It’s New Year’s Eve and most of us are wondering whether to go outside and celebrate or stay indoors and spend the evening mixing the cocktails that the crafty Long Beach Post staff shows you how to concoct. (Click this link and scroll away. There’s even a mocktail for people who want to stay awake for the ball drop, and don’t miss Cheantay Jensen, who truly is the mother of invention, make use of a measuring-spoon set while mixing an Old Fashioned.)

Whether you’re dressing up in your own stylish best or staying home in your worn-out Christmas pajamas to ring in what we hope is a better year than the last couple, you might want to consider that a few creatures are already in their tuxedos, all dressed up with no place to go. They would love to celebrate the year and forever after with you.

If you do decide to go out, trust that they’ll be waiting for you to come home. And always will.

Can’t do a pet? Then make a resolution to check out the volunteer program’s Zoom presentation on Jan. 5. See details in Help wanted, help given.

Happy New Year, it is hoped!

Virtually pets

Most of these pets are at Long Beach Animal Care Services. Shelter adoptions are conducted through appointment, so unless otherwise noted, contact [email protected] to meet them.

tuxedo cat with big green eyes, a white spot on her nose, and white paws and chest lies in her kennel looking outl

Eliza (ID#A655959) wants to Doolittle more than play with a wand toy and snooze. She’s a little girl and would love to turn into your auld acquaintance who’ll never be forgot! Eliza is staying at Long Beach Animal Care Services’ satellite adoption center at Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach. Call 562-673-5050 to make an appointment to meet her.

tuxedo kitten with pink nose and white mask, chest and paws lies on colorful blankets and looks outward
This sweetheart’s name is Rebecca (ID#A666365). She’s all ready to go home for the new year and be the house guest who never leaves! Rebecca came to the shelter with a fractured hind limb, which may need amputation. She can be fostered while the shelter takes care of her medical needs and then adopted once she’s well. Playful Rebecca has no idea she has issues, so she’ll be a perfect one to ring in the year and make the resolution of being friends fur-ever!

 

tuxedo cat with tortie markings on head and white chest looks out
Boomer (ID# #A667029) made an appointment with her furdresser to get some tortie highlights to contrast with her tux. It gives her just the right amount of attitude—or tortitude, as the kitty lingo goes. Boomer is an owner surrender, and she’s 10 years old, making her somewhat of a senior. But as the old gal says, she’s got plenty of lives left and is going to live them to the hilt. Celebrate forever with this playful cat!

 

Hey, wait a hot minute! Tuxedos? Who says that cats are the only people who get to wear them! Angel (ID#A661295) indignantly insists on being invited to the party, and with that beautiful outfit, she has a standing invitation. Or a sitting one. Or a lying-down one. Whatever command you give!

Angel is only two and is sweet as egg nog, as you can see from the affection she gives volunteer Gary! Her family lost their home and couldn’t care for her, so she’d love to be in a loving place where her needs are understood.

 

Help wanted, help given

Long Beach Animal Care Services volunteer program resumes!

Save the Date! The shelter will have its first volunteer orientation in virtual form on Jan. 5, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.! Anyone wanting to help animals become adoptable—and adopted—as well as returning volunteers wanting to brush up on their skills are invited to register here.

Feline Good Social Club seeks volunteers

Long Beach’s only special space for frolicking with felines not your own is recruiting volunteers to help care for all the little loungers in the club. Volunteers will help with two-hour shifts from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A monthly-minimum shift of six hours is required. To be valet to the little stars, email [email protected].

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? Ever consider 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).

How about 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—just 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 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 is still in bloom, and shelters and rescues are scrambling to save little 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, to save them. But before you jump in, consider these steps outlined here. 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 Long Beach businesses will accept your donations:

Trendi Pawz, 3726 E. 7th 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 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Christian Outreach in Action, 515 E. 3rd St., Long Beach.

Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Adopt, adopt, adopt

In-furson events, etc.

man in white CatPaws T-shirt smiles at camera while cuddling a huge orange cat
CatPAWS volunteer Lance Smith interprets data for the membership and most importantly fosters kitties. Here he is with Sam, a glorious orange fellow who’s since gone home! Photo courtesy of Lance Smith.

 

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 centers: viewable daily during store hours, playtime Saturdays and Sundays between noon and 3 p.m., PetSmart, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach; Petco Marina Shores, 6500 Pacific Coast Hwy., third Saturday of every month between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Long 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.

Visitors to Petco Marina Shores every third Saturday of the month can see them running around their playpens and cuddle them, too. 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.

Nota bon-e—fosters are needed everywhere!

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?

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 desperately needs fosters who’ll social them and help save their little lives. Who knows—maybe one of those lives will change your mind about being not ready for a roommate!

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.