Please send any Long Beach or Seal Beach pet-related events or projects to [email protected]. Posting subject to approval.

Virtually Pets

It feels as if The Scratching Post and Pet Projects had just finished with Kitten Season 2015, and here we are again, bracing ourselves to deal with an influx of cute little babies that may not live to be obnoxious, annoying and nonetheless endearing cats. This is because the feline birth rate explodes from April until September, which means that cats are producing kittens in kaboodles shortly after the baseball season opens all the way through the opening of football season. Your children, if you have them, will be taking their state tests when it begins and will be into the next grade when it ends.

Long Beach, at least, has made a dent in the birth and euthanasia rates with efforts like trap-spay/neuter-return (TNR) volunteer organizations such as Stray Cat Alliance (SCA) and Long Beach Spay & Neuter, free sterilizations through Fix Long Beach and Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS), and vouchers provided by Friends of Long Beach Animals. Two innovative programs include the permanent Cat Adoption Center in the new Pet Food Express, which houses cats from the shelter and is maintained by volunteers from the Long Beach branch of SCA; and the DIY Kitten Care Project, implemented by kitten bottle-feeders Deborah Felin and Patty Williams, aims to save a greater number of newborn and underage kittens by providing resources to the community: formula, bottles, care guides and support for their care.

But it’s still just a dent. Surrounding communities may or may not have programs like this, but I’m willing to bet that they all have pregnant cats running the streets for several months out of the year. The Humane Society of the United States’ kitten season page on its website has listed five ways in which the animal community at large can help ensure a happy ending for not only the kittens but also the adult cats who are frequently passed over in favor of kittens: spay/neuter, volunteer for shelters and rescues, care for community cats in the area, foster a cat or kitten, and the one the column will focus on—adoption. For the next few weeks, cats from individual rescues, which overflow during kitten season, will be featured. The first bunch comes from Helen Sanders CatPAWS, a Seal Beach-based nonprofit whose mission is promoting spay/neuter through education and providing vouchers; supporting TNR efforts by providing medical care, food and at times bottle feeding; and pulling both adult and newborn cats from shelters to give them a chance at life. Here are a few of the candidates:

Clarissa, around 3 years old, came to CatPAWS from a shelter and was terrified of everyone and everything by the time they got her. She was steps away from euthanasia, and the CatPAWS people don’t think she had a great time of it before the shelter! mean within hours) made it out alive. CatPAWS responded to an email to all rescues saying that Clarissa was ill with a URI, and because she was ill, the public couldn’t see her. She was depressed and shutting down. “So, with that kind of plea, we rescued her!” said one CatPAWS volunteer.

With all that love from her rescuers, Miss Clarissa came a long way. She’s now perfectly healthy and is demanding of a lap and petting. She’s a champion, say the volunteers, and they know that there’s at least one person to love her. You can meet her at PetSmart 12341 Seal Beach Boulevard, Seal Beach.

Jeremy is a gorgeous tabby male about a year and a half. He’s a most affectionate little guy—he loves to give hugs and nose kisses and even caresses your face! He’s a big old Tom on the outside, but one look at those beautiful, expressive eyes and experiencing his gentle demeanor show a poet’s heart on the inside. It’s hard to believe that he’d been hours away from death in a shelter. He’s a heartbreaker! You can meet Jeremy at PetSmart 12341 Seal Beach Boulevard, Seal Beach.

This darling 5-year-old girl named Powder Puff was grieving the death of her person when the family member entrusted with her care took her to a public shelter. Losing first the person she loved and then her home and then placed in a cage surrounded by the sounds and smells of the shelter, she was overwhelmed, frightened and withdrawn. The likelihood of her getting adopted in that condition and leaving through the front door was pretty slim until CatPAWS volunteers claimed her, got her some much needed dental work, and placed her into foster care to heal emotionally. Under the reassuring care of her foster, Miss Puff is starting to relax and trust again on this journey to a new, forever home. Here, she’s assisting with the laundry. If you’re interested in giving Puff the stable, loving home she so deserves, please email [email protected].

Mark Your Calendars (the People Way)

Long Beach Animal Care Services Dog Adoptions

Saturday, April 2, Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach, 11:00AM–3:00PM

Adoption fees apply

Find your new BFF and everything he or she needs for a high-quality life. And remember to check out the adoptable-cat condos in the back—they want to go home, too!

spcaLA Friends for Life Summer Camp

June through August, Monday through Friday; registration begins April 4, 10:00AM, Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 East Spring Street, Long Beach

Paws down, it’s the best camp around! spcaLA Friends for Life Summer Camp™ is for kids 8 through 13 years old. At camp, kids learn the basics of pet care and responsibility, respect for all animals, and the beginnings of dog training, all while making new friends on a number of legs! There are 10 sessions available, each running Monday through Friday.

