Cats can be tough audiences, especially if you’re a comedian. You throw them your best lines, and they stare expressionlessly into your face and then walk away, with no further comment.

Even with this in mind, the Salty AF comedy show performers bravely contended with the Feline Good Social Club’s resident and adoptable kyats upstaging antics during the Club’s Comedy & Cats event. Comedians Luke Null, Kari Assad, Mike Falzone, Julian Fernandez, Samantha Hale and cofounder Holly Anabel Brown demonstrated their improv chops along with their original material, setting off bursts of laughter as the cats padded onstage and off, looking as if nothing unusual was going on.

“It’s been a long year in quarantine, and this seemed like something fun,” said audience member Ayana, who lives in a no-pets apartment and was getting her feline fix. “I like comedy, so I thought, I’ll catch a show. This is a really cool concept—a place where you could pet cats and also see a show!”

Feline Good Social Club wasn’t Holly Anabel Brown’s first rodeo—or cat-herding experience.

“I’ve been doing cat comedy since 2017,” she said. “I think Pam and Mikki [founder Pam Leslie and manager Mikki Motley] are doing far beyond what the cat café industry has been doing. I was as excited to do this as they were. Would I come back? Absolutely!”

Brown said that she’s experienced her share of kitty hecklers, and she deals with them as she would any catcaller—she makes them part of the act.

https://youtu.be/ogY7v0jdmks

Kitten around with the audience: comedians Julian Fernandez, Mike Falzone, Luke Null and Kari Assad share the spotlight with furry upstarts. Video by Kate Karp and Cheantay Jensen

Comedy & Cats is the latest in the handful of special events that Feline Good Social Club has held since reopening Feb. 11 after its COVID-19 shutdown. Motley found the show to be more than fun—it was necessary.

“It gives us an opportunity to come together for the things that are most important, which are to laugh, and to enjoy cats,” she said. “It’s important for us to move forward and to find the silver lining, to use it as an opportunity to continue to do what we do best—which is cats and people coming together to do their best.”

Check future events and book private and group sessions with the Feline Good Social Club right here. The show will definitely go on, and the laughs will keep coming.

Virtually Pets

Woman with long, blond hair and face mask, with black T-shirt advertising the Feline Good Social Club, holds little white cat. They stand in front of a mural.
Nieve enjoys a bird’s-eye view of the Salty AF comedians, thanks to Feline Good Social Club volunteer Vicki.

 

Some of the cats in these photos were featured in the comedy clips. Sure, you can take home a celebrity, but no matter whom you adopt, you’ll be each other’s headliner furever! Complete an online application to adopt any of these cats or the ones on their website. To make an in-fur-med decision, come to the Club to meet them all!

Orange cat sits tall on a black-and-white print rug
Hercules made his onstage debut when he interrupted Mike Falzone’s act to walk across the stage and position himself by the speaker—all on cue, mind you. There’s no guarantee that Hercules will be thus obliging in your house, but he’s guaranteed to cuddle and play and be another hallmark special orange cat.

 

mediumhair tortie cat meatloafs on the floor, backed by a pink pillow
No one likes being dumped. If you’re ever unceremoniously tossed out, though, may you have the good fortune that Kitty Purri had to be left behind at an apartment complex where good cat people lived. Poor girl was pregnant, and the humans in the complex took good care of her and brought her inside when she was ready to deliver her fabulous family. She moved right in with three other cats and had no trouble. Now, she’s ready for the big time! Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s as affectionate and responsive as she is stunning.

 

Small white cat lies on a white cat bed on a tall stand.
Nieve means “snow” in Spanish, but this little girl is as warm as a muffin and will melt your heart! She was in the audience with her good friend, volunteer Vickie, enjoying the show and the adoring stares of the guests.

 

Small orange cat with a white mask, chest and legs sits tall on the floor and stares backward at camera

Can you resist this gaze? Orla will go from thoughtful to playful in half a second. She’s loving and a lot of fun—a real show stopper!

Stunning gray cat sits gaunt and tall staring at camera. He's in a pink-and-white enclosure.
Remember tall Tony? He made a couple of appearances in Comedy & Cats, and stole the show from two comedians. Expect him to do the same at your house. He’s actually a loving cat, but we dare you to beat him in a staring contest!

 

Just fur fun and fur-ther education

Pet Food Express Virtual Pet Fair: throughout September, with in-paw-son adoption event 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 12, Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, adoption fees vary, find registration information here

Pet Food Express stores across California are hosting the biggest virtual pet fair ever! You can actually meet your new best friend online or at your local Pet Food Express this weekend (on Saturday and Sunday, the virtual fair is only virtually virtual, and that’s a very good thing!). Long Beach’s Pet Food Express will host local cat rescues The Little Lion Foundation and The Cat Cove, and virtual adoption “booths” are also on the “fairgrounds”—local rescues include Helen Sanders Cat Paws, The Cat Cove, The Little Lion Foundation and the House Rabbit Society. Virtual events on Saturday, Sept. 11, include a K9 Search and Rescue and 9/11 Memorial. Every adoption is a win-win-win—you get a swag bag of goodies, the rescue will receive $25 from the adoption and an additional $20 if you redeem the coupon in your swag bag at any Pet Food Express store, and the cat, dog, bird, bunny, cow (two of them were adopted at a previous fair) or whoever goes home with you wins big. Of course, so do you.

