Chicago is home to some of the cutest animals on Instagram—there, we said it—and it's not all dogs and cats. Our city boasts no less than two pigs who are Instagram stars and even a rat who is best friends with a dog. From animal shelters with adorable residents to fellow Chicagoans who put their pets in the spotlight, we've gathered the best animal Instagram accounts that Chicago has to offer.
Did we miss one of your favorite Chicago-based animals on Instagram? Let us know in the comments section!
RECOMMENDED: Best Chicago Instagram accounts
Osiris and Riff Ratt
In case you didn't know, pet rats are a thing (full disclosure: this author owns four) and they're actually quite friendly to humans and other animals alike. As a therapy dog, three-year-old Osiris is tame and lets Riff Ratt crawl all over him. Riff Ratt has a pal named Milhouse, who's mostly white, but just as curious—and friendly.
Manny the Frenchie
Manny is a little French Bulldog with a big heart. In addition to being insanely adorable, he and his owner regularly appear at charity events and make donations to help people around the U.S. Manny also has another account with more pups and other animals called Manny and Friends.
PAWS Chicago
PAWS Chicago does wonderful things for dogs and cats every day in Chicago. Keep track of who's up for adoption and what the no-kill shelter is doing around town with this account.
Herman, Lily and Eddie
These three felines are sphynx cats, a "hairless" breed that originated as early as the 1960s. In addition to finding out what your cats look like under their fur, you can see three buddies sporting a wardrobe of fashionable sweaters.
Brookfield Zoo
Chicago's suburban zoo features its residents on both land and sea.
Dekalb County Animal Shelter
This animal shelter takes professional quality photos of so many adorable pit bulls, it can get hard to handle. Watch out for their regular videos of dogs losing their cool while playing around or being totally precious (we've included a real snoozer below).
Snatch the Bengal
Snatch is a Bengal cat, a breed known for its large size. He has pretty stripes and spots and often plays dress up (when he's not sprawled out sleeping).
Anti Cruelty Society
Shelters don't just have cats and dogs as residents. The Anti-Cruelty Society takes care to highlight its other, smaller boarders as well. Here's Chewbacca the Guinea pig, for instance, showing off his great hair day.
Charming Chorizo
This girl is a total pig, literally. Find videos of her snorting her way through life and being totally cute along the way.
Porkchop
Meet Charming Chorizo's best piggy friend, Porkchop. Porkchop gets into all sorts of trouble and sometimes goes out for a ride in a stroller.
Tree House Cats
Thankfully, the very same shelter and owner of Chicago's first cat café also has an Instagram account stocked and curated with wonderful felines of all sorts.
Goldens of Chicago
These golds never get old. This Instagram brings you a steady stream of golden retriever puppies whose out-of-control cuteness will probably reduce you to tears.
Pudge the Cat
Well, we’re cheating a bit here. Pudge was adopted from a Chicago shelter, but currently resides in Minneapolis. Regardless, she is fabulous and loves to pounce and sleep. Look at that mustache!
Chicago Animal Advocates
This shelter helps place pets into loving foster homes, often supplying treats, food, a crate and providing for any medical care the animal may need. Oh, and its Insta feed is replete with charming puppies and kitchens.
Rufio the Golden Retriever
He was once just a piece of arm candy, and now he's a full-grown man "living that golden life," as his handle says. Find photos of Rufio all grown up and other's like these, where he's just a wee little furball.
Chicago Animal Care and Control
Love pit bulls? You should. They were once coveted as "nanny dogs" and used to babysit children during the late 1800s. Find the perfect pit bull to bring home at this animal shelter. Act fast, because beauties like Queenie here get snapped up fast.
Chuck the Duck
Well, he's not a duck, but he is devastatingly cute.
Alive Rescue
Watch closely, because Alive Rescue has more than its fair share of puppies just waiting to become the next Instagram stars. Are you able to give one a forever home?