Heading Home Animal Rescue

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Aptos, CA
Heading Home Animal Rescue

We help local Cats and Kittens in our community through Adoption, spay/neuter, TNR, & barn placement.

Heading Home Animal Rescue is a local non-profit animal welfare organization. Harnessing the power of our community through our dedicated volunteers, fosters, and experienced animal welfare professionals, we support the health and safety of the animals of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties in California and the people who love them. Our programs, such as Working Whiskers, HHAR Spay/Neute

r Clinic, and our dedicated trappers and adoptions volunteer teams, truly make a difference. We proudly offer cats and kittens for adoption at PetSmart in Santa Cruz and San Mateo and please contact us directly for barn placements. Learn more about how we support our community at
https://www.headinghomerescue.org/

04/08/2024

Perfection needs no adjustments, only recognition. 🤣

04/05/2024

We hadn’t quite gotten a chance to introduce you all to this girl, but you saw her on all of the news coverage of SBC Neglectapolooza. We named her My Goodies - 14 pounds of biscuit making, belly rub requesting, chatty story telling, GOOD GURL.

She got her happy ending a couple days ago, and we are so glad.

One by one, until we’re done.

04/04/2024

In October, a woman named Jennifer who had rescued cats from the streets and loved them dearly, passed away. Her cats were found with her body by paramedics and taken to their local shelter, then picked up by her boyfriend. For several months he cared for them, until his housing situation changed and they needed a soft place to land. Janet (Jennifer’s momma) put together a Facebook post, hoping to find her daughter’s kitties new homes, as she was unable to take them in due to cat allergies. Thankfully we had room in our program to take them, and now Starsky, Suzy and Little Boy are with us looking for loving homes as their momma would have wanted.

Starsky is huge, maybe 17 pounds of…well, he’s chunky, let’s just leave it at that. He is a senior, somewhere between 10-15 years of age, likely. All black, friendly and good with other cats.

Suzy is a fluffy brown tabby, currently shaved with a lion cut due to matting in her coat. She’s very sweet and also good with other cats. We can’t be sure of age for her, but she’s likely somewhere between 3-7 years old.

Little Boy is black and white, talkative, and friendly. We are unsure of his age as well but likely in that same range as Suzy of 3-7 years old.

They do not need to be adopted together, and we’d love to find homes for them sooner rather than later as they’ve been through so much change and loss in the last few months, they deserve to be settled in and loved as Jennifer wanted for them.

They’re at Petsmart in Santa Cruz, adoption hours daily, come on by!

04/03/2024

Bautista went from a disgusting f***s and urine filled cage at SBC Neglectapolooza to us for care and recuperation then on to a loving home last week.

One by one until we’re done.

04/02/2024

When we met Mr. Samuel Buffington*, he was in a trap at Hollister Police Animal Care & Services, having been caught and removed from SBC Neglectapolooza along with a couple hundred of his friends and acquaintances.

He was pretty worried, and before Rick and Susie deleted their “rescue” facebook and Petfinder pages we were able to find photos of him from when he was up for adoption previously. They had him listed as very shy and so we weren’t sure what he would be like after he had time to decompress.

Well, jokes on them because turns out he is a complete goofball and sweetie pants who loves petting and attention. He’s one of the kitties that it was hard to get photos of because as soon as he sees you he’s trying to come over for pets and cheek rubs.

He’s at Petsmart in Santa Cruz, go get him. He deserves the best, this boy!

*this is not the name he had at SBC Neglectapolooza.

04/01/2024

Allie from SBC Neglectapolooza was adopted last week! No more worries about mats or whether or not you’ll have a clean litter box and plenty of food and water, sweet girl.

03/31/2024

Gino (don’t worry, he’s nothing like the Gino from 90 Day Fiancé) is still looking for a home! Gino is sweet and friendly, but maybe not confident enough to live with young children. He does well with or without other cats, and definitely enjoys petting and attention but isn’t a needy dude. He’s over at our PetSmart in Sand City, waiting patiently for the right folks to come along.

The right folks look like: cat-experienced, owners of (or willing to purchase) a good car tree, aware of how to help a shy guy get comfy in a new place, have good foods, feather/string toys.

03/30/2024

These are somehow still available? 🙃 We don’t understand it, but maybe you guys didn’t get our message about them existing in this fine world of ours last week?

Garbanzo, Chickpea and Ramen are tiny, perfect, and homeless. *cue Sarah McLaughlin music* Go get them at Petsmart in Santa Cruz!

