Scratch This: Win two free tickets to a glittering, festive feline fundraiser!
Meet Hannah Shaw, aka The Kitten Lady, at Le Chic Cat Soiree.
How’d you like to paint your claws silver and violet, put on your best silken cat’s pajamas, slip your best shoes over your toe beans, grab an equally glitzed-out buddy and slink on down to a glittering fund-raiser — all for free from Helen Sanders CatPAWS?
All you have to do is guess how many total community cats that CatPAWS’ spay/neuter mobile clinic will have fixed by Nov. 13 and send your guess to me at Kate@lbwatchdog.com (hint: it’s over 1,000).The closest guess will allow two guests to join the festivities on Nov. 23 at Le Chic Chat Soiree, taking place at the Navy Golf Course Ballroom in Cypress.
In case you’re not familiar with CatPAWS, the rescue has been rescuing and adopting out kittens since its establishment as a nonprofit in March 2010. Its full name is Helen Sanders Cat Protection and Welfare Society, named in memory of a TNR volunteer who, mainly by herself, brought down the number of cats at the Seal Beach jetty from around 80 to about 10 in a handful of years.
CatPAWS’ mission includes assembling DIY Kitten Care Kits, distributed free at Long Beach Animal Care Services to people wanting to bottle-feed foundlings; bringing the Traveling Kitty Comfort and Therapy Show to assisted living facilities for the entertainment and comfort of the residents, and of course, rescuing cats and kittens in all stages of health, providing needed medical attention, spay/neutering and vaccinating them, and finding them loving homes.
And, for the last year and some months, CatPAWS has been supporting TNR (trap/neuter-spay/return) efforts in Long Beach and Orange County with its mobile spay/neuter clinic. This is huge — TNR helps prevent the birth of uncounted thousands of unwanted kittens and their euthanasia in shelters.
The CatPAWS clinic has already surpassed the thousand mark for fixing cats from independent trappers, Long Beach Animal Care Services and a couple of TNR rescues. Full disclosure: I serve on CatPAWS board, and because of the mobile clinic, I’m even more honored to be on the board than ever.
Le Chic Cat Soiree will help raise funds for the mobile clinic as well as for food, medical treatment, spay/neuter procedures and vaccines for the rescue’s cats and kittens, and supplies for the DIY Kitten Care Kits. The Soiree will be an elegant affair — cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner with vegan options, lively interactive entertainment, top-tier auction prizes that include a chance to win a $1,000 American Express Card, a video presentation with guest appearances by a few CatPAWS kittens (awwww!), and even Lady Catterly, tarot card reader.
The mobile clinic will be available for tours, and volunteer John Crouch (great name for a cat volunteer!) will demonstrate the use of a humane trap for TNR volunteers.
Video courtesy of John Crouch.
Remember the old Our Gang movies with the kids trying to trap a rabbit with a box held up with a stick that was pulled out by a string? CatPAWS volunteer John Crouch will demonstrate the 21st century version! (Crank up the volume high and hit the closed captions!)
Hannah Shaw, aka The Kitten Lady, will be the soiree’s guest of honor. Shaw is an award-winning humane educator, kitten rescuer, animal advocate and social media star around educating people about helping the cats in their lives. She’s been featured on “Animal Planet” and Jackson Galaxy events and has written a number of books for adults and children about caring for cats. If you’ve never seen The Kitten Lady, you’ll become an immediate fan after you’ve watched her show us how to socialize a really objectionable feral kitten:
Tickets to Le Chic Chat Soiree are available here at the early-bird price of $150 up to Nov. 15 and $175 after. The Soiree takes place Nov. 23, 5:00 p.m., at the Navy Golf Course, 5660 Orangewood Ave., Cypress.
The free-ticket contest closes Nov. 13, 11:59 p.m. Remember, guess how many cats will have been fixed by Nov. 13 and send your guess to Kate@lbwatchdog.com.
Note: Article was updated to correct ticket price.
