💘The month of love is upon us, loyal readers. 💘

We at OCSP Cat Rescue wanted to dedicate this month’s issue to one of our past donors, Laura Jean White. Last October, Laura passed away after a long battle with lung cancer. She loved all animals; she cared for her pet cats and some ducklings that hatched in her backyard.

In addition to caring for animals, Laura led a rich life; she served as a Navy Lieutenant, was a Professor of Computer Science at West Florida University, and was an active member of Alta Sierra Troop 1153—a Senior Girl Scout Troop. We can’t thank Laura enough for being such a champion for our rescue.

You can read her full obituary here and learn more about all of her extraordinary accomplishments.

💖💗😻💖💗 Love Stories 💖💗😻💖💗

Adoption success stories are my favorite part of working with OCSP. For Valentine’s Day this year, we reached out to all of our past adopters and asked for them to share their pet parent love stories.

Willow, the escape artist

Do you remember when a Texas shelter cat, Quilty, made the news for opening doors at the shelter and “freeing” her friends? Well, just days after that aired, Willow began that same behavior and hasn't stopped — we've had to install childproof locks!

—Sharon, adopted Willow in 2018

Finnick, the chicken nugget thief

On a rainy day, my husband and I drove to a pet store to meet some potential new cats.  We lost our fur baby Toby after 14 wonderful years. His companion cat, who he’d been a surrogate parent to, would spend the nights crying and looking for him. We desperately wanted a kitty for our house that would befriend our remaining cat, tolerate pets from our kids, and snuggle with us in bed to fill up our lonely hearts. We weren’t originally looking for a kitten, but none of the available adult cats seemed like the right fit.

The volunteers for OCSP were amazing. They were patient with my questions and concerns, and recommended a few kitties for me to meet before making the decision to adopt.  One of the volunteers listened to our story, and reached into a kennel for a black and white kitten, Joker.  “Meet this little guy” she said, and handed him over.  He immediately started purring in my hands. We ultimately decided to take him home. He has been a perfect addition to our family.  He is sweet, silly, and incredibly cuddly. His favorite place is in someone’s lap, or in front of their feet on the stairs, or snuggled up in a sunny patch in the kitchen (near the food dishes.) He is a voracious eater, and has been known to steal chicken nuggets from the baby’s high chair tray when we aren’t looking.  The girls adore him, and the baby is quickly learning “gentle pets”—and that she can share her food with him in return for some snuggles.  His new “official” name is Finnick McMeowsterson.  My husband, an avid Star Wars fan, calls him FN-2187. Our four-year-old daughter calls him either “Sweet Bug” or “Goofball.”  So far, the baby calls him “mem-mem.”  

—Amy and Kevin, adopted Joker in November 2021

Tora and Meeko, bonded buddies

They are my first pets in life. It took us many years to decide, but we have no regrets. We are so happy to have them and can't imagine life without them right now. Since we adopted them, my job became remote, so everything works perfectly for us.

—Yukinori & Yukie, adopted Tora and Meeko in March 2020

Boops, the fashion-forward foster fail

We decided to foster a cat when shelter in place first started because we knew the shelters were closed and needed help. OCSP sent Rex (now named Boops) to us in early April, and we loved him so much we decided to apply to adopt him only two weeks after he arrived! Since we were always at home together, we were able to bond and help him adjust to his new environment fairly quick. We are thrilled to have Boops as part of our family, and he enjoys taking walks on his harness, watching mom and dad cook, and playing hide and seek with dad. Thank you again OCSP for bringing Boops into our lives! If you would like to keep up with his adventures with us, his Instagram is @littleboopsy

—Kietzke and Jeff, adopted Boops in April 2020

Cats of the Month and
the Special Valentine’s Day Giveaway 

To celebrate love this month, those who adopt one of our featured bonded pairs will receive some goodies for their new furry family members! We have two bonded pairs that have been with us for far too long. They have settled at the Westminster Petco location, and they have seen their friends come and go, all the while wondering when it will be their turn.
 

Max and Pudding

These two cuties are seven years old and the perfect mix of playful and relaxing. Pudding is a Tortoiseshell cat and is polydactyl, meaning she has thumbs on both of her front paws. Max is gray and chatty; he will meow at you and tell you all about his day. Both of these babies love snuggles. They climb cat towers, play with the other cats in their location, play with feather toys, and beg for cuddles and brushes from the volunteers. Of the two, Max is more outgoing; he helps his sister feel more comfortable in their environment.

