Meet our Pawets Laureate:

Gil (M), Langston (M), Stevie (F) and Shakes(peare) (M) were born at the bookstore. Storeowner Dora caught their VERY pregnant mommo stealing food from a community cat they feed, and with the help of Detroit Alley Cats they were able to get a trap and bring her inside that day. She began labor later that night. Dora stayed with Mama Nimona for two days until she’d had all four of her kittens.

Can I adopt one?

Yes, please! Gil has already been adopted, but the three remaining kittens and their lovely calico mommo are all still available. The kittens are almost 4 months old as of 11/3/23, and are full of energy. Mama Nimona is still very young (we think just about a year old) and loves to cuddle. They’re available through Detroit Alley Cats. The kittens aren’t listed on their site yet as of this post, but you can still fill out an application for them on the DAC website or contact us for a meet and greet.

How can I help?

Thank you so much for asking! Litters of kittens are expensive to feed and care for, and that’s before dealing with their medical care. We have several ways you can help us care for them:

• Shop with us: 85-90% of Detroit Specials’ profits go toward feeding and caring for our rescue animals, with fosters like the Pawets Laureate litter taking priority. Shopping here or in-person is the best way to support us. We also have regular Facebook sales, which are perfect for those who don’t like scrolling through websites and can’t make it to the store. Our next Facebook sale is on Wednesday, Nov. 8 (info at the link).
• Shop our Bookshop storefront: Do you prefer new books? Visit our page on Bookshop.org. You can find almost any book that’s currently in print there, along with amazing bookish gifts and toys. Plus, we receive a small commission for everything you purchase on Bookshop when you visit our link first.
• Donate supplies: We always need kitten food and cat litter. Natural litters like World’s Best or pine pellets are preferred. Cleaning supplies like enzymatic cleaner, paper towels, and plastic single-use grocery bags (for collecting litter) are also appreciated…and of course, cat toys! Any extras will be passed along to Detroit Alley Cats. Contact us to learn how to donate supplies.
• Donate cash to DAC: Cash donations for basic medical care should go to Detroit Alley Cats. Those donations will go toward the cost of spaying, neutering, and vaccinating Mama Nimona and her three remaining kittens. These donations are tax deductible.
• Donate cash to Detroit Specials Used Books: Cash donations for the kittens’ day-to-day care can be given directly to Detroit Specials. Those donations help us buy food, litter, cleaning supplies, and other basic necessities for the kittens. These donations are not tax deductible. Our payment handles are: Venmo – @DetroitSpecials || CashApp – $DoraBadger1 || Paypal – info@detroitspecials.net
• Donate books to the store: The more cool books we have in stock, the happier our customers are! Nearly 99% of our books are donated by the community. If you have gently used books that you no longer want, please contact us to make arrangements. We’ll take collections of any size (and on most topics). We’re happy to go almost anywhere in Metro Detroit to pick up collections of 50 or more books, and we’re happy to help with boxing up large collections. Please see our Book Drive page to learn more.
• Spread the word: This is the most important one. We need help letting people know about these cuties, and about Detroit Specials. If you’ve already visited us, please consider leaving an honest review on your preferred platform. Following us on social media and engaging with our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter is another great way to help us let people know we exist, that we have great books…and, of course, that we have kittens! Ones you can adopt! Or play with when you visit the store!

Thank you again to everyone who’s cheered us on, shopped, and let people know about us already. We couldn’t have done any of this — or been here to help Nimona and her kittens — without you!