Pet Adoption & Welfare Services of OK (PAWS-OK)

Here are some pics of our black litter (4 girls and a boy). If you are a panther lover you'll want to look at these beauties. They are a bit skittish but open to new people - especially if you have treats (see video on our YouTube Channel) https://youtu.be/W8AMZCKj3m4

Calling all panther lovers - our black litter are growing up and will be spayed/neutered (4 girls, 1 boy) next week. They are still a bit skittish but I am bribing them lol!

Black Litter Getting to know you! Getting to know all about you! Here I make great strides in getting these kids to like me. The way to a kittens heart is through it's...

Introducing the Chapman Kittens!

Chapman Kittens These five kittens will be available soon for new homes. They were born on April/22/24 and scheduled for their spay/neuters on 8/30. PAWS-OK is a non-profi...

Meet two of our newest additions to our adoptable list. Marco and his sister, Maisy were surrendered to us with their mom in May. Their mom was a neighborhood kitty who was being cared for by a wonderful woman there. Both are a little bit shy of people but great with each other and curious about calm cat-friendly dogs. Their ideal home should be on the quiet side with experienced cat owners who will home a lot to make them feel comfortable. Their bios are online now as well as videos of them in action at https://www.adoptapet.com/shelter/76915-pet-adoption-and-welfare-services-of-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-oklahoma

Happy Monday!!

We will be at A1 Pet Emporium on Britton Road tomorrow but if you want to see a few of our other cats, stop by our Adoption Center this evening and see these! (Pretty Joy has a meeting with a possible new home scheduled tonight (fingers crossed!)
Check out our website for more information at pawsok.com

ADOPTED! Bonnie found a wonderful new home with a family from Yukon recently and we are so excited for her. Her new family includes am 18 month old little girl who Bonnie is very gentle with. Her is what Bonnie's new mom has to say: " Bonnie is great! She gets the zoomies and my daughter will chase her around. Bonnie is very gentle and even affectionate towards my daughter which is awesome. Bonnie loves laying on her cat tower which overlooks the pond behind us. Also she has hardly scratched on any of the wrong things. Getting her to stop jumping on the coffee table is another story (lol) she is really a great girl!"
Bonnie was 2 yrs old when she and her brother Clyde were surrendered to PAWS in 2020 so she is going on 6 and she still likes to play and gets the zoomies too! Congratulations to Bonnie and her new family!

ADOPTED! Beckett found a great new home with a young lady who recently moved into an apartment in OKC. She had lived with cats as a child and helped her parents with feeding and caring for her childhood cats so Beckett is her first kitty on her own. Beckett is one of Bethany's four kittens, born in March and rescued from the Bethany Animal Shelter in April. He is active and fun, but also loving and gentle. His three siblings are available for adoption and his mom, Bethany is currently in our Adoption Center inside PetSmart (NW Exp). Congratulations to Beckett and his new mom (who is spoiling him!)

ADOPTED! Berlin, who had been in our Adoption Center in PetSmart (NW HWY) was adopted to a couple of cat loving brothers recently. Berlin was the last of the "Heist" (named after characters in a popular Netflix show) litter we rescued on 2021 to be adopted. Berlin was by far the most skittish of the four brothers and it took him quite a while to trust people. He made his best progress in our Adoption Center where he was exposed to may different people. His new dads live in OKC and had us hold Berlin for a few days while they moved into a larger apt. Berlin was playful and engaging both times they met but wasn't yet comfortable with being picked up so dad just got down on the floor with him for our photos. They have reported that Berin was making steady progress getting used to the apartment and them. Congratulations to Berlin and his new dads!

We LOVE hearing from our adopters and recently we got some pictures of Jonas (now "Goose"), adopted in April 6th, in his new home. He and his new brother Felix were able to adjust to each other pretty quickly as you can see from the pictures. Goose is living his BEST LIFE right now!

Oh my word! Just realized how far behind we are on announcing adoptions! It has been a busy summer - loads of great kittens and mommas to be rescued and we got behind.
Our first Announcement is that one of our seniors, Derek found a great new home! We rescued Derek in 2014 (10 years ago!) as a young adult with a cracked pelvis that was all beat up and trying to get into a woman's home that had other cats who didn't like him. After a few months of cage rest he was adopted in December 2014 but then was returned in March of last year because his owners said he didn't like their new dog and he sneezed a lot.
Lucky for Derek we found the perfect home for him with a lovely couple from Edmond. They have a cat experienced dog and knowing that Derek may be uneasy with the dog, they have been taking it slow. At last contact, Derek was slowly getting used to his new standard poodle brother, Cooper and his new mom and dad said all was good. Even an older cat (Derek is 11) can adjust to new surroundings with patience and love. Congratulations to Derek, Cooper and the family!