03/27/2024

The photo is terrible, but the action is superb! Caught the final straggler out on the Hawthorne location in Watsonville that we were working. One more pocket of unfixed feral kitties addressed, this one with the help of the wonderful folks over at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter who were able to get her in for spay so she can be returned home today! This location utilized every way of helping that we have — equipment and trapping provided, spay and neuter (for free!) provided, the two social cats taken into adoptions and found homes, and the homeowner educated on the vacuum effect! Eight more kitties helped, and a neighborhood hot spot resolved!

03/26/2024

Garbanzo, Chickpea (twins, of course) and Noodle and Ramen are two month old baby kids that landed in adoptions at PetSmart in Santa Cruz today. Three boys, one girl, four PERFECT kittens. These four came to us from a caring family in Salinas that had kitties that needed to be fixed. (Of course that is being done as well, courtesy of AFRP and Karen G.) Come down and meet them, we’re pretty sure they’re going to have a long line of adopters by the time the internet realizes this post exists. 🤣

March Adoption hours at Santa Cruz Petsmart:
Monday 5-7pm Tuesday 6:30-8:30pm Wednesday 5-7pm Thursday 5-7pm Friday 5-7pm Saturday 2-5pm and Sunday 1-3pm.

03/25/2024

This handsome, goofy boy is Bentley. He came to us from the capable hands of Marina Gordon after she found him dumped in San Juan Bautista. Marina and her husband Erik take in a lot of cats in the San Juan Bautista and Hollister areas, getting them patched up and ready to find loving homes. Those communities are almost as lucky to have them as the cats are!

Bentley hung out with us at our Petsmart in Gilroy for a week, maybe two charming literally everyone who saw him. He was one of many kitties adopted this past weekend during Petsmarts quarterly National Adoption Event. Congrats to Bentley and his new home, and three cheers for Marina and all the work she does to help kitties in need! 👏👏

03/24/2024

Yesterday we had our March spay and neuter clinic! 26 cats and kittens were fixed, feral and friendly, almost all public owned. Thanks to those folks who let us help their kitties get care yesterday, and to our awesome clinic team for all their hard work on behalf of the community. One more clinic in early April and then it’ll all be focused on kitties that we’ve taken in from the shelters and are finding homes for. Kitten season is practically here!

03/21/2024

This is Ruby - she came to Rick and Susie two weeks before they were busted. A caring person in the community asked them to take in this gorgeous girl after she showed up stray in their neighborhood in Hollister. When we got her, she was thin and shut down, covered in fleas and missing that light in her eyes like all the others.

It took a couple of days of consistent care and interaction, but Ruby started to show signs of interest in petting..and then the next morning she was 100% all about talking to us and requesting cheek rubs.

She went to adoptions at the tail end of last week and met Anna, who had been visiting the adoption center regularly just waiting for the right cat. When they met, Ruby gingerly put her head into Anna’s hand for pets and the tears started to fall. Anna found her girl. Two days later she had documented landlord approval and Ruby was on her way home.

Worry no more, sweet girl, you are home. ❤️

03/20/2024

The third cat from SBC Neglectapolooza we want to introduce you to is Bautista. Bautista came to Susie and Rick after his owner passed away and her friends entrusted the care of her three beloved kitties to Susie. Unfortunately we have no idea what happened to the other two cats from this home after they disappeared into their care.

Bautista was “living” in the disgusting kennel in the second photo. He only had food and water because animal control put it in the dishes when they came to get the cats out of there. The built up f***s and urine in the litter box he tried to continue to use (despite the horrendous stench) is a testament to how much he wanted to be a good boy and do what he’s supposed to do.

Bautista is a bit thin, but the stench of that kennel has been washed off of him and he’s ready to find a loving home again. He’s a BIG boy, and was used to being indoor/outdoor at his previous home, so would probably enjoy a catio or safe indoor/outdoor location. He enjoys petting and attention, and is waiting for you at our Petsmart in Santa Cruz.

03/19/2024

This little furball is Leah, she’s the second kitty from SBC Neglectapolooza that we want to introduce you to.

When we met her she was shut down, thin, covered in fleas and it just seemed like all the light that kittens are supposed to have in their eyes was missing. 😢 You can see why after looking at the first photo - she was “living” in that disgusting cage, and didn’t even have any toys or bedding. (The food was put in the bowl by animal control.)

We got to work getting her all fixed up as soon as we got her home. Flea meds, dewormer, a vet visit for exam and vaccines, and all the food and water she wanted. When we gave her her first mouse toy, she came alive and the magic of kittens started to show itself in her.

