PawPurrs Halfway House

01/10/2026

So, you’ve spotted a new furry face in your garden? 🐾 Before you pick up the phone to call us, there are a few simple steps you can take to see if that kitty already has a home nearby.

1️⃣ Check for a microchip! Most vets will scan a cat for free, or you can look up your local ‘Scan Angels’: they’re amazing volunteers who come to you with a scanner.

2️⃣ Get social. Post a photo on your local community Facebook groups or Nextdoor. Often, a "stray" is just a cheeky neighbour looking for a second breakfast!

3️⃣ Try a paper collar. If the cat seems healthy, you can pop a paper collar on them with your phone number. If they go home, their owner will see it and give you a call.

If you’ve tried these and still have no luck, then we’re here to help! Every cat deserves to be safe and warm. 🧡

29/09/2026

The Renters’ Revolution has arrived, and it’s a game-changer for cat lovers! 🏠🐾

Did you know that thanks to the new Renters’ Rights Act, it’s now much easier to share your home with a furry friend? Landlords can no longer unreasonably refuse your request to keep a pet, which means that "No Pets" clause in your tenancy agreement might finally be a thing of the past.

At Pawpurrs Halfway House, we know how much a cat can turn a flat into a home. If you’ve been waiting for the law to change before adopting, your time has come! We have so many beautiful rescue cats waiting for a sofa to call their own.

Worried about how to approach your landlord? We’re here to help! We can provide advice and guidance on how to make a formal request and show that you’ll be a responsible pet owner.

Let’s get more cats out of pens and into happy homes. Check out our website to see our current residents ready for adoption!

24/09/2026

Ever wonder why some of our loveliest residents get passed over? 🐾

We call it the 'Teenage Cat Trap.' Everyone comes in looking for a tiny kitten, but our adolescent cats (6 months to 2 years old) are the true hidden gems of Pawpurrs! 💎

These guys are past the 'climbing your curtains at 3 AM' phase, yet they’re still bursting with energy and ready for a lifetime of play. They’ve grown into their personalities, so what you see is what you get: whether they’re a professional snuggler or a goofy explorer.

Plus, by this age, we’ve already handled all their big vet milestones like spaying, neutering, and vaccinations, so they’re ready to jump straight into your heart (and onto your sofa).

Next time you’re looking to add a feline friend to the family, look past the tiny fluffballs and consider a teen. They have so much love to give and are often our longest stayers.

Check out our current teens waiting for their forever homes on our website at pawpurrs.org.uk!

23/09/2026

Ever wondered what a "second chance" actually looks like? 🐾

When a new rescue arrives at Pawpurrs, the first 24 hours are everything. For just £10: the price of a couple of coffees: you’re literally changing a life the moment they step through our doors.

Here is exactly where that £10 goes in those crucial first hours:
✨ A hearty, nutritious meal (often their first proper one in a long time!)
✨ Immediate flea and worming treatment to get them feeling comfortable.
✨ A soft, warm bed and a safe space to finally sleep without one eye open.

It’s small change for us, but it’s the entire world to them. We couldn't provide this immediate care and rehabilitation without your amazing support.

If you’d like to help our next arrival start their journey home, you can donate via our website at pawpurrs.org.uk. Every penny stays right here in the rescue to help our cats find their purrfect forever homes. 🧡

16/05/2026

05/01/2026

This is such a lovely story ###

https://www.facebook.com/share/1C3pHsJGxA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

In the autumn of 1952, a thin and hungry tabby cat walked into a classroom at Elysian Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles.

A lesson was already in progress.
The cat calmly entered, sat down in the middle of the room, and began to groom himself.

The students were delighted.
The teacher allowed him to stay.

When the school day ended, the cat quietly left.

The next morning, he came back.
Then he returned again the day after that.

Soon, it was clear this was not an accident.
The cat had chosen the school.

The students named him Room 8, after the classroom he first entered.

Room 8 quickly found his routine.
Each morning, he arrived at school.
During the day, he rested in sunny spots, let children pet him, and moved calmly from room to room.
In the afternoon, he left.

He never disrupted lessons.
Teachers and students noticed his gentle and quiet presence.

Small privileges became important to the children.
Feeding him was special.
So was carefully moving him if he fell asleep in an awkward place.

Over the years, Room 8 became part of everyday school life.
He was there during reading time, math lessons, and art classes.
He did not take part.
He simply watched.

When yearbook photos were taken, Room 8 was often included.
From 1952 through the late 1960s, he appeared in class photos, sitting among the students as if he belonged.

By the early 1960s, his story spread beyond the school.

In 1962, LOOK magazine published a feature about him.
It brought national attention to the school cat.

Soon, fan mail began to arrive.
The letters were addressed to “Room 8, Elysian Heights Elementary School, Los Angeles.”

Children and adults from across the country wrote to him.
Some sent small gifts or drawings.
Room 8 had become a celebrity.

Years later, guitarist Leo Kottke composed an instrumental piece titled Room 8, inspired by the cat.

As Room 8 grew older, his health declined.
By the mid 1960s, he was injured in a fight and later developed pneumonia.

One of the teachers, Virginia Finley, offered him a home.
She lived in a house directly across the street from the school.

From then on, Room 8 spent his nights with her and his days at Elysian Heights.

When he was strong enough, he crossed the street on his own each morning.
As he grew weaker, teachers and students sometimes carried him so he could keep his routine.

