Scratch This: The Traveling Kitty Comfort and Therapy Show is back
Helen Sanders CatPAWS' brainkitten brings four-footed joy to residents in assisted living.
In 2018, the Helen Sanders CatPAWS rescue rolled out a program designed to bring comfort and pleasure to people living in assisted living homes. The whimsically named Traveling Feline Comfort and Therapy Show has brought delight in the form of weeks-old kittens to residents of Glen Park at Long Beach, Westmont Assisted Living in Cypress, and a couple of other facilities. A few of the participants didn’t even know they liked cats until one was placed in their lap.
The Traveling Show is the brainkitten of CatPAWS cofounder Deborah Felin-Magaldi. Felin-Magaldi created the project in honor of her friend, children’s author Priscilla Maltbie, whose books told stories of how pet cats comforted famous literary and artistic figures in times of sadness and grief. Sadly, Maltbie spent her final years in an assisted living facility where pets weren’t allowed. The Traveling Show could thus be considered Maltbie’s legacy.
The project ran up until 2023, with a hiatus during the COVID months. A team of volunteers led by foster-kitten wrangler Amanda Coppersmith would bring eight or nine kittens to the residences, and CatPAWS board member Mitch Cohen did everything else — contacted residential facilities, arranged visits, schlepped in the kitty playpens, placed the litterboxes and toys in the playpen, and chatted with the residents. The Traveling Show was presented free of charge to the residents, with no strings attached except the ones connecting the wand toys to the wands.
Cohen had been the unflagging ringmaster of the project until he flagged about a year and a half ago. Surgery for his back and shoulders put the Traveling Show on blocks, at least for a while.
“[There was also] a frank lack of kittens because kitten season was on the wane, and they were doing a terrific job anyway of spaying and neutering [with the CatPAWS spay/neuter mobile],” Cohen said. “Also, in the interim, several events that involve bringing kittens in were in the works, like Fourth Fridays on Fourth Street and Dancing with Kitties [a monthly cat-cuddle event at Dance Around the Clock in Seal Beach], which recently took off.”
To stand an adage on its head, the flesh may be weak but the spirit is more than willing, and Cohen was determined to find a way to bring the Traveling Show back while physically recovering.
“I gotta bring this back for me as much for them,” he said, meaning both the residents and kittens.
So, throughout kitten season and hopefully after, the Traveling Show will show up at one of the facilities every month. CatPAWS Team member Terri McKeever eagerly has taken up the role of kitten-master duties during Cohen’s healing.
“It just sounded like a good idea because it’s hard not to feel good with a little, soft kitten in your arms,” McKeever said. “It was kind of funny — generally, anybody who likes cats wanted to hold them right away. One of the things that I noticed is that there was always someone at the event that came in to watch TV. They don’t care about cats, they want to watch television, but if you pick up a kitten and say, look at this face, look at this baby, they reach out and touch the cat.”
McKeever noticed that it was usually the women who were likely to pet the kittens, but she knows how to charm the men. Of course, the kittens help with that.
“I go around and say, you can’t fool me, you like this kitten, and they just smile!” she said. “It gets them talking. For that day, they have a smile on their face.”
Cohen wants to get back to his position as the road manager of the Traveling Kitty Comfort and Therapy Show as soon as possible, and Scratch This! wishes him speedy healing. For as long as he’s out, though, he’s grateful for the efforts of McKeever and the CatPAWS team, especially the kittens, for the work they’re doing to say “Hello in There” to people who need connection.
“I’ve been a big believer that our obligation is giving back to our community,” Cohen said.
“If you have a willingness to interact with people, especially seniors who’ve had strokes or may not be able to express themselves,” as Terri McKeever said, you have the skills to be a Traveling Kitty Comfort and Therapy Show team member, and what a great way to make people smile. Fill out the volunteer application form at this link to sign up for any volunteer event. Donations to Helen Sanders CatPAWS are gratefully accepted here.
YOURS DROOLY
Kitten season brings kittens, and cute kittens bring adopters. Helen Sanders CatPAWS sees kittens come and go quickly — guests come to the adoption center at the Seal Beach PetSmart to admire them, play with them, and get beguiled into taking one or two home.
But older kittens and adults get ignored during a kitten chaos. Most of them have stories that they’d love to tell you. They deserve a forever home, too. Follow this link to find out how to adopt them or any CatPAWS cat!
David is a sweet little man with a big purr. He loves to snuggle and nap on his foster mom, as close toher face as possible. David is a lover of everything in life! He loves playing with all his toys, all his siblings and all the new people he meets. Sweet David is sure to add love and warmth to his forever family!
Finn is a puddle of purrs and love. This fun-loving boy will steal your heart! He loves to play and run around the house with his toys or chase one of his foster friends. Finn loves everyone, and everyone loves Finn!
Fiona lived with her adopter for 10 years, but her only person is no longer able to care for her. Fiona doesn’t need much, just a quiet home and a gentle hand. Can you give this beautiful, loving girl a new home?
TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS
Spring Parking Lot Pet Adoption
Have a glorious day in the parking lot of the Signal Hill PetSmart! Peek at the pets from a plethora of places: K9 Kismet Dog Rescue, Little Lion Foundation, Paws in the Sand Cat Rescue and, of course, our very own Long Beach Animal Care Services! Friends of Long Beach Animals will be on paw to tell you all about their fantastic programs and the way they help animals and the people who love them.
The adoption event takes place Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., at PetSmart, 2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill.
Kitten Shower Bake Sale and Boutique
Kitten season brings showers of kittens, so Seal Beach Animal Care Center is holding a shower for those kittens! Buy some baked treats for yourself, enter a drawing for Visa and Amazon gift cards, and donate supplies from the Care Center’s wish list. The Center could use a foster parent or three as well!
The Kitten Shower and Bake Sale takes place Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, 1700 Adolfo Lopez Dr., Seal Beach. Shelter tours held 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
Fix Long Beach, Friends of Long Beach Animals and Santa Fe Importers Deli offer a menu of male-dog neuter deals
I cannot express this better than this ad does. Have a ball.
Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer, rescues and shelters to adopt from — anything pet related?Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.
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