She made her way to adoptions in Santa Cruz last week, and last night this couple made it official and brought her home. They have another kitten that was adopted from us a few months back so Leah will have a play mate, and all the love and care she’s deserved all along. Oh, and you can bet that she’ll have all the toys she’s ever wanted from here on out too!

03/18/2024

This week is the week a lot of cats from SBC Neglectapolooza* have been waiting a long time for. Most of the cats we pulled out of there will be heading to adoptions and finally get to meet their people. The first one we want to introduce you to is Allie. Allie is at most a year old, she’s very petite so may be a kitten but does have all of her adult teeth. She was living in the disgusting kennel in the first photo, not getting up or moving around much because her back legs were matted together with litter and f***s. 😢 She was also flea infested, her skin scabbed from all of the bites and irritation. Needless to say as soon as we got her home we started addressing these issues. Now she is flea free, the scabs are almost gone and she’s been freed from the mats she developed. The only signs of her previous neglect now is the staining on her fur, her “haircut,” and the fact that she’s a bit underweight. All things that will resolve with time and care.

We don’t know how she ended up with Rick and Susie, but she’s incredibly sweet and affectionate, uses a litter box well, and is ready to finally have a loving home. She deserves the best, come and meet her at our Petsmart in Santa Cruz.

*okay, okay that’s not their “real” name but maybe it should have been

03/11/2024

Ten of the eleven kitties we took in from the terrible abuse and neglect of SBC Petapolooza are spending the day with our friends at the Animal Friends Rescue Project clinic. They’re getting their vaccines updated and a couple other things so they can move forward with their lives. Most importantly, three of them are getting sedation grooms to address the horrible, painful matting of urine and f***s they have. One of these sweet kitties was matted so badly she couldn’t walk because her back legs were matted together. 😢

We are thankful for the clinic staff and the part they are playing to “change the future” of these kitties.

Stay tuned, we’ll be sharing more information all week about the ones going to adoptions and what their individual living conditions looked like when we met them.

03/11/2024

Ten of our eleven kitties from the Hollister SBC Petapolooza abuse and neglect case are spending the day at Animal Friends Rescue Project’s clinic today getting vaccines, dewormer and three of them are getting sedation grooms completed. Those three had matting so bad one of them couldn’t walk because her back legs were matted together. 😢 We were able to cut that mat in half during our intake exam on Friday, so she’s been able to move somewhat comfortably since then, but the mat is painfully close to her skin and has to be shaved off. A few of these guys will be able to move to adoptions tomorrow thanks to the combined efforts of our team and AFRP’s fabulous clinic folks.

Stay tuned, we’ll have posts throughout the week of each of the kitties that are moving to adoptions including what their living conditions were when we first met them. 😔

03/09/2024

Our Friday afternoon was spent assessing and rescuing cats from this horrifying situation. This former “rescue” was busted for inhumane and cruel conditions, with many dogs and many more cats living amongst the bodies of other cats this couple “rescued.” No food or water and f***s several inches deep in the housing/kennels we saw. (The photos in this post are the cleanest rooms in the house.) While it took years of many people sharing their concerns with the authorities, we are glad that someone finally listened and did something. Our thanks go out to all who stood up for the animals and helped get them out of this hell.

We have 11 kitties from this rescue in varying stages of fear and neglect. You’ll see them trickling into adoptions over the course of the next few weeks as they are made healthy and ready. On to better lives now, little ones. We can’t change what happened to you already, but we can make sure you never have to go through anything like this ever again.

https://www.facebook.com/100064734308740/posts/802606451907158/?mibextid=6yaNxA

03/07/2024

It’s coming - the tsunami of cats and kittens that quickly overwhelms everyone trying to help and save lives. We are coming up on our March spay/neuter clinic - do you have or know of kitties that need to be fixed? Please let us help them! We are also seeking foster homes to help us care for and house the ones that need a caring temporary home. Message us!

03/06/2024

Alright we’ve got another really good one for you guys this morning! Do you remember Watson—the cat who was brought in a trap to our partner clinic with a horrible tail injury and having been shot with a pellet gun? Well this sweet, squishy hunk of a cat charmed his way into a new home last night!! We’re so glad Animal Friends Rescue Project asked us to take him into our program, our adoptions team in Santa Cruz has been madly in love with him since the day he arrived. Happy trails, sweet boy!

