little fluffy white cat with black ears, sporting a bowtie.
Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.

Pets are people (and better), too. When we suggested that they should have to make resolutions for the new year, too, they responded by enthusiastically yawning, scratching themselves behind the ear and asking when’s dinner. So, we did it for them. Like most people, they might take some umbrage at others suggesting resolutions for them. Unlike most people, they probably won’t ignore them. Well, most of them.

a large brown Lab-type dog snuggling with small black English bulldog mix
Get all the sleep you need.
Cat with white body, tabby mask, and pink nose lies upside down in a tunnel toy with mouth open, as if laughing.
Don’t take everything seriously. Find at least one thing to laugh at every day.
tabby with white mask and chest and pink nose, and brown tabby with ears back in a funny position stand near a large bag of Nutrish cat food.
Spend money wisely. Purchase large economy sizes when possible.
Large white dog in a crate with ripped-out stuffing from a pillow.
Redecorate that tired old room.
little fluffy white cat with black ears, sporting a bowtie.
Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.
little tabby cat with white shoulders looks at another cat onscreen.
Tear yourself away from social media, and…
tabby cat with white spot on back and white legs peruses a book held by a human.
Pick up a book.
Six dogs of varying breeds sit on a blue stagecoach, wearing hats, and posing. Haystacks and a pumpkin are in the foreground.
Hang with friends.
boxer dog looks into camera. Orange flowers are in the background.
Enjoy the outdoors.
little brown dog with head raised to ceiling, holding hands with a human.
Dance like no one’s watching.

Thank you to Flyer and Jones Osier; Frank, George, Roo, Rio, Sadie and Duke Kliche; Benny Leifer; Gigi Cornejo; Purresident Chickpea Gaunt; Eunice G. and Hector G. “Schnitzer” Baughman; and Mildred J. and Duncan S. Karp. And to the photographers and scribes Diana Kliche, Dan Kliche, Beverly Leifer, Tamara Lopez, Tealeye Cornejo, Brandy Gaunt and Bryan Baughman.

Here’s one for humans that I put out there no matter the time of year: Find someone to love. Or spread the love you have further. The shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services should be your first stop—it’s where all the animals who are badly treated, left over from backyard breeders, are too old or don’t match the décor, wind up. Their futures aren’t guaranteed, although the staff and volunteers work hard to have a good one. That’s where we come in. Here are some of the cats who need to get out of the shelter and into a home.

head shot of mediumhair black cat with "milk streams" running on either side of black goatee; white chest.
Scamp (ID#A627182) is a 3-year-old male that has been at the shelter since May. He’s a big cat with a big friendly attitude. Curious, kind and loving, this guy will make an instant impression on you the minute you meet him.
shiny black cat with pink collar staring dolefully at camera
Unlike the pukka rabbit in the film of the same name, there’s no doubt that Harvey (ID#A630972) is very much there. Harvey’s a 5-year-old boy with emerald eyes that stand out against his shiny, black fur. He’s been at our shelter since July and he desperately needs to find a home to call his own.
headshot of brown tabby cat with white muzzle and intensely staring green eyes
Both the face and name of Grey Fox (ID#A630973) conjure up visions of the forest and life in the wild. But Grey Fox is anything but wild.  She’s a 5-year-old female with a very sweet and tender side. At first, she is somewhat shy, but then she warms up and wins over everyone with her charm. She’s been in the shelter since July and needs to go home.
headshot of tortie cat with black mask, white muzzle and 'Madonna mole'
Dorothy (ID#A620935) is 7 years old and has a lovely resemblance to a comfy quilt. She also has a distinctive “Madonna mole.” Dorothy’s been in the shelter since August, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to think of her tapping her hind paws together and saying, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…”

Long Beach Animal Care Services is located at 7700 E. Spring St., in the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village. To see the animals in the shelter section of the Village, go through the Adoption Center entrance, go to the counter to the right, and ask for a Long Beach Animal Care Services adoption counselor.

Things to do, pets to support

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

FAmily --mother, father, and little girl carry two fluffy dogs

Events

Fix Long Beach vaccine/information clinic: Saturday, Jan. 4, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Somerset Park, 1500 E. Carson St., Long Beach, free

January’s clinic will not have a spay/neuter truck, but Fix will be there with spay/neuter vouchers, $10 vaccines (no rabies this time), free microchips and $5 nail trimming. Good time for a visit with the organization.

Movie Night, featuring ‘The Aristocats’: Thursday, Jan. 16, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, tickets $20 online

The Feline Good Social Club has become a regular activity center! The cats in residence have chosen the film “The Aristocats” and are looking forward to sharing popcorn with friends and batting it across the room. Feel free to bring your own human treats as well.

