Midwest Pet Refuge

11/16/2025

Everyone wants the fluffy kittens. Everyone wants the Siamese kittens. Everyone wants the pretty calicos. But what about the rest?
Every year we get in so many kittens that grow up with us, are overlooked, and then graduate into our free roam rooms because nobody picked them. Some of them are beautiful, some of them are scarred, some of them are shy, some of them are plain, some of them are special needs, some of them have quirks from their previous life.
But they all deserve a loving home. 
Please come meet our many cats and kittens who are looking for homes, and get to know their personalities. Please consider the ones with funny looking eyes. The ones who take a while to warm up to people. The ones who are just plain black or tabby. The ones nobody else picks.

11/14/2025

Update: this dog has escaped from where he was, and is still lost. The owner is looking for him. Please let us know if you see him.

Found at Como. Please let us know if this is your dog.

11/13/2025

Found on east Walnut St. Portland.

11/12/2025

🔥 Keep your pets cozy this winter — no electricity needed! 🔥

We’ve got a big stock of ThermaPup Self-Warming Pet Bed Inserts — perfect for outdoor cat or dog shelters, garages, or any chilly spot your pets like to nap.

✨ Non-electric, heat-reflective, and easy to clean!
🐾 Great for outdoor shelters or foster setups!

• Small – only $1
• Large or XL – only $2

That’s an unbeatable deal to help keep pets warm and comfortable through the cold months!

Stop by and grab yours while supplies last!
We’re open Tuesday–Saturday, 12–4 (and until at least 6 on Fridays).

11/12/2025

FYI - why we do not allow declawing in our adoption contract. It cuts off the first digit, including the bone, of every toe. It is not just removing the nail. It is very painful and often has lifelong consequences.

Graphic courtesy of VBSPCA.

11/11/2025

11/09/2025

🐾 We Need Your Help – Lives Depend on It 🐾

Kitten season still isn’t over, but the cold weather has arrived. We’ve been getting calls nearly every day about tiny, sick, orphan and homeless kittens who need a safe place to go — but we are completely full.

Right now, we’re caring for around 170 cats and kittens at the rescue, plus another 30 in foster homes. It takes every volunteer we have to feed, clean, and care for them daily — and we simply cannot take in more until some of our current residents find homes.

💔 The heartbreaking truth is that many of these little ones out there won’t survive the cold. They need warm laps and loving homes, not freezing nights outside.

If you’ve ever thought about adopting a cat or a kitten — now is the time. You’ll not only give a pet a loving home, you’ll open up space for another life that desperately needs saving.

Please come meet your new best friend, and help us make room for the next little one who needs help. 💜

Adoption, foster and volunteer applications are available on our website.

11/09/2025

Hay is for horses, straw is for strays!

“Hay is for Horses, Straw is for Strays.”

Straw will reflect body heat back to a cat and actually repels moisture. Straw is tough, thick, dry leftover stalks from crops. It's lightweight and golden in color. Straw has a hollow center which makes for great insulation (just like double pane windows).

Do NOT use hay (OR blankets) for bedding in outdoor cat shelters. Hay is green and heavy. Hay is typically used to feed animals, like horses. It absorbs moisture, making it damp, cold and uncomfortable for cats, and has the potential to get moldy.

You can buy straw bales at your local co-op, farm/ag supply stores, local garden center/nursery, Home Depot, Lowe's, Tractor Supply or Ace Hardware. We’ve even seen bales of straw being sold outside grocery stores along with pumpkins. Farms selling pumpkins often sell bales of straw too.

Don’t need a whole bale? Perfect time of year to go by Walmart, JoAnns, Micheals etc. for their small decorative bales. They should be on clearance for a couple dollars.