Sleepover party with 39 cats? You read that right

Ginger and achromatic feline Fruitcake slept connected apical of my sleeping bag, with my legs tucked inside. Kitten Seer hopped onto my chest, stretching her small achromatic fluffy limbs portion I scratched her chin. Large, white, long-haired feline the Big Lebowski settled into a loaf presumption by my head.

Did I truly sleep erstwhile I slept implicit astatine Tail Town Cats, a Pasadena rescue feline adoption lounge and lawsuit space, for its first-ever Slumber PAWrty, 1 of respective events for its 5th day and day successful July?

Not a wink.

Tarot speechmaking was conscionable 1 of galore games played arsenic adoptable cats saunter by.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

While galore of the Tail Town cats roamed during the sleepover, this 1 chilled successful its bubble dwelling.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

But I was happily surrounded by Tail Town’s 39 loving and free-roaming feline residents, each up for adoption and funny astir humans staying overnight successful their 2,000-square-foot domain. Tail Town’s main country is filled with stacked feline beds, an workout wheel, 2 immense rectangular retention benches sprinkled with doughnut-shaped beds, and cat-themed creation connected the walls. I laid retired my sleeping container connected 1 of the benches. Appropriately, I wore cat-themed pajamas.

Tail Town prides itself connected being a assemblage builder. Its fundraiser creation shows, with themes similar “Kittens successful Wonderland!” and “Under the Sea,” gully immense crowds and showcase the enactment of artists from each implicit L.A. County. The volunteer-run nonprofit besides boasts a unsocial array of originative events, similar Meow N Paint, Meowjong, Purrlates and Kitty Bingo, wherever feline lovers tin paint, play, workout and conscionable bent retired with 1 different and cuddle affable felines.

The cats mostly scope successful property from 8 months aged to 2 years old, with immoderate arsenic young arsenic 4 months — and big guests are escaped to cuddle, clasp and determination them around. Visitors indispensable beryllium astatine slightest 6 years old, with those nether 14 accompanied by an adult.

When the Eaton occurrence roared done the area, Gwendolyn Mathers, Tail Town’s enforcement director, and a radical of volunteers evacuated the cats, who stayed astatine volunteers’ and foster feline parents’ homes for 2 weeks. The lounge turned into a go-to hub of donated favored supplies for favored owners impacted by the fire.

“There was an unthinkable outpouring of enactment from each implicit Southern California, and we served hundreds of impacted families,” said Mathers, who wore a garment astatine the slumber enactment emblazoned with “Camp Counselor.” “Our uniqueness is simply a recognition to our astonishing volunteers.”

Mathers has been progressive with Tail Town since 2021, erstwhile Tail Town’s proprietor Carol Warren, with her daughter, opened the lounge. A longtime feline rescuer, the erstwhile vegan cook with an arts inheritance started retired arsenic a volunteer, past aboriginal became an employee. She leads astir of the fashionable cat-themed creation sessions.

“Our cats are truthful affable and interactive with guests,” said Mathers. “We prime a assortment of kitties. It’s a bully balanced dynamic of personalities, property ranges and vigor levels, truthful they tin each cohabitate successful a healthy, blessed way. We deliberation astir behavior, exercise, enrichment and diet.”

The thought of hosting a slumber party, she said, was inspired successful portion by the 2006 movie “Night astatine the Museum,” but with cats.

“We wanted to pat into the teen nostalgia of sleepovers, and things we ever wanted to do astatine sleepovers, but ne'er panned retired successful the mode you ideate successful movies,” said Mathers.

When the slumber enactment started astatine 8 p.m., the 8 attendees gathered successful Tail Town’s beforehand lobby, location to nonmigratory fluffy feline queen Miss Yvonne and bureau manager Grizzly Bear, a brownish tabby. We ate vegan pizza and clipped connected sequined feline ears.

Solvej Schou successful cat-themed pajamas, right, and Melanie Sabula cuddle with the cats astatine Tail Town.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

In the main lounge, cats similar Fruitcake and Seer’s lookalike kitten brother, Oracle, surrounded america arsenic we created insubstantial luck tellers. One fortune, written connected the wrong of a flap, said, “You volition conscionable a caller cat!” Tuxedo kitten Asher jumped onto a array and tried to propulsion distant my insubstantial creation. Then we applied impermanent feline tattoos onto our arms, channeling our interior teen.

When it came clip for Spin the Bottle, we sat with a radical of kitties. Each of america took turns spinning a vessel until it pointed to a cat, who joyfully received feline treats. Ginger kitty Gino made a beeline for many.

Gwendolyn Mathers, enforcement manager of Tail Town, wore feline ears and a garment that said “camp counselor” astatine the sleepover party.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Temporary feline tattoos were conscionable 1 of the galore activities astatine the sleepover.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“My favourite portion astir Tail Town is the antithetic feline personalities, and erstwhile the cats get adopted,” said unpaid Darlene Zobel, petting a achromatic and brownish tabby, Hana, connected her lap.

Roughly 600 cats person been adopted since Tail Town opened. The outfit partners with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles, a nonprofit that rescues and adopts retired stateless cats and kittens. The cats are each fixed, vaccinated, tested for FIV/Felv, microchipped and treated for fleas and worms.

“While they’re here, this is their home,” Zobel said. “People request to beryllium respectful. If the cats privation to cuddle, cuddle them. If they privation to play, play with them. Just get to cognize them.”

After Spin the Bottle, unpaid Tosca Minotto, a.k.a the Tarot Nerd, led respective activities, including tarot paper readings and swinging a rainbow moonstone pendulum implicit a pendulum board, stenciled with “No,” “Yes,” “Maybe,” “Rephrase” and “Wait.” Attendees asked the committee questions like, “Is Asher the champion feline ever?” The answer? “Maybe.”

Volunteer Laurie Bolewitz whipped retired a diary and work to america archetypal spooky stories she wrote. “It was a blistery and muggy evening successful northeast Pasadena,” the ominous process — I mean tale! — began.

Gwendolyn Mathers, left, on with a radical of feline lovers play Spin the Bottle. When the vessel landed connected a cat, the feline got peculiar treats.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

For Truth oregon Purr (Dare), led by Mathers, we passed astir a bin of prompts. Mathers tapped into her originative broadside erstwhile she got the Dare punctual to “Have a heavy and meaningful speech with an inanimate entity for 60 seconds.” She animatedly talked to a teal spinning feline way toy, portion polydactyl-toed kitty Orbitz lounged down her successful a basket.

Later, we watched the 1988 animated movie “Oliver & Company” projected ample onto a wall. At midnight, instrumentalist Melanie Cebula played her tune “Purr-fect Lullaby,” tapping connected her alloy manus cookware arsenic soothing notes filled the acheronian room.

Fruitcake got comfy connected apical of maine and laic determination for 7 hours. Tuxedo kitten Paolina bounced onto my thorax and licked my fingers. Occasionally, I heard cats chasing each other.

The Slumber Pawrty astatine Tail Town went from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., capping disconnected with feline cartoons and vegan donuts.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Zobel, who really slept, was flanked by respective kitties. Small ginger feline Marigold snuggled with her for hours.

In the morning, arsenic we ate vegan doughnuts and watched feline cartoons, kitten Asher plopped onto my thigh and purred loudly.

“This is an astonishing place,” Zobel said.