PawzTV launches Saturday, Sept. 11, on Spectrum 181/1310

Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA) presents a new program for the animal-advocacy community. PawsTV on Spectrum is directed by FOLBA board member Tom Hanberg and produced by an all-volunteer staff. The program’s content will include human- and animal-interest stories for children and adults and will also offer information for the animal community at large. Environmental, earth and physical science professor Brittnei Schaeffler will host the inaugural episode, which features author Deborah Turner discussing her children’s book “Sam’s Journey,” a tale that teaches children about kindness and care for animals, and “Saving Sandy,” a true story about an abused German shepherd. The episode will broadcast through Oct. 3 and will also be available on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Broadcast times and information about the show is available on this link. Contact FOLBA to suggest content or to volunteer for the show. To help support PawsTV, text PAWZTV to 44321.

Timmons Subaru Grand Opening Event, featuring pet adoptions: 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19, Timmons Subaru, 3700 Cherry Ave., Long Beach.

Long Beach Animal Care Services will drive its own vehicle onto the Timmons lot for an in-person event! The Adoption Waggin’ is loaded—mainly with adorable, adoptable cats and dogs. Friends of Long Beach Animals will support the adoptions at the event.

13th annual Seal Beach Animal Care Center’s Pets Ahoy! wine fundraiser: noon.–3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19, Seal Beach Yacht Club, 255 N. Marina Drive, Seal Beach, $50.

Seal Beach Animal Care Services has planned a lovely afternoon for animal and wine lovers alike, which will provide equally lovely benefits for the cats and dogs in their care. Sip Napa Valley wines and soft drinks as you graze the buffet lunch. Enjoy silent auctions and a Super Opportunity Drawing for a $1,000 Visa Card! Space is limited, so register soon at this link! (CDC guidelines will be observed.)

Paint and Purrs fundraising event: 5:30–7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2, Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, $45 per person, purchase tickets here.

Set free your inner Meowndrian at the Feline Good Social Club’s “Me and My Cat Over the Rainbow” social night! Participants will create a themed painting in the company of the best muses ever: the Club’s adoptable cats (refrain from using tails as paintbrushes). All funds from the event go toward maintaining the Club and its residents so that they may continue to thrive and inspire. Face masks for humans are mandatory.

Sound Healing fundraising event: 5:30–7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9, Nov., 9, Dec. 4, Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, $30 per person, purchase tickets here.

Bring your yoga mat, blanket, pillow, water bottle and anything else you need to keep you comfy and experience the healing effects of the sounds and vibrations of tonal instruments as cats wander around, over and on you. You can adopt one of these kitties and experience daily the best sound healing ever—purring. Wear comfortable clothing; masks are mandatory for humans.

Best Friends’ Strut Your Mutt fundraising event: details and events here

Ready to start building a team or just strut your stuff solo? Best Friends, a nationwide organization whose intent is to save every animal life possible, has started its registration for its October 23 Strut Your Mutt Day virtual walk. The goal is to raise $2 million for both the organization and animal shelters and rescues nationwide. Access this link for instructions on how to build your team or register yourself, and participate in virtual events such as pig yoga and meeting the animals at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary as you move along the time line. Mutts and all manner of mammals will thank you!

 

Calendars: 365 days of furry love

Helen Sanders CatPAWS Show Us Your Kitties 2022 calendar contest: entries accepted up to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18.

Calling all stage cat mommies and cat daddies! Now’s the chance for you to buy the way of your ridiculously adorable ridiculous feline into the spotlight! Helen Sanders CatPAWS cat rescue is again holding its annual photo contest in which you can enter your own cat and get your friends to donate funds to vote for a cover or month photo position on the calendar! It’s a lot less fattening than asking them to buy your kids’ fundraising chocolate, and the money taken in will pay more medical bills for cats, put together more DIY newborn-kitten-care kits, and fund all the good things CatPAWS does—the goal is $10,000, but they’ll settle for more. You can also reserve a special day for a kitty whose memory you want to honor. CatPAWS will attempt to place every photo received somewhere on the calendar. Grab all the details here!

Help wanted, help given

 

Volunteers of many stripes needed at Helen Sanders CatPAWS

Want to spend a few hours playing with cats? How about brightening the day of a bunch of senior citizens with kitten visits? Fostering cats because you aren’t sure you want to keep one but wish you could have one ever so briefly in your life (and yes, you could change your mind and keep them forever). Delivering pet food to needy shelters? Assembling do-it-yourself newborn-kitten-care kits, and maybe bottle-feeding a few? Kennel cleaning (whee!)? Lend a paw to CatPAWS—fill out the volunteer application at this link.

