May 13, 2025 Back Home

Get to Know LA’s Feline Scene

Take me down to Purradise City where the cat grass is green and the purrs are kitties!

From free-roaming felines, robust community cat initiatives, and a rich tapestry of feline-friendly establishments, Los Angeles is truly loaded with cat love…and litter users.

As the No. 2 city on our list of Top Cat Kingdoms, aka the cities that uses the most cat litter in the United States, we’re proud to continue our country-wide tour profiling these leading litter cities, and all they have to offer.

We’ve already delved deep into our leading litter city — New York — so, it’s only natural we look into the La La Land of litter users and all of its connections to cats.

Here’s the scoop on some of the most commonly asked questions about cats and Los Angeles.

HOW MANY CATS ARE IN LOS ANGELES?

The estimated population of cats in Los Angeles is in the MILLIONS.

As of recent estimates, Los Angeles County has approximately 5.7 million owned cats, while the estimated population of unowned or “community” cats – feral and stray – is anywhere between 1 to 3 million.

To address the rapidly growing community cat population, Los Angeles implemented the Citywide Cat Program in 2022, an initiative that aims to humanely control the cat population by: trapping free-roaming cats, spaying or neutering and vaccinating them, and returning them to their original locations.

Los Angeles also boasts numerous cat rescue organizations dedicated to saving and rehoming stray and abandoned cats.

So, while there’s a chance you’ll see a community cat around LA, remember that the cat may already be “at-home” and all feral cats that are altered have their ear tipped to indicate previous surgery.

But don’t worry, there are still plenty of places to celebrate cats throughout the city.

WHERE WOULD I GO TO SEE A CAT IN LA?

From feline-friendly cafes to kitties on the big stage — there is no shortage of cat-related star power in Los Angeles.

If you’re looking for a little refreshment while you enjoy play time with a cat or two, LA is home to several cat cafés, like CatCafe Lounge and Crumbs & Whiskers, where guests can sip lattes while cuddling with adoptable rescue cats.

If celebrity tours are your thing, many animal actors live in Los Angeles, including trained cats who’ve appeared in films, commercials, and TV shows filmed in Hollywood. There’s also the Bob Baker Marionette Theater — a historic theater that features “Black Cat,” a beloved feline marionette that has been part of its performances since the early 1960s.

And we of course cannot forget about paying a visit to our friends and GiveLitter® shelter partners at Kitten Rescue and SPCALA.

Kitten Rescue, which is one of the largest and most respected animal welfare groups in Los Angeles, helps get over 2,000 cats and kittens into homes every year and routinely holds weekly adoption events.

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The SPCALA, whose work helping animals of all types goes back to 1877, also holds open hours at its Adoption Center.

So, now that you’ve seen a healthy dose of cats around LA, this brings us to our next stop on the tour.

WHAT’S A CAT-LOVER TO DO IN LA?

When it comes to cats, what can’t you do in LA?

You can adopt a cat at a bar thanks to common pop-up events like “Cats on Tap” where you get to meet adoptable cats while enjoying craft beer at local breweries.

Los Angeles also offers a plethora of venues for cat enthusiasts to interact with felines and fellow cat lovers.

Like at the Feline Good Social Club, a lounge in Long Beach that offers a serene space to unwind with friendly felines. Or at the Tail Town Cat Café, a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides a playful environment for cats and visitors, with a mission to find forever homes for its feline residents.

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RANDOM FACTS ABOUT CATS & LA

Room 8: The School Cat Who Became a Local Celebrity — In 1952, a stray cat wandered into Room 8 at Elysian Heights Elementary School in Echo Park. He returned every school year for over a decade, becoming a beloved mascot. Room 8 received fan mail, was featured in a documentary, and even had his paw prints immortalized in cement outside the school.
Leo the Psychic Cat Performer — Leo Vaisman, a Westside street performer, trained his cat to stand on its hind legs and exchange paper money for fortune-telling scrolls. Leo would narrate mystical feline tales in a musical, Russian-accented voice, captivating passersbys with his unique act.
The California Spangled Cat: LA’s Attempt at a Domestic Leopard — In the 1980s, an anthropologist and a Hollywood screenwriter collaborated to breed a domestic cat resembling a wild ocelot or leopard. The result was the California Spangled Cat, a breed intended to raise awareness about poaching by bringing the beauty of wild cats into people’s homes.
Aggie the Cat’s Miraculous Wildfire Survival — After the Palisades wildfires, 82-year-old Katherine Kiefer feared her Maine Coon cat, Aggie, was lost forever. Remarkably, Aggie survived two months in the rubble before being found and reunited with Kiefer. Their emotional reunion went viral, and a GoFundMe campaign raised over $35,000 for Aggie’s medical care.
Debunking the ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ Stereotype — A UCLA study analyzed over 500 pet owners and found no evidence supporting the “crazy cat lady” stereotype. The research concluded that cat ownership does not correlate with mental health issues, challenging long-held societal myths.
Cats and the La Brea Tar Pits — The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles are famous for preserving Ice Age fossils, including those of saber-toothed cats. These ancient predators are iconic symbols of prehistoric Los Angeles and have been designated as the state’s official fossil.