Sound Healing Workshop: Sunday, Jan. 19, Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, $25 online reservation

It’s not as if purring weren’t enough to heal the frayed psyche, but sometimes, it needs some help. This unique workshop presented by Illuminate Life, a partner with Sound Healing, uses bowls, chimes, drums and a didgeridoo (fits right in and is fun as heck to spell) to get your blood pressure down, your thoughts squared away and your memory bank accessed. The cats do the rest. More information available here.

Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic: Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Somerset Park, 1500 E Carson St., Long Beach, free spay/neuter appointments for qualifying people; free microchips, shots, flea-med doses, dewormers and nail trimmings $10 each.

Calendars

The 2020 pet calendars are ready to wag in the new year, with favorite pinups on each month.

Helen Sanders CatPAWS Show Us Your Kitties calendar: $10 each, available here.

Southern California Bulldog Rescue Ador-a-bull Calendar: $25 each, available here.

Seal Beach Animal Care Center 2020 Calendar: available here in mid-November.

Has your dog been waiting for that walk down the runway? Has your cat been waiting to be discovered as the star they know they are?  It is now their time to shine! The 13 cats and 13 dogs with the most votes will become a monthly model, with the top cat and top dog as cover pets. Whether you’re a winner or a beloved entrant, the pets at Seal Beach Animal Care Center will profit from your entry—all funds will go to their care. Details available here.

Shelter Shenanigans

The shelter needs volunteers, like, yesterday. Animals need socializing for adoption, doggies need baths and walkies, events need attendance and gaps need to be filled where there are more needs than humans to fill them. If you want to make a real difference, fill out an application here and attend a volunteer orientation meeting.

Have an overnight with a kitty with Foster Fridays! The shelter has kittens coming out of the walls—literally. The shelter manager constantly has a few in her office! The shelter is at capacity, especially where cats are concerned, so fosters are sorely needed. Every Friday from 2 p.m.-5 p.m., shelter staff is inviting residents who have the necessary accommodations—a safe space, time to feed them and play with them, and a propensity to say “Awwww!” every 15 minutes—to take a healthy, weaned kitten home for a while. Shelter will provide food, litter and a carrier and also cover any offsite medical. Time commitment is two weeks, with an option to adopt, of course! Foster fail! Have questions? Contact the shelter director at [email protected].

Other/ongoing

Cats and Mats Yoga: Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, every Saturday, 11 a.m.–noon and 5:30–6:30 p.m., $20 per person

Can you side-plank on a mat? Can you do it with a cat? That’s the idea at Long Beach’s Feline Good Social Club, where you can have their resident kitties join you in asanas, which is really the best way. Bring a mat and wear comfy clothes that you don’t mind getting fur on. For ages 10 and up. Schedule available here. Reservations are recommended and may be made on the events page.

Instructional Pack Walk: First Saturday of the month, 10–11 a.m., Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, free, donations accepted

The public is invited to take part in a walk sponsored by Trot’s Dog Walking and Training that will help you and your best buddy learn proper leash manners and focus on each other instead of the distractions of the “real world.” Trot’s experienced pack leaders are there to guide you through the process. Meet at the park at the corner of Ocean and Junipero at 10 a.m.

Donations accepted for Pets of the Homeless

Pets of the Homeless’ 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 at Beacon for Him Ministries, 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach, Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3:00 p.m.; as well as at Christian Outreach in Action, 515 E. 3rd St., Long Beach, Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Woman with short black hair and sunglasses on top of her head, wearing a bright-orange shirt, cuddles newly adopted orange cat.
…to X-tatic! Photo by Eden Amans
Adopt, adopt, adopt

The following pet-related businesses regularly feature cat, dog and rabbit adoptions. If you’re a Long Beach-area rescue and don’t see your adoption event listed here, please email [email protected]. Click on the links for each rescue in case of updates or changes.

Chase Bank, 5200 East Second St., Long Beach

The Farmer’s Marketplace of Long Beach, 5000 E. Spring St. (Spring and Clark), Long Beach

Gelson’s Market, 6255 E. 2nd St.

Kahoots Pet Store, 18681 Main St. #102, Huntington Beach

Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach:

PetSmart Cerritos, 12741 Towne Center Dr, Cerritos

PetSmart Compton, 1775 South Alameda St., Compton

PetSmart Garden Grove, 9835 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove

PetSmart, Long Beach Exchange, 3871 N Lakewood Blvd., Long Beach

PetSmart Seal Beach, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach.

PetSmart Signal Hill, 2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill

PetSmart Towne Center, 7631 Carson Blvd., Long Beach

Unleashed by Petco, 600 Redondo Ave.