Virtually Pets
It’s stopped raining cats and dogs for a while, and pretty soon, it’ll be raining cats. Kitten season is starting, and there will be tons of kittens born on the streets needing to be bottle-fed, spayed and neutered, and eventually homed.
Before we get to the kittens—and we will—I want to turn your attention to senior cats. On Saturday, Pet Food Express will have its monthly pet adoption event, featuring shelter and rescue cats and dogs (see Virtually Pets). Taking up the left-rear section of the store is a complex of lovely cat condos. In the condos are cats from Stray Cat Alliance and Long Beach Animal Care Services. Three of them are seniors or are approaching seniorhood, and there are good reasons to adopt them, certainly not limited to the following:
- Cats, when well cared for, can live a long, happy and lively life. These cats have plenty of that in them.
- If you’re looking for a calmer companion, you don’t have to worry about kitten antics. Furthermore, the cat’s already grown into who he or she is, so you’ll know if it’s a good fit.
- You’re providing a home for a grown cat instead of choosing a kitten that’s admittedly adorable but who also will grow up to be a cat.
- If you’re a senior yourself like yours truly and worry about your pets outliving you, there’s less of a chance of that with an adult or a senior. And you’ll still get the companionship.
- They’re likely acquainted with scratching posts, particularly cats in rescues, who are provided with them.
- They have longer attention spans as lap sitters.
- Mostly, you’ll be providing an overlooked senior kitty with a good, loving life.
More on kitten season and how you can help in a future article. Meanwhile, here are three sweet seniors in residence at the Cat Adoption Center at Pet Food Express.
Blaze, age 7, has the personality that seems even stronger in orange cats. He loves head-butting your fist and, if given the opportunity, will place both paws on your shoulder and look at you expectantly.
Baby, left, and Girl are a bonded pair. They’re both 11 years old, but, as can be the case with siblings, their personalities are different. Girl is more outgoing; she loves to be petted and run about and play. Baby’s sweet as pie, and just a little shy.
Mark Your Calendar (the Human Way)
Pet Adoption Event at PFE
Saturday, March 4, 11:00AM–3:00PM, Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach
Adoption fees apply
March forth to Pet Food Express to find your new BFF and everything that he or she could ever want or need, in one place. Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) and other rescues will be bringing some wonderful dogs ready to go home with their new people. Everything is high quality at Pet Food Express, and that includes the adoptive pets! Check out the Cat Adoption Center, featuring fine felines from Long Beach Animal Care Services and Stray Cat Alliance.
Image created by Gar Andrey.
Your Pet Onscreen at the Symphony!
Saturday, March 11, 8:00PM, Long Beach Symphony POPS! Concert, Long Beach Arena, 300 Ocean Avenue, Long Beach
Ticket prices start at $25; submission of your pet’s photo is free
Our pet-friendly city has upped its culture! Your pet’s image can now grace the screen during Long Beach Symphony’s multisensory “Symphonic Spectacular: See the Music” (see preview here), and you can enjoy a fitting tribute to them! Images of all the Baileys, Tiggers, Maxes and Bellas will be digitally projected while “Talk to the Animals” from Dr. Doolittle is jauntily performed by the Symphony Orchestra. You have up to 30 minutes before the concert to email your pets’ photos to [email protected], using LBPets in the subject line, or submit them onsite up to 30 minutes prior to the concert. The entire spectacle promises to be delightful, featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” “Galop” from Offenbach’s William Tell Overture, works by jJohann Strauss and George Gershwin, a tribute to John Williams, and a medley of Beach Boys tunes—hopefully from Pet Sounds.
Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic
Saturday, March 11, 7:30AM–4:00PM, Houghton Park, 6500 Atlantic Avenue (near Jordan High), Long Beach
Free to qualifying residents; free microchips; low-cost shots ($10 each); $10 flea med doses
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 your dog or cat! These clinics are generously sponsored through Hope for Paws and Eldad Hagar.
Visit this link for qualifications and an application for your appointment. There is also a donation button to help Fix Long Beach continue their efforts. Click the organization’s Amazon Wish List 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!