The two are no longer the shy, scaredy-cats they were when they arrived. While they will need about a month to adjust to your house, please don’t let that discourage you because they have so much love to share with you and your family. Don’t hesitate to contact OCSP Cat Rescue at ocsp.adoptions@gmail.com, putting “Max and Pudding” in the subject line.
 

Litzy and Lazlo 

These two cuties are around two years old, but they are just as playful as kittens! Litzy has more dark gray stripes than her brother does. Lazlo has white and light gray fur. Both of these cats are friendly to new humans and will quickly introduce themselves to any cats you already have. They always play with newcomers (once the newcomers feel comfortable). Now, they have seen several of their friends leave for forever homes, and they are a little sad no one has picked them, especially since they are delightful and love cuddles. They will allow you to pick them up without too much fuss, and, for the most part, they are well-behaved. However, sometimes you will encounter some love nips from them as they are very playful. Please contact OCSP Cat Rescue at ocsp.adoptions@gmail.com, putting “Litzy and Lazlo” in the subject line.
 

What’s in the Valentine's Day Giveaway?

If you adopt Max and Pudding or Litzy and Lazlo, you will receive a hooded litter box, a case of wet food, some small blankets and some toys.

We offer reduced fees for adopting two adult cats together: $315 for two adults. Adoption fees include spay/neuter, microchip, deworming, UTD on vaccines, FELV/FIV testing, and any other vet care we have administered. Download and fill out the adoption application, or you can find it on our website. Please email us with any additional questions. We can't wait for these darlings to find their forever homes.

One Final Love Story: Mama Cat 

If you follow our Facebook page, you probably already know about Mama Cat. Mama Cat is 14 years old and, until recently, was an outdoor community cat. An unleashed dog attacked her one night, which resulted in the vet amputating her left hind leg. So far, Mama Cat is healing with one of our fosters, and the vet expects she will make a full recovery. Mama Cat is a beautiful ginger senior with a new disability, and she has warmed all of our hearts here at the rescue. Thank you to everyone who has donated to help us pay for her medical bills. A million thank yous because all of the rescue work we do is funded by donations.
 
Don’t forget to tell others they can subscribe to our monthly newsletter. 

All my love & have a joyous Valentine’s Day,

A few months ago we commemorated #RememberMeThursday. So many adoptable pets are euthanized every year because organizations cannot find homes for them and because no-kill organizations lack the resources to save every animal. Help our organization by donating, volunteering at one of our Petco locations, or/and fostering with us.
 
When you foster a cat, you free up space in our organization, which allows us to help other cats in our community who need assistance. We rely on fosters to provide housing for cats while they are waiting for their forever homes. We are constantly called or messaged on Facebook about cats who need shelter. The truth is, if we don’t have space, we can’t take them. We do reach out to other organizations, but they are also stretched thin.


But only with your help! Save a life by signing up to foster. Please complete the fostering application, email us at ocsp.adoptions@gmail.com with “Fostering” in the subject line, and be sure to tell us a little about yourself so that we can talk to you about the details personally. If only 2% more of pet-owning households fostered just 1 pet a year, we could end this tragedy.* If you are unable to foster, please help us by spreading the word. Ask friends, family, or co-workers if they’ve considered fostering. And you can direct any questions they may have to our email address listed above. We greatly appreciate all of your support, dear readers.

What is it like to foster cats/kittens?
Ready to be purrfessional kitten wrangler? As a foster, your primary job is to watch over the cats, feed them, and socialize them with play time. This may also include transporting them to the vet for checkups, teaching them good litter box behavior, providing a space for recuperation after surgery/injury, or administering medicine. You would be their primary human contact before they are adopted, so your role is imperative.
 
We have cats of all ages that are looking for foster care. You can specify particular preferences (kittens/special needs/ willing to medicate/willing to isolate/etc) on your foster application. If you’ve never fostered, our team members are available to get into specifics and answer any questions you may have along the w

Here at OCSP Cat Rescue, our name means quite literally, Our Cats Save People. We get to see firsthand what a positive impact the right pairing can have on both cat and human(s), and that's why we're committed to finding the best cat for you and your family and the best human match for the cats in our care. 

We love hearing from our adopters and receiving updates on the furry friends we've sent to loving homes, which reinforces why all of our tireless volunteers do what we do. From time to time we will be bringing you stories and pictures from our adopters and their OCSP Cat Rescue alumni.

If you'd like to share a story about how adopting from OCSP Cat Rescue has made a positive difference in your life, email your story and any photos to ocsp.sec@gmail.com - it may just be included in a future newsletter!