03/05/2024

YOU GUYS YOU GUYS YOU GUYS!! Lots of adoptions this past week, but THIS ONE is the one we were all the most excited about—our boy Hei Hei found his folks. They adopted another young cat from us a few months back and now that she’s all settled in, they wanted to get her a friend. Hei Hei was looking for just that kind of spot, and they were all quite smitten with each other. 😻😻 We love what we get to do for the kitties!

03/02/2024

It’s International Cat Rescue Day, and while that feels like a day we celebrate every day around here, we want to take a moment to thank the wonderful group of volunteers that make our work possible and are so much a part of changing our little corner of the world each day.

Thank you to Denise, Ivette, Shannon, Sarah, Liz, Dana, Lula, Kat, Cammie, Amelia, Elizabeth, Frankie, Anne, Lynda, Lisa, Annette, Peggy, Meredith, Pariesa, Sky, Kristen, Diane, Cay, Janet, Kayleigh, Caryn, and Nik. Without this fabulous group of folks and the incredible Petsmart teams we get to work with more than 500 animals wouldn’t have found the wonderful homes they did last year and many hundreds would not have been spayed and neutered. Thank you for all that you do on behalf of the animals in our program — they are as lucky to have you on their team as we are!

02/26/2024

Calling all cat lovers! (Honestly, even if you’re a cat liker or cat curious we can make it work…) We are seeking volunteers for our kitties at the Petsmart locations in Santa Cruz, Gilroy and Sand City.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age, and paired with an adult if under 18. We are looking for folks interested in kitty care shifts (usually an hour or two in the morning) and folks who want to be part of the big time magic — helping them get adopted. Adoption shifts are typically in the afternoon or evening and generally last 2-3 hours. Training and support provided!

Santa Cruz has needs on Friday nights, and both weekend days. Sand City has a few morning options and weekend afternoon opportunities. Gilroy is pretty open on days and times.

There’s zero requirement that cats become your ENTIRE LIFE but we can’t make guarantees that that won’t happen once you get a taste of kitty snuggles on volume.

Message us here or email us at: [email protected]

02/25/2024

Congrats to Jelly Bean and her new papa! She is one of 7 adoptions this week, (Butterscotch, our fashion forward orange tabby included!) we’re so excited for all of the kitties that found their people. 😻😻

02/24/2024

Update: Butterscotch has been ADOPTED!

Alright everyone, we’ve got a classic case of “Who wore it better?” That guy, or Butterscotch? We know who is getting our vote..

Butterscotch is a confident, friendly, talkative boy who just loves to snuggle and interact with people. As he’s only about 4 months old, he would definitely enjoy living in a home with other cats. He’s busy making his daring fashion choices at our Petsmart in Gilroy.

02/23/2024

We took in about 20 new kitties for adoption this week - and here are two of them: Kayleigh is a 3 year old fluffy calico who came to us after being bullied by a more dominant cat in the home. She’s at our Sand City Petsmart now looking for a home without a meanie pants cat.

Yeti is the cute little guy dressed in all white. He’s a young adult who enjoys petting and attention. He’ll need to be indoor only due to his white/pink ears and nose. The skin in those areas is very thin and prone to sun damage (and thus skin cancer at a very young age) if exposed to sunlight. Yeti is hanging out at our Petsmart in Santa Cruz waiting for you!

02/22/2024

On Saturday we fixed a whole PILE of kitties for the public. (This is the time of year when we are able to provide these services as we have fewer animals in our program.) We fix and provide care to a wide range of cats, both social and unsocial. This clinic day was mostly female cats, and ALL of them were in heat — very important to get your cat fixed if it isn’t already!!

This cat was one of the few feral boys we had - his name is Batman and he came to us from the Elkhorn area for microchip, neuter and vaccines. While being examined, our team found a chicken bone wedged in his palate. We were so happy to be able to remove it and relieve him of what must have been a very painful situation. Thank you to our very thorough RVT Lula and our vet Dana for providing the best quality of care to the animals that are brought in. Everyone deserves to be happy and comfortable!

02/21/2024

Just a few of the kitties that were adopted recently! We’re so excited for Mena, Dolan, Steven, and ROYAL and their new families! ☺️😍

Address

PO Box 2852
Aptos, CA
95001

Website

http://www.headinghomerescue.org/

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Videos

This is HeiHei, “helping” the morning volunteer clean his room. 🤣 He’s pure chaos but in the BEST possible way, and available for adoption at our PetSmart Santa Cruz location. Go get him! Adoption hours there today from noon to 2pm!