Gray the corgi enjoys a bath from a Helpful and Soaking Wet Honda Guy. Photo courtesy of SoCal Honda.
Sixth Annual Helpful Honda Pet Adoption
Saturday, March 11, 11:00AM–3:00PM, Rosie’s Dog Beach, 5000 East Ocean Avenue, Long Beach
Free event
The Helpful Honda Guys (and Girls) in Blue are at it again! They’re coming to Rosie’s to help SoCal’s two-legged residents find new four-legged friends with their sponsored pet adoption events, and one’s coming here to Rosie’s Dog Beach! Live Love Pet Care, German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County and Barks of Love http://barksoflove.org/ will be there with the deserving dogs who’d love to get a ride home forever. In addition, the Helpful Honda Guys will be doing something else “pawsome”—they’ll be providing free doggie washes, a fun pet-photo booth, complimentary leashes and food bowls, and doggy bags to those who visit and adopt!A supplies donation will also be made to each participating local shelter or rescue group.
The Guys and Girls in Blue will be holding other adoption events in March in the San Jacinto Valley, Van Nuys and Camarillo. Check this link for future information.
Marine Mammal Care Center Presents ‘Marine Mammal Madness!’
Sunday, March 19, 4:00PM–8:00PM, Think Cafe, 302 West 5th Street, San Pedro
Adults, $60
The public’s generosity in 2016 helped us provide quality care for 450 seals and sea lions in 2016. This fund-raiser is a great opportunity for you to help us continue this work and to enjoy the music of Andy & Renee, sample food and drink, bid in a silent auction, enter opportunity drawings, win prizes and much more! We invite you to learn more about MMCC Los Angeles and the vital community service we provide through your support. You’ll be able to meet our board of directors and speak to our fund-raising ambassadors as to how you can support Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles. Your ticket entitles you to two drinks and a great array of appetizers (not to mention that part of the ticket price is tax deductible).
Ongoing
Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA) Invitation to Join Its Board
Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA), the most venerable animal-welfare organization in Long Beach, is inviting pet-community members and any animal-loving human to apply to fill an opening on the FOLBA board. If you have some time to spend and a passion for our feline and canine friends, and if you are looking for the rewards that can come with volunteerism, FOLBA would love to hear from you. Contact FOLBA at [email protected] or at (562) 988-SNIP.
Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) Information for Low-Cost Vaccinations and Spay/Neuter Clinics
7700 East Spring Street at entrance to El Dorado Park (no fee for shelter visitors), Long Beach
Prices vary
Vouchers that take a big bite, so to speak, out of the cost of spay/neuter procedures are available at ACS during their public hours. Visit this link for information on clinics that accept the vouchers and for other spay/neuter assistance.
For low-cost vaccines, visit this link. Note that pet owners must be 18 years or older, all pets must be on leashes or in carriers, and only healthy and non-pregnant animals will be vaccinated. Please bring prior vaccination information with you to the clinic. Vaccination and microchip services are provided for pets residing in any city. Licensing is provided for residents within our jurisdiction at Saturday clinics; please bring your renewal notice and rabies certificate with you.
Humane Education Presentation Signup
Throughout year, various school classrooms
Free
Humane educator and writer (How Willy Got His Wheels, How Willy Got His Wings and others) is available to teach students about responsible pet ownership and kindness to all living beings. Turner also presents to adult groups as a special event for school parents. If you are a principal, a teacher, a librarian or other school official in the Long Beach Unified School District, reserve a date. See graphic for information.
Registration for Team spcaLA for the LA Marathon
Saturday, March 18, 5k; Sunday, March 19, Marathon; Dodger’s Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Avenue, Los Angeles
5k, $40; Marathon, $175
Join Team spcaLA for the LA Marathon or LA Big 5K and help stop animal cruelty with each step.Visit link https://spcala.com/event/team-spcala-in-the-la-big-5k-la-marathon/ for details
Free Pet Food Distributions
Food for Pets in Need provides pet food to senior, homeless, low-income and homebound residents in Long Beach who otherwise may not be able to afford adequate food to take proper care of their pets.
The Pet Food Bank is sponsored by Christian Outreach in Action. See flyer for details.