This Scratching Post’s Adopt, adopt, adopt section has been divided into three subsections: Links to loveables, where you can see pets in local rescues and shelters, who need to go home; Adoptees on display, which lists permanent adoption centers where you can scope out and apply for a new furry family member; and In fur-son events, which take place in a physical venue—finally!—during a specific number of days or weeks.

Live adoptions are returning in full swing since pandemic restrictions have been eased, and efforts to find homes for cats and kittens are redoubling this year, thanks but no thanks to a kitten season that some rescuers say is worse than last year’s. The Scratching Post has been featuring cats with few canine or rabbit intervals, and it’s because of the barely manageable numbers of kittens born and trapped outdoors by volunteers. You’ll notice that this week’s featured events are cat-specific.

Zazzy Cats Kitty Rescue is up to its pointed ears in felines, thanks to “a very busy SoCal kitten season and our continuing commitment to local shelters,” as stated on their webpage. Zazzy’s cats are from everywhere—the streets, the shelters, pregnant momcats that they take in. Every time I visit Fix Long Beach, I see a comparatively large number of Zazzy cats brought in for their fixes, vaccinations and tests to make sure they don’t have some awful feline disease. They all need homes, and I hope that showing their sweet, furry little faces here helps.

Virtually Pets

Here are a few very zazzy Zazzy Cats. To adopt any of them or to view any of the other zazzies, check the information on this link.

fluffy tuxedo cat snuggles with smaller fluffy tuxedo cat who's rubbing her head against his chest. They sit on a beige floor.

black cat with huge pink bow at neck plus an ID tag sits on a beige tile floor with white cabinetry in back

The first thing that you need to know about Sabrina is that she’s FIV-positive, which is no big deal because she’s fixed and doesn’t get into catfights that cause any blood transfer—the two main ways of transmitting FIV. FIV cats can live long and normal lives just like any other cats. They can also live with cats that are negative as long as there is no vicious fighting Play fighting its fine! Sabrina currently lives with three resident cats that aren’t FIV positive. She’s 2 years old—she was rescued at about 7 months old from the streets, and she is pretty street smart! She was smart enough to make up to her foster when she found her! Sabrina is initially shy around new humans, but once she analyzes them for love genes, she’ll crave attention! Her favorite things in the world are chin, head and cheek rubs and rubbing her face on humans’ faces. You can actually see the joy on her face! Give her a feather-wand toy, a couple of little mouse toys and a treat of goat’s milk, and she’ll be your bestie! 

brown tabby with big ears sits on a printed beige rug with a toy mouse in front of her.
Brown-tabby alert! Lemon, far from being a lemon, is a sweet, friendly, spunky 2-year-old girl with beautiful markings and light golden eyes. At 3 weeks old, she was intercepted along with her four siblings by her foster when she was headed for a shelter. She loves to flop on her side so you can rub her tummy. She may be shy at first but is very social when given a little time. She’s lived comfortably with her four siblings, five other adults cats and two large dogs. Not sure how she’ll do with the partridge in a pear tree (or a lemon tree, for that matter) but she loves climbing cat trees, playing with toys and strings and cuddling up to people! Lemon is an indoor-only cat unless you can provide a supervised catio in her furever home.

 

cat with tabby mask and white muzzle and chest sits comfortably in the grass, staring at the camera.
Miss Priss at 3 ½ years old is a wonderful, elegant, caring and loving cat. She’s calm and chill but speaks up when she needs something. She grew up outside but is comfortable inside and is very friendly to other pets. She’s calm around the small dog in her foster home. She loves to be petted, but does not enjoy being held! Miss Priss requires a human that has patience. She is shy at first and needs time to be comfortable in order to feel at home.

 

And this chilled-out couple is in the purr-view of Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation, and a tireless worker at Fix Long Beach is fostering them. Email [email protected] to adopt them both!

Gray cat's face resting on the back of a tuxie cat. Both are relaxing on a towel over a cage.
Moon, a Russian blue, and Mali, a tuxedo, are bonded 11-month-old sisters. They put the “sweet” in “sweethearts,” are silky soft and love to play. Their energy actually has a calming effect on humans (and on them, when they’re done with their silliness), and they’re happiest snuggling with each other in the most adorable and picture-perfect positions. See their affection meter skyrocket as the girls very quickly open up around new people. They easily form great relationships with other cats and would do well in a family with mature children who can match their peaceful zen vibes.

