Cool Cat Collective exemplifies Long Beach's generous spirit
During the SoCal wildfires, everyone was a neighbor, no matter how far they lived from the conflagrations.
Kate Karp
Jan 17, 2025 — 7 min read
Wherever you live, you’ve heard about the devastation that the wildfires wreaked in the state where I live, California. Also, wherever you live, there’s a good chance that you’ve been generous, just as Long Beach continues to be.
The Long Beach Watchdog’s list of local businesses supporting victims of the Los Angeles-area fires hadn’t been up for three days before they overflowed with examples of the community’s generosity and had to stop accepting donations. Fortunately, I’d taken pet food and blankies two days previously to Cool Cat Collective, the feline-themed art gallery and boutique with an activist spirit. When I got there, I saw this:
That was just the back room, mind. There were more donations stacked in the front, near the window catio where the adoptables from TippedEars cat rescue loll around.
“I didn't get an exact count of how many donations we received, but I can say it was at least one large van, five Subaru Outbacks and two pallets worth,” said Jena Carr, who co-owns and runs CCC with her husband, Matt. “We're still in the midst of donating! The deliveries have been done by a hodgepodge of volunteers, like my cousin Emily, who had evacuated here, and a wonderful volunteer named Eva from a van club, and then myself and Matt.”
The beneficiaries of the donations include the Mutual Aid of Los Angeles Network, Tail Town Cats in Pasadena, KittCrusaders in Los Angeles and spcaLA.
“We had originally intended to donate to Pasadena Humane, but they— and so many others! — were overwhelmed with supply donations and had no more room!” Carr said. “We're encouraging anyone who still wants to donate to do so through monetary donations [to the shelters and rescues] so that the shelters and rescues who will continue helping these pets, wildlife and families for months to come have the resources to do so.”
Long Beach has been described as being a big city and a small town at the same time, but it’s pretty clear that we’re also a village.
YOURS DROOLY
The cats and kittens at Cool Cat Collective all come from a single rescue. TippedEars cat rescue was named for the TNR (trap/spay-neuter-vaccinate/release) protocol of cutting off the tip of a cat’s left ear while they’re under anesthesia and can’t feel it; the tipped ear later indicates to community cat trappers that the cat has already been fixed and shouldn’t be brought to a veterinarian unless they’re ill.
Renae Woith, Vita Manzoli and Priscilla Walters formed TippedEars in 2019 after seeing the results of unaltered cats during their years of rescuing strays and bottle-feeding seemingly orphaned newborn kittens.
“We all fostered, but we were all like, omigosh, this is not the solution to the cat overpopulation problem!” Woith said. “The kittens are never ending! So, we decided that TNR was the solution.”
Walters, who works in Compton, saw the need for the rescue there firsthand. No known cats-only rescue or trapping organizations exist within the city, so the three women formed TippedEars.
Their team of volunteers trap intact stray cats, get them fixed, and vaccinate them to keep them healthy. They work mainly with colony feeders but also ask neighbors if they may fix their cats, too.
The volunteers use printed material provided by the organization to inform anyone who may want to join them and help out. They also use it to educate people skeptical of TippedEars’ mission.
“Some people were scared that we weren’t going to bring the cats back, some didn’t understand the importance of TNR,” Woith said. “There’s a feeling that we’re taking away what the cats were born to do, their natural reproduction. Once we work with one cooperative person, the neighbors see the benefits — the healthier, happier cats. We’ve never had anyone say, after the unwanted kittens stopped showing up, gee, I wish you didn’t do it!”
Jena Carr began fostering cats from TippedEars before she and Matt opened Cool Cat Collective. She went with the volunteers on their first trapping mission.
“She was overwhelmed by the number of cats that needed help outside,” Woith said. “They have a history of opening businesses, and she knew that the next business she wanted to open was to help cats. So, they started Cool Cat Collective. The first cats were her TippedEars fosters!”
TippedEars is 98% funded by individual donors, with the remaining 2% by small grants. Access this link to help TippedEars dwindle down unwanted street cats in the only good way.
“There are so many ways to help — it’s not one size fits all,” Woith said. “If you can’t sponsor, volunteer to TNR, if you can’t foster, educate or donate.”
These lucky kitties are all snug with their fosters or are cooling it in the Cool Cat Collective catios. They’re waiting for the final bit of fortune in the form of forever. No matter how many of their nine lives remain to any of them, they’ll be grateful to spend them all in a loving home. Follow adoption instructions here.
Say hello to Bunny! This sweet, little tabby girl will quickly warm your heart with her explosive energy. You'll quickly see why she's earned the nickname Bunny! She came to us as a lonely kitten in need of some friends and plenty of love. It's obvious from the moment you meet her that she is excited about her new life as an indoor kitty. Bunny is a very silly and playful 1-year-old girl who loves to play with her kitten friends. When it's time for rest, she is the perfect cuddle companion. She is learning to play with all sorts of new toys, but she especially loves hopping through tunnels and chasing catnip toys. Bunny is looking for a forever home with another young, energetic cat like herself. She adjusts well to new surroundings, making her the perfect addition to your home.
Harmonica is a fun-loving 1-year-old girl who is sure to steal your heart. She has the biggest personality. She enjoys lying on your lap and purring her little heart out! Harmonica is also a professional biscuit maker, so you'll have endless kneading with this girl! Any family that adopts Harmonica will be in for a lifetime of love and laughs.
Mirabel is the life of the party! She is bold and outgoing, and she runs the show — we would call her a princess, but she's more like a queen. Mirabel is unafraid of anything. She is independent and can keep herself entertained, but she also loves to play with you! Once she's done playing, she'll come find the nearest human for some kisses, purrs and lap cuddles. (Don't let her RBF fool you — this girl is as sweet as pie!) She'll make biscuits on your lap while holding a nice mouthful of furry blanket. Her favorite pastime is watching the water go down the toilet bowl. Close second is hiding in the cat tube to pounce on any cat, dog or human that comes by. Mirabel would do best in a home with a playmate — she gets along well with cats, dogs and humans.