Find Your Furry Valentine

For 12 years, StreetCats, a not-for-profit feline adoption and welfare organization, has been helping Tulsa’s homeless cat population.

For 12 years, StreetCats, a not-for-profit feline adoption and welfare organization, has been helping Tulsa’s homeless cat population. StreetCats is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers. “There are about 60 or 70 of us that work with StreetCats,” says Samantha Polen. “We’re all volunteers. None of us are paid.” These volunteers are dedicated to StreetCats and the cats themselves, and they make the adoption center a clean, comfortable place for their cats. And StreetCats is a no-kill organization – every cat brought in stays until it finds a home.

Polen has been involved with StreetCats since its inception, in various roles. She helped open the first facility and renovate the second one, has served on the board of directors and as an administrator, and has tended sick kitties, among other things. She is currently the StreetCats publicity chairman and corresponding secretary.

On Sunday, February 8, StreetCats is hosting its 9th annual My Furry Valentine event from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Elks Lodge, 5335 S. Harvard. My Furry Valentine will feature an impressive silent auction, featuring art, kitchenware, jewelry and kitty collectibles. Polen is the master of ceremonies for this event. My Furry Valentine will also include dessert tasting, wine and coffee. Internationally-known classical guitarist Joesf Glaude and the Sweet Adelines Oklahoma Jubilee Chorus will provide live music. A magnificent kitty-themed quilt by Oklahoma quilter and cat lover Nancy Adams will be raffled off; you can stop by the StreetCats boutique and see it now. My Furry Valentine is StreetCats’s primary fundraiser, and the event is vital to their success. Tickets to this event are $25 per person and $45 per couple. Reservations can be made until February 3 by calling Linda Holland at (918) 492-8887.

StreetCats has been in its current location at 60th and Sheridan, behind Charlie’s Chicken, since 2007. Here they feature their adoption center as well as their gift boutique. At any given time, StreetCats is likely to have a dozen or more cats in its adoption center, as well as a half-dozen more in foster homes. These are all young and adult cats – no kittens. When you adopt a cat from StreetCats, you’re getting a cat who’s been spayed or neutered, has received all its vaccinations, and has been treated for parasites.

Additionally, all StreetCats cats are microchipped and come with a free year of tracking. StreetCats adoption rates are $75 for one cat and $135 for two. Senior discounts are available (that’s for senior humans, not senior cats).

StreetCats is determined to make sure each cat finds a good home, so they have a somewhat rigorous adoption process. Prospective adopters fill out an application and provide references. StreetCats helped 73 cats find new homes in 2008, and has found homes for over 1,000 cats since 2001.

At the StreetCats gift boutique, you can find all kinds of gift items for cats and cat lovers, including cat-themed Laurel Burch purses, Ganz items, cat toys, the tremendously popular catnip pillows, and more. All proceeds support StreetCats.

In 1998, StreetCats began its Stitch in Time program, which designates funds for the spaying and neutering of stray and un-owned cats. If you know of a stray in your neighborhood, you can get a $20 voucher from StreetCats to have it spayed or neutered; the cat will also receive a rabies shot. You pay $20, and StreetCats pays the rest. “We typically get a discount from the vets, so it works well for everyone involved,” says Polen. In 2008, StreetCats had 640 vouchers redeemed, and since 1998 has had an active hand in spaying and neutering more than 4,600 cats in the Tulsa area.

StreetCats is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you’re interested in a StreetCats cat, give them a call or stop by and visit them. For more information, including a list of adoptable kitties with photos, visit StreetCats on the web at www.streetcatstulsa.org. 

For more information, contact

StreetCats

(918) 298-0104

www.streetcatstulsa.org