 

Just fur fun and fur-ther education

Young man plays six white drums as several cats look on.
Sound-healer Santiago Rodriguez plays some pet sounds as the cats try to be cool about it.

Sound Healing, presented by Illuminate Life: 4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Friday, July 30, Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, $30, buy tickets here

Unless your cat’s a water freak, you probably haven’t taken a bath with them. Sound baths—well, different story. Join Illuminate Life and a kindle of kitties for a relaxing 45-minute sound bath, and after you’ll have a bonus sound bath of purring and light meows with the Feline Good Social Club cats! What a way to cultivate your inner contentedness! Feline Good Social Club asks everyone to arrive 10 minutes early. Bring mats, blankets and pillows, and dress for comfort.

Help wanted, help given

Fetch the paper for Long Beach Animal Care Services

If you still get the paper the old-school way instead of online, the shelter can use anything you have stacked up to line the kennels. But no slick-paper ads because they’re nonabsorbent. Drop it all off in front of Animal Admissions at 7700 E. Spring Street in Long Beach, at the El Dorado Park entrance. No parking fee for shelter guests.

Foster2Furever needs foster homes for large-breed dogs

If you love big doggies and want to help socialize one for a forever home, fill out the application here, and Foster2Furever will contact a respected rescue who’ll match you to a king-sized lovebug. Big homes and big yards aren’t required—just big hearts and a big desire to learn. Contact Foster2Furever here with any questions.

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.

Fosters needed at Long Beach Animal Care Services

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. Long Beach Animal Care Services now has a foster program aimed at saving some little lives and socializing them. Who knows—maybe one of those lives will change your mind about the not-ready-for-roommate thing.

Fix Long Beach low-cost pet-services clinics: 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday–Saturday, 1749 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, services available by appointment at 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 begun, and soon, shelters and rescues will be scrambling to save their lives, get them fixed and 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—(see above)—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) is back in business for 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

White bucket holding cat food and dog biscuits

Pets of the Homeless‘s homepage describes itself 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 9:00 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Beacon for Him Ministries, 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach; and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 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 fur-son events

Long Beach Animal Care Services monthly adoption event: Saturday, July 10, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Pet Supplies Plus, 2086 N Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, adoption fees apply.

This month, Long Beach Animal Care Services’ Adoption Waggin’ will be filled with kittens and cats! Pet Supplies Plus can stock you up after you adopt, with toys, litter, litter boxes and high-quality food—everything you need to give a cat a good life. You’re part of that parcel, too!

Friends of Long Beach Animals sponsors Jellicle Cat adoption fees through July

Looking for the perfect cat or kitten? Friends of Long Beach Animals will sponsor adoption fees for Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation (as you know, they’re small) during the month of July. Check out the available cuteness here.

 Helen Sanders CatPAWS celebrates PetSmart’s National Adoption Week: Friday, July 23; Saturday, July 24; and Sunday, July 25, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., PetSmart, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach, adoption fees apply.

Volunteers will be there to meet adopters at this big event, although the cats and kittens will likely beat them to it. Lots of surprises on hand aside from those silly, affectionate kitties, and Helen Sanders CatPAWS will receive a cash award for every adoption held, which will help them save even more cats!

Long Beach Animal Care Services Pick of the Litter month, through July 31

Don’t miss your chance to adopt a kitten, or an adult cat, or a sweet, sweet senior! Many cats and kittens are available for adoption, and they are going to new homes fast! Email Long Beach Animal Care Services at [email protected] to make an appointment to bring home your new, pointy-eared best friend. Adoption fees are waived; all other procedures are still in place.

 Adoptees on display

four photos of people with dogs in outdoor settings.

Dedicated volunteers contribute over 20,000 hours per year to ensure the animals are socialized, loved, walked, and comfortable until adopted. They have suspended the volunteer orientation sessions due to COVID, but here is a photo of a pre-pandemic group!

Pet Food Express Cat Adoption Center: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays, and 10:00 a.m.–7:00 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. Sadly, no ear scratching or chin rubs at this time, but volunteers can 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

Levi is at Long Beach Animal Care Services and needs very badly to find someone to understand him. Levi is a beautiful chocolate-point Siamese cat. In a typical Siamese manner, he has bright blue eyes and a handsome fur coat. He is very loving and enjoys a good massage by his handlers. Also typical of Siamese, Levi is not fond of other cats. He’s territorial and aggressive if his personal space is threatened. If you adopt him and give him his own space for an adequate period of time, you will have a truly wonderful pet!

The following pet-related nonprofits 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.