Cool Cat Collective is the ultimate space for the cat lovers (and rescuers) of Long Beach

Long Beach’s Cool Cat Collective is, indeed, the consummate cat lover space. The newest addition to 4th Street’s growing business district as it sprawls beyond the confines of Retro Row, Cool Cat Collective is part humanitarian effort, part art space, part retail business that seeks to bring in All Things Kitty.

It officially opens Friday, July 19.

How a crisis in our community cat population inspired the creation of the Cool Cat Collective

Wife-and-husband team Jena and Matt Carr love kitties. And the growing outdoor cat crisis throughout SoCal has weighed on them heavily. From fostering cats and kittens in their own home to volunteering for nonprofits, the pair became invested in trap-neuter-return (or TNR) as a vital part of the solution. TNR advocates understand that in order to make any impact on the exploding community cat population the first step is stemming the tide of kittens, as cats have an absurd ability to rapidly procreate.

“Fun fact about cats,” Jena said. “A female cat can get pregnant as early as four months old and then have four litters a year, with each litter being around four to six cats.” 

In theory, a single female cat can be mother to over a hundred kitties—resulting in a massive exponential effect in a small area without being spayed. Over a year ago Jena and Matt began taking on as many foster cats as they could, but there were always more cats. Having to leave kittens behind during TNR efforts last summer caused Jena and Matt’s wheels to start turning, because there are never enough fosters or room in the shelters for all the friendly cats and kittens on the streets. In order to have a greater impact, they wanted to focus the next chapter of their lives on improving the lives of community and rescue cats.

“The Collective is the compilation of our interests and love and what we’re hoping to bring more of into the world,” Jena said. “Seeing the extent of the crisis, especially in Los Angeles County, we were inspired to do something to help. But in our own funky way, bringing our experience and talent to combine fundraising with small business.”

So what, exactly, is the Cool Cat Collective?

“To be succinct, we’re a gallery and boutique space,” Matt said. “But everything is cat themed. It’s very niche.”

And when they say everything, they mean everything. Comic books will be sold—but with cats. Art prints will be sold—but with cats. (Think of the wonderful artist Nick Vargas, who will be the first artist to be featured, with two limited prints, a handful of originals, and some giclées for sale.) Books. Ceramics. Home decor. Greeting cards. Art supplies. Clothing. Stickers. There are desktop and turntable scratchers. Pins. Candles.

If it’s cool and has a cat on it, you know where to find it. And expect to see more artists: While Vargas will open the space, the pair plan for mulitple shows throughout each year, themed to cats and other things (think Halloween).

“It’s wild to think that when I was a teenager, I would shop on Retro Row, dreaming of my own space on 4th Street,” Jena said. “No joke: I wanted to buy meow and then live in the apartments above it. But this is a nice alternative to the dream.”

The cat market is a wildly popular one that has boomed since the dawn of the internet

And while Matt emphasizes that it is indeed niche, the reality is that the cat market—much like The Barbz or the Beyhive, sneakerheads or Funko Pop idolists—is an extremely dedicated one. In that sense, Jena and Matt are tapping into something that could be wildly popular for Long Beach. After all, we all must remember the power of I Can Haz Cheezburger and how the feline has become the unofficial animal of choice to represent online happenings.

Cats have been the single animal that has significantly increased in pet ownership—bringing with them a $43B, 30% of the entirety of the pet market. The sales of cat-related retail goods are continually on the rise. Then there’s Taylor Swift’s cat, Olivia Benson. She is worth $97M. I kid you not.

“We hope that in bringing art and cats together, we can hopefully open someone’s eyes toward cats when they weren’t interested in them or didn’t really care to know about them,” Jena said. “And in order to help with that, we’re working closely with TippedEars, a TNR group that helps community cats in Compton.”

And yes, you will be able to meet adoptable cats at the Cool Cat Collective

TippedEars is a nonprofit that not only specializes in TNR but also is in desperate need of more space to help expand their operations. Because TNR is just one part of what they do.

“Oftentimes, when you’re trapping you will come across litters of kittens, cats with medical issues, and friendly cats that have been dumped in or near a colony,” Jena said. “Our goal is, instead of having to leave them behind—which happens when there are no fosters—is to help them create the much-needed space to take in more cats. Adoptable, fully fixed and vaccinated cats in foster care can move over to our store for more exposure and cats pulled during TNR can go into those now-open foster homes.”

Bluntly put, like all living things, cats need a space which they feel safe and cared for; sometimes that is outside, sometimes that is inside. And for the ones that are desiring permanent homes, Cool Cat Collective will be their temporary home until they find new parents.

Take, for example, Logan and Gambit meandering the space at Cool Cat Collective: Their mother Storm is an anxious, shy feline and the little ones need a home because they love the attention. And they could be yours. Along with a catnip scented candle. And maybe a book not meant for the toddlers. Cool Cat Collective is your oyster.

Could there possibly be any cuter of a space? Well, yes—if there were even more kittens.

Cool Cat Collective is located at 2741 E. 4th St. and will open on Friday, July 19.