Fix Long Beach (FLB) Spay/Neuter Clinic, dogs only for spay/neuter; cats and dogs welcome for shots and microchips. This month’s clinic is generously sponsored by the Second and Third districts

Saturday, April 23, 7:30AM–4:00PM, Bixby Park near the beach, 2100 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach (NEW LOCATION THIS MONTH!)

Free to qualifying residents

The grassroots free spay/neuter organization Fix Long Beach invites you to make an appointment for your unfixed dog, or get vouchers for free procedures for them! These clinics are generously sponsored through Hope for Paws and Eldad Hagar.

Guidelines for FLB clinics are as follows:

Low-income Long Beach residents only unless you have a pit bull! (We offer free spay/neuter for pitties in surrounding cities.) If you don’t qualify (annual salary $30,000 or lower), please Google “low cost spay/neuter” along with your zip code, and have your pet fixed at one of the suggested clinics.
Book an appointment ASAP. Standbys are welcome. Vouchers will be given to any attendee whose pet cannot be served that day.
If you have called or made a previous appointment, please check your voice mail for messages (be sure that it’s set up). You must call back to confirm your appointment or your spot will be given away.
If you are 15 minutes late for your appointment, your spot will be given to someone waiting on standby. If you fail to show up for two consecutive appointments, you will be denied future service.

Fix Long Beach also offers the following services from 9:00AM–4:00PM:

low-cost vaccines for dogs and cats $10 per shot, cash only.
low-cost flea meds for dog and cats $10 per dose/application, cash only.
nail trim $5, cash only.
free microchips for pets of Long Beach residents.
free supplies for anyone that gets their pets fixed.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 323.413.7729.

When you come, bring proof of income and Long Beach residency (these events are for Long Beach residents only.) Whether you come as standby or with an appointment, do not give your pet anything to eat or drink after 12:01AM. Dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers that are specifically pet carriers! No paper bags or suitcases, please! There are no walls in the park, and we want you to ensure your pet’s safety! If you don’t own a carrier, pet supply stores like Petco and PetSmart carry inexpensive cardboard ones; they run on the average of $8.

Fix Long Beach also has a wish list for pet items to give to our client as a thank-you for helping to lower our shelter euthanasia rate and prevent the birth of more unwanted kittens and puppies.

Click the link to donate items, or bring them to the event if you find a better deal!

Let’s continue to help make Long Beach no kill, one pet at a time!

Helen Sanders CatPAWS Bowling Fund-Raiser

Saturday, May 14; 2:00PM–5:00PM, Westminster Lanes, 6471 Westminster Boulevard, Westminster

Hit a strike for the “spare” kitties that Helen Sanders CatPAWS has waiting with their foster humans! You don’t have to be a champion bowler to join in–every ball can go into the gutter as long as you’re there to have a great time, enjoy an opportunity drawing, and fund-raise for these wonderful cats, many of whom were pulled from shelters to find them permanent, loving homes. Check out the information on the flyer.

Ongoing

Volunteer at the Cat Adoption Center at Pet Food Express

Choose from two shifts a day—8:30AM to noon and 2:00PM to 7:00PM. Duties include cleaning condos and showing cats for adoption. For information, email [email protected].

Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS): Free Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinics, once monthly; Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics, scheduled days Monthly. Locations vary.

See flyer on web page for pricing of services

Beginning this Sunday, February 21, the Society for California Veterinary and Vaccine Care (SCVVC) will offer free spay/neuter procedures and wellness services to residents of the cities served by ACS: Long Beach, Signal Hill, Cerritos, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach. During the remaining weeks of the month, Spay/Neuter Project Los Angeles (SNP/LA) will offer low-cost vaccines, nail trimmings and topical flea treatment for residents of the same areas. Click the link for locations and times and click the links next to each event for vaccine pricing and other details.

Pet owners must be 18 years or older. All pets must be on leashes or in carriers. Only healthy and non-pregnant animals will be vaccinated. If you have a prior rabies vaccine certificate, license tag or license renewal notice for your pet, please bring it with you to the clinic. Vaccination and microchip services are provided for pets residing in any city. Licensing service is provided for residents within our jurisdiction:. Microchips, flea treatment and nail trimmings also available.

Bird Release Project

South Bay Wildlife Rehab, at driver’s convenience

Bye-bye, birdie! South Bay Wildlife Rehab needs rides for hawks, owls and falcons. No training is required—just sign up on the email list and reply to emails asking for help. Releasing birds of prey is rewarding and educational!

Some of the birds were captured at local airports and need long rides—150 miles plus—to lessen the chances of them returning to the airports and causing more trouble. There are also injured and orphaned birds that need to be returned to their natural environment; these are specific locations.

Rides are almost always needed, so if you’re planning a road trip of at least 150 miles and would enjoy a feathered passenger for part of the way, drop us an email and let us know where and when you’re going. Once you sign up for our email list, you’ll receive emails when birds need to hitch a ride. Contact Ann Lynch, director, at [email protected], or Karin West, ranch manager, at [email protected].