Shailene Woodley’s Pet-Parent Playbook: Yays & Nays

Shailene Woodley Calls the Plays as a Pet Parent , From Holiday Stockings to Birthday Walks and the Social Media Debate

Pet Parenting Approach

Shailene Woodley is all-in on the pet-parent game, and she’s not shy about her strategy. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 33-year-old Big Little Lies star lays out her yays and nays for life with her two rescue cats, Bear and Pharrah , and it’s a winning game plan built on joy, ritual and trust.

Including Pets in Holidays and Moves

Holiday Traditions

On holidays, Woodley doesn’t leave her teammates on the sidelines. “Oh, you for sure have to,” she says of including pets in the festivities. “The animals have stockings at Christmas, and stuff for Valentine’s Day or whatnot,” she explains. “I love including them in life journeys.”

Settling Into New Homes

Because work often sends her to new sets and temporary homes, she makes sure the cats feel like the MVPs of every move. “But it’s also anytime I’m traveling,” she adds. “Because I travel so often for work to new locations to do films, anytime we’re in a new home, I’m like, ‘Okay, you get a new little bed, or you get a new toy.’ ”

Birthday Rituals

Birthdays get their own pregame, too , a tradition born from a former four-legged family member. Thinking back to a beloved dog she once had, Woodley remembers the ritual down to the day. “I knew his exact birthday,” she says. “I’d take him for an extra-long walk, and I’d sing to him. He was a German Shepherd, so he had these chronically moody eyes, and I’d be like, ‘You live the best life ever. Where is this moodiness coming from?’ But I celebrated it nonetheless,” she continues with a laugh.

Social Media Perspective

When the conversation turns to pet social media, Woodley doesn’t mince words. She’s not in that league, and she’s fine with it. “I’m not a social media person in general, so for me, it’s not something that I have ever done,” the Divergent alum admits of creating an Instagram account for Bear and Pharrah. But that doesn’t mean her followers miss out. “My feed is mostly architecture and animals, those are the two things that I care about, and some food, but I will say, my close friends Instagram Stories is basically only filled with my cats,” she says.

Adoption Advocacy and Deeper Connection

Woodley recently teamed up with Mars and Calm to spotlight pet adoption during Global Adoption Weekend, a cause that hits close to home given Bear and Pharrah’s rescue roots. For her, living with animals redefines connection. Being a pet parent, she says, “transcends an idea of love.” She adds, “It’s just pure energy. It’s something that I personally can’t find words for, knowing that they have given me their lives and entrusted me with their lives.”

Honoring Trust After a Difficult Past

That trust moves her to her core , especially knowing what her cats survived before joining her family. “Just having their trust, I guess, feels like such an honor, because I know the life that they lived before they came into my home, and it was a rough life,” Woodley shares. “So the fact that they give me so much of their unconditional love and gratitude makes me emotional because I know how hard it is for me, in my personal world, to trust people. So knowing that they have chosen to trust me truly feels like an honor.”

Travel Logistics and Challenges

If there’s a tough opponent in this arena, it’s logistics. The Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe-nominated star says the road schedule can complicate the lineup. “Because I have two of them, if I travel, I usually need another person to travel with me, and so sometimes I don’t get to bring them places. And being apart from them is hard,” she admits.

Bottom Line

So where does Woodley land on the pet-parent scorecard? Holiday stockings are a must. Birthday moments matter. A separate pet Instagram? That’s a pass , though her camera roll and close friends feed would say otherwise. Above all, love and trust set the tone. With Bear and Pharrah by her side, Woodley isn’t just caring for animals; she’s building a lifelong team.