Yours drooly
Helen Sanders CatPAWS pulls adult, neonatal and at-risk cats from local municipal shelters. The rescue’s devoted fosters bottle-feed the newborns, get veterinary and home care for the cats who are ill and suffer from injuries, provide good food and exercise and give them unconditional love, the same as they give us, so they can go to forever homes. Here are three of them. Check out others on the website. To adopt any cat, fill out an application here.
Mimosa
Mimosa is bringing biscuits to the Friendsgiving dinner this month! None are as sweet as hers. As one of the 20% of orange cats that are female, Mimosa is a singular creature, and she’ll sure let you know that. She’s high-spirited, has a huge personality, and talks an orange streak. She needs a human who “gets” cats, preferably in a home with adults only. She’ll do great as an only kitty but might do well with an older, easygoing cat brother.
What a long, strange tail it’s been! Jerry Garcia loves to carry that tail high in the air. Everywhere he goes, he makes an entrance. Jerry is also super-sweet and, in defiance of his senior status, has the energy of a kitten and loves to play. He’s affectionate, too, and often will sleep next to his foster and beg for pets. Jerry’s a little skittish when new people visit and will run into another room. Once he’s determined the safety, he can be scared when new people come over and will run to another room until he's determined it's safe. Then, Jerry Garcia’ll come truckin’ out!
Meet Luna, who thinks she’s a dog! She loves to follow her fosters around, eager to be by their side from kitchen to couch to bed, and she greets them enthusiastically at the door, just like a dog. Luna is playful and adventurous — she loves her toys, but she fetches socks and brings them to you. Luna used to be subject to occasional seizures, but they’re now under control with twice-daily medication, and she bounces back quickly as if to show the world that nothing can keep her down. And after all that play, she’s a snuggler, always ready for a cozy nap on your lap after an energetic romp around the house. Anyone looking for a loyal, loving and resilient friend will find one in Luna.
TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS
Long Beach TNR and Community Cat Coalition
Do you do TNR (trap/spay-neuter-vaccinate-microchip-release of stray cats) with a passion and want to share resources with and get support from an equally engaged community? Are momcats having kittens in your neighborhood, and are dadcats yowling at them to make more? Are you on your last shred of yarn trying to figure out what you can do?
Get some answers at this grassroots meeting, the first in Long Beach to focus on combining forces to humanely stop the birthing of unwanted kittens in the urban wild. Includes demonstrations from rescues, experienced trappers, and LBACS cat coordinator Lindsie Merrick.
The Coalition meeting takes place Saturday, Nov. 9, 1 p.m.–3 p.m. at the Education Center at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at the entrance to El Dorado Park. No parking fee for shelter guests.
Cool Cat Collective’s Locals-Only Art Show
Long Beach’s hep-cat gallery and kitty hang has a unique way to find homes for shelter and rescue cats! Visit any Long Beach or Orange County shelter or rescue, or go on their website, for a photo of a cat. Then, create a 2-D rendition of the lucky critter, take a photo of it, and send it as an attachment to info@coolcatcollective.co (not a misprint — it’s not “.com”!). Include the cat’s name, age, the location of the shelter or rescue, and the name and contact information of the artist.
Deadline for submission is Nov. 16 or until wall space is filled. Artists will be invited to an art launch party, and their work will be featured in the shop and online. This show is open to anyone of any age who can manipulate art supplies and not bat them off the table. The proceeds from each artwork sale will be donated to the rescue organization where the featured cat is located.
The art show opens Nov. 22. Cool Cat Collective is located at 2741 E. 4th St., C, Long Beach. Hours are Weds.–Sun., 10 p.m.–5 p.m.
Cats and Mats Yoga
Do downward-facing dog and get a wet nose right in your face as a reward. Yes, nothing adds to the health benefits of a yoga stretch session than having cats walk all over and under you. Arrive 10 minutes early, wear loose-fitting clothing and bring a mat. You’ll have time before and after the session to hug the cats!
Feline Good Social Club is located at 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach. Cats and Mats Yoga takes place Monday, Nov. 18, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. Sessions are $19.99; reserve a space here.
Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.
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