On August 11, 1968, Room 8 died peacefully.
His exact age was unknown, but he was believed to be about 20 to 22 years old.
This was very old for a cat who had once lived as a stray.

The Los Angeles Times published a long obituary about him.
It described his years at the school, his national fame, and the love students felt for him.

Room 8 was buried with care.
Teachers, students, and admirers mourned his passing.

In 2006, Virginia Finley wrote a children’s book titled “Room 8: The True Story of the School Cat.”
The book preserved his story for future generations.

Through the book, new readers learned about the cat who slept in classroom windows and sat quietly during lessons.

Room 8 was never trained.
He was never officially adopted by the school.
No one planned for him to stay.

He simply arrived.
And the community made space for him.

For sixteen years, Room 8 was a steady presence in the lives of thousands of children.
He became part of their memories, their yearbooks, and their lessons about kindness and care.

His legacy is not about fame.
It is about belonging.

Sometimes, all it takes to find a place in the world is to walk through an open door and be allowed to stay.

27/11/2025

❤️ PLEASE READ — URGENT HELP NEEDED FOR GARFIELD & GRANDAD ❤️
£4,500 needed for life-saving surgeries

I’m writing this with my heart absolutely in bits as our beloved tomcats, Garfield and Grandad, have just been assessed and the news is a mixture of hope, heartbreak, and urgency.

Please, if you love what I do, if you love our tomcats, if you’ve ever cared about the forgotten street cats of Manchester… I am begging you to read this and help in any way you can. Even £1 will make a difference.

🧡 GARFIELD — the boy with the broken past and the sore eye

Today Garfield had:
• An FIV and FELV test
• A full eye swab for herpes
• A thorough exam of his wounds and long-term facial injuries
• Pain relief and temporary eye medication

His eye has been weeping for years, constantly sore, constantly irritated. We’re lucky it isn’t entropion, but it may be herpes, which is treatable — if we can get the right medication and follow through with his care.

He also needs:
• Two teeth removed (they’re painful and stopping him eating properly)
• A neuter
• Ongoing eye treatment and potentially antibiotics depending on results

Financially, for Garfield alone, we’re looking at at least £850 to get him comfortable, healthy, pain-free, and finally ready to be adopted in the new year. He deserves his moment.

🖤 GRANDAD — my gentle, precious boy who’s been left out in the cold

Where do I even begin with Grandad?

This boy… I can pick him up, rock him like a baby, kiss his head, and he just melts into me. He blinks softly at me with that look of trust that absolutely destroys me because he has lived on the streets for too long. And he’s the softest soul you will ever meet.

I am HEARTBROKEN that I couldn’t pull him in earlier when I saw him back in April. But I’m here now, and I’m not letting him down again.

He wouldn’t allow his FIV test he got too stressed after being poked and prodded in the ear ,but we’ll get it done safely when he’s under for another procedure.

And then… his ear.

We all braced for cancer. Truly. But we’ve been given a glimmer of hope:
When they cleaned away all the green gunk and pus, we found two huge angry polyps blocking his ear canal. They’re causing chronic infection because no air can get in.

It’s treatable. He can be saved.

But he needs:
• Major ear surgery (the same one we raised £2,000 for with Cashew when she was a kitten)
• A dental with removal of two extremely painful upper canines
• A neuter
• Antibiotics and ongoing care
• A later FIV test

Grandad’s surgeries alone will be at least £3,500.
And this boy is WORTH EVERY PENNY. He is grateful in a way that goes straight to your soul.

❤️‍🩹 THE TOTAL WE NEED: £4,500 as soon as possible

As soon as I know the money is coming, I can get dates booked for everything the ear surgery, the dentals, the neuters, the meds, all of it.

Right now, it’s a waiting game, and my anxiety is through the roof.
I cannot leave these boys suffering. They’re finally inside, warm, safe, loved now they need their chance to fully heal.

🤲 PLEASE, I am begging please help me help them

Share this post ANYWHERE. To tomcat lovers, alley cat lovers, animal lovers, friends, family, colleagues — anyone who can spare:
• the price of a coffee
• the price of a packet of crisps
• the price of a Friday night McDonald’s
• the price of a takeaway
• a small donation they won’t miss but these boys desperately need

Every single penny will go straight to Garfield and Grandad’s care.

I want to show you the transformation.
I want to show you how beautiful they’ll look in a few months.
I want you to see them healed, happy, loved, and then placed into their forever homes.

I love them. Truly. I won’t stop fighting for them.
And I am begging , because right now, begging is the only thing I can do for these boys.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for caring.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for donating if you can.
Thank you for keeping these lads alive.

They deserve everything. And together, we can give it to them. ❤️‍🩹🐾

10/10/2025

I just want to put this out there because it’s honestly driving me mad. I’m currently trying to get our charity shop verified on Google Maps, and it’s become an absolute nightmare.

I’ve sent the videos, the emails, the photos everything they’ve asked for but the verification process keeps looping and I can’t speak to an actual human being to resolve it.

Because of this, I can’t reply to any of your reviews, I can’t post updates, and I can’t even amend the opening hours. It’s basically acting like I’m not the owner of my own shop, which is beyond frustrating when I’m trying my best to get us seen by more people locally.

So please know I am trying to get it sorted. As soon as Google finally accepts that we do exist, I’ll be able to promote the shop properly and keep everything up to date.

If anyone out there has dealt with this before and knows a way around it any tips, tricks or contacts at Google I would be very grateful. Right now, I feel like I’m just banging my head against a brick wall!