Virtually Pets

On Thursday, May 13, rabbit people and other animal lovers observed—we certainly didn’t celebrate—the anniversary of the first recorded detection in California of RHDV2, a disease fatal to rabbits. RDHV2 is a strain of rabbit hemorrhagic disease whose symptoms include loss of appetite, lethargy, oral or rectal bleeding, and death, either sudden or gradual. Only rabbits, hares and pikas are susceptible to the disease; it is not transmissible to other mammals, humans included.

Disease fatal to rabbits has been spreading through California for a year; here’s how you can protect your rabbit

The Scratching Post’s May 12 article described the history and effects of RHDV2 on rabbits. It also included the added, critical level of care that rescues, shelters and people who live with domestic rabbits have to take to keep their delicate pets safe from the disease. When they adopt out bunnies or send them off with fosters, responsible, legitimate rescues and shelters stress this care and mandate it in their protocols.

This information is not meant to discourage anyone from adopting a rabbit. The rabbit world is as dedicated to their little eary family members as anyone is to their weird fur and feather relatives. Rabbits make great house pets—they can even be housebroken to a litter box like cats—and are worth the extra efforts to make your home safe for them. Like any pet, they’re not temporary toys but forever housemates. If you want to make the commitment, check out these pillowy pairs from The Bunny Bunch Rabbit Rescue. To make an appointment to adopt, access this link. To apply to foster or volunteer—always needed—access this link.

Very fluffy brown bunny with ears that sit up and covered with hay sits next to a light-brownsmaller bunny with long, floppy ears.
Just back from—er, a roll in the hay—Bear and Pepper form a lovely, bonded pair who are looking for their forever home. They love each other very much. Once rabbits bond, they normally bond for life and grow old together. These two are still young, so The Bunny Bunch is looking for a home where they can live a long life together. Can you make a commitment to the next 12-plus years?
Two rabbits with deadpan faces sit side by side. One is charcoal gray with a white muzzle and floppy ears, and the other is five times bigger and is beige with a pink nose and short ears.
Meet Squishy and Leo, the American Gothic of the bunny world! This couple loves to lounge around the house and then switch to doing zoomies around the living room. They love vegetables, particularly parsley and romaine lettuce (check the article highlighted in this column for advice about choosing food for your bunny). Could you give them the love—and care—they need for the rest of their lives?

Just fur fun and fur-ther education

Dine in at Finbar’s to benefit Seal Beach Animal Care Center: Tuesday, May 18, 11 a.m.–8 p.m., 1041 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach, menu prices vary

A very tasty way to support Seal Beach’s volunteer-run shelter for pets! Every pet who lives there will be able to remain until they get a home, no matter how long it takes. Bring this flyer or show it on your phone, and 20% of the tab will go to Seal Beach Animal Care Services. Order big—you can always bring home a doggie (or kitty) bag? What—no doggie (or kitty) in the house? We know where you can get one!

Tattoos and Rescues fundraiser for Long Beach Animal Care Services: Thursday, May 20, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., V-Burger, 420 Cherry Ave., Long Beach

Calling all rescue dogs big and small and their people both painted and plain! V Burger vegan eatery is hosting a fundraiser organized by Long Beach Food & Beverage. For a donation of $20, inked individuals can get a professional photo snap with their doggies and gain a place on the wall of furry fame planned for the eatery. Each dog companion will receive a print of their own as well. Whether you’re an illustrated human or an empty canvas (you can draw something on your hand with a Sharpie), make an appointment here or try to go for a walk-in. All money donated will benefit the dogs, cats, rabbits and whoever enters our shelter.

‘Meatballs in May’ neuter discount: May 1–31, Wednesday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., 1749 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, see flyer for prices

May will see prices for neuters (i.e., males only) even lower than Fix Long Beach’s usual prices, and on top of that, the first 100 appointments that month will get a free meatball dinner from Santa Fe Deli (mm-mm-MMM!). You and your cat or dog can go home after spending some uncomfortable hours in a clinic and go all Lady and the Tramp at home with the meatballs (just a nibble for your buddy—he’ll be a little worn out).

Fundraising raffle for The Little Lion Foundation: to May 31, see flyer for details

Five’ll get you 100 if you’re the lucky winner of this raffle! Follow the instructions on the flyer to enter the competition for a $100 Amazon gift card. Whether you win or do not, you’ll be helping newborn kittens and adult cats win a chance themselves—at living. All proceeds go to The Little Lion Foundation. Donations to the rescue are accepted on the link on the name.

Help wanted, help given

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 the number on the graphic.

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.

Feline Good Social Club needs willing subjects for its bewhiskered nobility

Feline Good Social Club has opened and is running and knocking things off shelves. The cat curators would love some volunteers for their furry residents. Want to be part of a kowtowing staff to cats because everyone knows that cats expect it? Email [email protected].

Fix Long Beach low-cost pet-services clinics: Wednesday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., 1749 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, services available by appointment at www.fixlongbeachpets.com.

Fix Long Beach has reopened and is taking appointments for low-cost spay/neuter, dental, vaccines and other vet needs for cats and dogs. 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, 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, located at 957 N. Gaffey St., will give shots every third Thursday between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. 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. 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 at Beacon for Him Ministries, 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach, Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m.; and at Christian Outreach in Action, 515 E. Third St., Long Beach, Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Adopt, adopt, adopt

white spaniel sits on brown rug next to yawning brown dog with white chest, who's lying on the rug. The tan front door is behind them.

Pet Food Express Cat Adoption Center: weekdays and Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m., 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

The following pet-related businesses regularly feature cat, dog and rabbit adoptions. As 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.