoption counselor, Melissa, was so helpful in giving us all the information we needed to make such a hard and lifelong decision.
We decided on two male kitties who had been at the shelter for over a year due mainly to their age and some extra health care that would be needed (all of which was explained to us long before we made the decision to adopt them). The day we came in to take them home many of the shelter staff members were emotional about the good-​bye and very excited for them.
I emailed the shelter about some mats that I found on one of the kitties after I brought him home and just asked what they recommend I do to get them out. I was expecting to go buy a special comb or take them to a groomer, but instead Purrfect Pals graciously offered a free-​of-​charge grooming for them and apologized for not catching that before I adopted them. It really disheartens me that so many of the reviewers on this site seem so offended when they don’t get a perfect, flawless pet. This is a shelter! They are cats that have been given away by their owners. They are scared and insecure, surrounded by too many other cats. Then a stranger comes and takes them to a completely new place. Yes, by adopting from a shelter you run the risk of adopting a cat that might get sick or be scared for a while. This should be realized long before you decide to be a cat owner.
My final review is this: I have volunteered and visited numerous cat shelters around Washington. The cats at the Arlington shelter were the happiest and loving shelter cats I have ever seen. I attribute this to the dedicated and loving staff at Purrfect Pals. Thank you for giving us two lifelong additions to our family!

Several weeks ago I had a new experience with Purrfect Pals, one NOT recounted in my original review of February 28, 2008. Its significance is important enough that I believe it should be made public.
On Wednesday, March 31^st, 2009, I was contacted by a member of their organization, who nastily threatened to sue me unless I came around.
This kind of behavior is consistent with the other behaviors by Purrfect Pals I have described in my original review. This is the kind of place that will adopt out a seriously sick cat and then excoriate you for «dumping» it if you find you cannot care for it.

I hope this organization, instead, uses the time and expense they would expend on such vindictive action to take concrete steps to improve their own operations.
One would think that if an organization does not like reading critical reviews that it might seriously consider doing something about those areas of deficiency*, instead of engaging in such inappropriate behaviors.
I stand by my original review and refuse to submit to such intimidation.
* For example, I recently noted that the Petco University District and West Seattle Purrfect Pals locations, which originally had small, nasty cages housing forlorn cats for adoption – in a Wal-​mart-​like environment – have been closed. This is definitely an improvement.
** The adoption fees for a cat one year or older in age is $ 25 at the Seattle Humane Society and includes 30 days of free pet health insurance, while they would be $ 100 at any Purrfect Pals location. I have heard of no issues with screening for health issues at the Seattle Humane Society, actually in Bellevue. I wish I had there instead of here 18 months ago.

I adopted a kitten from Perrfect Pals at a PetSmart in Lynnwood. We were told that the kitten was a boy and had all his shots. In the days after the adoption the kitten got more and more sick. Sleeping all the time and lethargic. After taking the kitten to the vet, we learned that the boy was a GIRL, and that the reason the kitten was sick was because she was a lot younger than they told us. According to our vet, Perrfect Pals did her snip snip at way too young of an age– resulting in her being sick. The kitten slowly improved with lots of effort, vet visits, and care.
I did not have a good experience– Adopt elsewhere!

Overall: Great no-​kill organization for adopting cats/​kittens
They claim to be «the worlds largest cat only adoption organization and sanctuary». Ok, we never visited them in Arlington, but they had an adoption event in dare I say «Petsmart», Everett. I was on the lookout for a kitten, and on visiting I picked one and adopted her within 30 minutes of the event starting.
The adoption fee for a «moggie» was $ 100 and you can donate as much as you want. You can be assured that the kittens/​cats you adopt have had a thorough check up and had most of their vaccines. Our little kitten (2.5 months), had been spayed (with tattoo), micro-​chipped and the only vaccines she was missing was the feline leukemia booster, distemper and rabies.
Along with adopting your new cat/​kitten, you get a certificate for a free health check up at a list of vets, PLUS a load of vouchers that can be used at Petsmart (not sure if this is a good or bad thing).