Volunteer walkers needed for senior citizens’ dogs

Ida’s Walkers is a program of The Heart of Ida, a 501c3 nonprofit organization serving the older-adult population in and around Long Beach. Ida’s Walkers offers dog-walking services to low-to-moderate-income seniors who are hospitalized, have limited mobility, or are at risk of falling. If you want to help senior citizens keep their beloved pets as long as they are able to live at home, call 562-370-3548.

Fix Long Beach low-cost pet-services clinics: selected days and times, 1749 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, services available by appointment at www.fixlongbeachpets.com.

Fix Long Beach is taking appointments for low-cost spay/neuter, dental, vaccines and other vet needs for cats and dogs. Vaccination clinics take place on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Visit their webpage or Facebook page for details.

DIY Kitten Care Kits available free at Long Beach Animal Care Services

Kitten season has is here and shelters and rescues are scrambling to save their lives, get them fixed, get them adopted. It isn’t unusual to find nests of young, seemingly abandoned kittens during kitten season. It is a natural reaction to want to help. If you are interested in obtaining a Kitten Care Kit made possible by Helen Sanders CatPAWS, please email [email protected].

Spay/neuter vouchers available at shelter

Long Beach Animal Care Services has spay/neuter vouchers available. They’ll take a healthy nip out of the cost of a procedure. Residents of any of the five cities served by the shelter can telephone the general number at 562-570–7387 to request a voucher.

 Spay/neuter appointments available at SNP/LA

The Spay/Neuter Project of Los Angeles (SNP/LA) offers free and low-cost spay/neuter services, and they’re extending the hours of their vaccination clinics. The San Pedro clinic will give shots between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. every third Thursday at 957 N. Gaffey St. Call 310-574–5555 to see if you qualify for services.

If you can see the bottom of the kibble bag

Pets of the Homeless’s home page gives a self-description as the only organization focusing only on providing food and care for pets belonging to homeless people. Businesses and other organizations across the country receive in-kind donations of food and other needs that the dogs and cats’ human families can pick up at outreach locations. The following businesses will accept your donations:

Trendi Pawz, 3726 E. Seventh St., Long Beach.

Belmont Heights Animal Hospital, 255 Redondo Ave., Long Beach.

Paw Shoppe Pet Center, Inc., 6416 E. Spring St., Long Beach.

Food and supplies are available Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. at Beacon for Him Ministries, 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach; and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at Christian Outreach in Action, 515 E. Third St., Long Beach, Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Adopt, adopt, adopt

 

 Long Beach Animal Care Services’ Adoption Waggin: 10 a.m.–2 p.m., second Saturday of each month, Pet Supplies Plus, 2086 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach; 10 a.m..–2 p.m., last Saturday of each month, VBurger, 420 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, adoption fees apply.

 The shelter’s favorite glamping vehicle for cats and dogs has been making the scene twice a month. Adopt at the locations and find either everything you need for your pet or a fine vegan lunch.

Pet Food Express Cat Adoption Center: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m.–7 p.m. .Sundays., Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, adoption fees apply.

This adoption center is a much-needed satellite operation of Long Beach Animal Care Services. Julie and her team pull adoptable cats—”adoptable,” to these guys, means any cat in a shelter kennel! The team socializes the kitties until they’re adopted, which takes less time than you could imagine!

Helen Sanders CatPAWS adoption center: viewable daily during store hours, PetSmart, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach, adoption fees apply.

Window-shopping’s a neat pastime and likely has become more common during the pandemic. Helen Sanders CatPAWS has applied window-shopping to cat adoption; you can peer at several of the fine felines through the windows of the PetSmart adoption center in Seal Beach, and now, you can finally visit with them, scratch their little ears, and rub them under their chinny-chin-chins on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. Volunteers will answer questions and provide you with adoption information! Be sure to wear a mask. You can find adoption applications and all the kitties here.

Links to loveables

two dogs and a cat on one border, two cats and two dogs on other. Caption says, "May we couch-surf at your place?"
May we couch-surf at your place?

Nota bon-e—fosters are needed everywhere!

If you’ve always wanted a pet but aren’t sure if you’re ready for a lifetime (the animal’s) commitment, or if you’re past the pet-roommate days for any reason, fostering might be a great way to go, especially with one or more of the kittens popping up during kitten season. Every one of the organizations listed below is in desperate need of fosters who’ll social them and help save their little lives. Who knows—maybe one of those lives will change your mind about the not-ready-for-roommate thing!

These nonprofits also regularly feature cat, dog and rabbit adoptions. As of now, adoptions are mainly by appointment. Fosters are needed for kittens as well. Click on the links for each rescue in case of updates or changes. These organizations operate through donations and grants, and anything you can give would be welcome. Please suggest any Long Beach-area rescues to add to the list.