Great information!

Did you know you can get feral cats spayed/neuter and vaccinated for only $30! No income restrictions & no geographic limitations.

The Oklahoma Humane Society Spay/Neuter clinic is located at 4301 Will Rogers Pkwy, Oklahoma City, OK 73108. The clinic is open Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. Watch their social media for other closings!

There are 15 open spots a day for feral/stray/community cats, first come first serve (limit of 3 per person per day). Checkin is 730-830am but the line starts as early as 630am. Pick up is same day, 4-5pm. And both are curbside/drive up.

All cats will get surgery, rabies vaccination, and a MANDATORILY ear tip - all for only $30! Additional services are also available(vaccines, flea treat, dewormer, etc.) for an additional cost.

Knowledge is power ( and could be lifesaving for your precious felines)

Your cat’s vaccination reminder comes in the mail with a confusing array of letters—what the heck is an FVRCP vaccine? My cat doesn’t go outside, so why does she need it? You toss it aside as you sort through the rest of the mail, but it still nags at you.

Is this something important? Why would your veterinarian send a reminder if your kitty didn’t need it?

Well, the FVRCP vaccine is an important part of your cat’s core vaccine protocols. Here’s what you need to know about this vaccine and how it helps keep your cat protected from some serious diseases.

What Does FVRCP Stand For?

The FVRCP is a combination vaccination, which means that it protects against more than one disease—similar to the DHPP vaccine for dogs.

Here is a breakdown of the diseases covered by the FVRCP vaccine.

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis

The “FVR” refers to feline viral rhinotracheitis (feline herpesvirus 1 or FHV-1). This disease can lead to a severe upper respiratory tract disease (including rhinitis, sneezing and conjunctivitis). Other less common symptoms include oral ulceration and primary pneumonia.

Similar to people with cold sores, the virus can lay dormant in cats until they are stressed, which causes a flare-up of symptoms.

The real risk of FHV-1 is that it impairs a cat’s pulmonary defense mechanisms, which leaves them susceptible to secondary bacterial pneumonia or to a coinfection with feline calicivirus.

Feline Calicivirus

The “C” in FVRCP stands for calicivirus (feline calicivirus or FCV). Similar to FHV-1, feline calicivirus typically causes upper respiratory tract disease and oral ulceration. It can also cause chronic stomatitis, pneumonia, systemic disease or lameness.

Occasionally, a more severe strain—virulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV)—can travel through a population, which can result in more debilitating symptoms as well as infection of the internal organs. This more severe strain is frequently fatal.

Feline Panleukopenia

Finally, the “P” stands for panleukopenia (feline panleukopenia or feline distemper or FPV). FPV is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. It causes anorexia, vomiting, fever and severe diarrhea.

The virus also attacks the bone marrow and lymph nodes, which leads to a very low white blood cell count and prevents the cat from being able to activate their immune system normally.

Why Is the FVRCP Vaccine Considered a Core Vaccine for Cats?

Core vaccines for cats are those that are strongly recommended to be administered to ALL cats—even for cats that don’t go outside. The FVRCP vaccine is one of two core cat vaccines—the other being the rabies vaccine.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association says, “Core vaccines protect animals from severe, life-threatening diseases that have global distributions.” All three of the viruses that the FVRCP vaccine protects against are widespread and have the potential to be fatal.

All three viruses are also highly contagious. FVR and FCV are spread through sneezes, saliva or eye secretions, but can also be transferred through the environment.

FPV can also be spread through the same bodily fluids, but is predominantly spread through contact with contaminated feces—similar to parvovirus. The virus can live for up to a year in the environment on things like bedding, food bowls, litter boxes, cages, clothing, etc.

This means that your cat does NOT have to come into contact with an infected cat to become ill—they just need to be exposed to something contaminated with the virus.

How Often Should My Cat Receive the FVRCP Vaccine?

The FVRCP vaccine for cats is generally given to kittens every three to four weeks until they are 16-20 weeks old.

The series of vaccines is necessary because it takes a number of “booster shots” to convince the immune system to recognize the components of the vaccine. The series also helps ensure that the vaccine starts working in kittens when the immunity from their mother’s milk wears off.

After 16 weeks of age, the kitten should get a final booster after one year. Then the vaccine only needs to be given every three years. While the kitten series is a bit intensive, once the protection has developed, it becomes much easier to maintain an adult cat’s vaccination schedule.

Does the FVRCP Have Any Side Effects?

Side effects of the FVRCP vaccine for cats are generally quite minimal.

Some kitties will develop a low-grade fever, have a decreased appetite or feel a little sluggish. There may also be a little swelling at the site of the vaccine administration.

These signs almost always go away within a few days.

Rarely, cats will have a more significant allergic reaction to the vaccine, which generally happens within a few minutes to a few hours of receiving the vaccine. In these cases, cats may develop hives, redness/swelling around the eyes and lips, or a mild fever. Other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and itchiness.

If you suspect an allergic reaction to the vaccination, contact your veterinarian right away.

Any swelling that remains at the vaccine site for more than three weeks should be checked by your veterinarian. Reactions to vaccines are very rare, and the vast majority are also mild and resolve without any treatment.

How Much Does the FVRCP Cat Vaccine Cost?

There are quite a few different brands of FVRCP vaccine for cats on the market, so the cost charged by your veterinarian will largely depend on the brand they have chosen to use. Typically, the FVRCP vaccine will cost 30-60 dollars.

Your veterinarian’s office can clarify how much the vaccine will cost and whether your veterinarian is currently using an adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted vaccine. Adjuvants are added to the vaccine to help stimulate the immune system. As a rule, for cats, non-adjuvanted vaccines are preferred, but they will be more expensive.

Source: petmd.com

Sometimes all our efforts to find great homes for our cats don't work out and we get them back (happily). This past month we have had four (4) returns. The first were a brother/sister pair, Nala and Noah. They were returned most recently when the single woman who had them just couldn't care for them anymore and was moving. They had one other family who adopted them a few years ago and were crushed when they discovered they were seriously allergic to them. Nala & Noah were born in August 2019 so they are going on about 5 years of age and DO NOT need to be adopted together. They are sweet but scared and are looking for a permanent placement. Nala could likely use a dental exam and needs a tall litter box so she doesn't p*e over the side. Noah is a big boy and sweet once he gets used to new people. You can read more about them on our page on Adopt-a-Pet at https://www.adoptapet.com/shelter/76915-pet-adoption-and-welfare-services-of-oklahoma-oklahoma-city-oklahoma

It has been a spring to remember here at PAWS-OK. Kittens everywhere! Currently we have SIX litters in foster care who will be looking for permanent homes after their surgeries at 4 months of age. We also have 8 more motherless kittens waiting for room here. Here are some cute pics of just a few of the ones in our care....

Our June Meet & Greet at A1 Pet Emporium is today. Drop by and see some of our great cats! Noon to 4 pm, A1 Pet Emporium on Britton Road, between Lake Hefner Parkway and May.

We couldn't do what we do without the help and funding from dedicated volunteers and supporters. One program we benefit from is the Greater Goods Charities program for donated goods. This past week we picked up a whole pallet (2,000 lbs.) of litter for our rescue. We are so thankful for this program that supports rescues across the country and and their partnership locally with Two Legs Four Paws who organizes these distributions. You can see how excited our "littles" are about this delivery!

Three words of advice for reaching out to animal rescuers: assume the best.

Assume that if you’re reaching out to someone who does animal rescue, you’re reaching out to someone who has a huge heart. Assume that they care deeply about saving lives. Assume that if they don’t respond to you right away, or at all, it’s because they’re so busy helping animals. Assume that you’re the 10th, 20th, or 100th person to reach out to them today asking for help. Assume that if they can’t help you, it’s because they are already at max capacity. Assume that you do not know or see a fraction of what is on their plate. Assume that they might be exhausted. Assume that they might be grieving, or tender. Assume that they are a loving, kind person who is a source of good for the world. Assume that they are worthy of being treated with consideration and respect. Assume that they are human.

Because 9 times out of 10, if you assume these things about an animal rescuer, you will be right. So when you reach out to an animal rescuer, let your words be filled with gratitude, patience, and understanding. Don’t use your words to jab at animal rescuers for not being available enough, not doing more, not “caring,” not being able to single-handedly save the world. Treat animal rescuers with compassion, not just when they can help you, but even—and especially—when they can’t. And when they can’t, don’t assume the worst. Assume the best.

Photo by . Words by my emotionally taxed brain. 💕

Zazzles is being cute at A1 today!

We LOVE hearing from our adopters!
"Daisy and Clarabelle enjoying their fifth birthday on May 6. They got new cat beds and really seem to be enjoying them. They are both doing so well they are both wonderful company and are turning into pretty good sisters. Thanks again for our girls."