We are a no-kill, cage-free, home-like cat rescue, adoption center, and gift shop in Cambria, California.
Welcome to HART, the Homeless Animal Rescue Team in Cambria, CA. We are a no-kill, cage free animal rescue and adoption center located on the beautiful Central Coast of California. HART’s mission is to rescue domestic animals in need, strays as well as cats who have lost their homes due to death or illness, and place them into good permanent homes. We also aim to eliminate unwanted surplus animals
from being born in our immediate area through our active spay/neuter programs. OUR MISSION
HART is a Volunteer Service Organization whose mission is to rescue domestic animals in need and place them into good, permanent homes, and to eliminate surplus animals from being born through active spay/neuter programs. HART is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (Federal ID 77-0018508). OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy is ensuring quality of life to all living creatures, both feral and domestic. OUR HISTORY
HART was founded in 1983 by a small core of volunteers who fostered animals in their own homes. Starting with Mika (a wayward cat in a family way), HART has placed thousands of homeless animals into permanent homes through adoption and foster programs. In 2000 HART acquired its own premises by renting a former veterinarian’s office, allowing us to expand our resources in the community. Our TNR (Trap/Neuter/Release) programs have prevented countless more homeless animals. Through partnerships with educators and other rescue groups HART has helped to develop an effective Humane Education program that has been shared with local schools and communities. In 2012 HART purchased its current location at 2638 Main Street. For over 30 years the overwhelming constant characteristic of HART has been a team of volunteers dedicated to the welfare of the animals, first and always.
12/20/2025
🎁🐾 Do your holiday shopping at HART’s Gift Shop and give gifts that save lives! From fun finds to gift certificates, every purchase supports the daily care of our cats and kittens. Prefer to give a gift TO a HART kitty? You can sponsor a cat, donate supplies, or support their care too.
✨ Visit today (12/20) from 1-4pm and you’ll also get to enjoy our 🎄Kitty Christmas Café ☕️— treats, music, and plenty of festive feline fun! Bonus: you can meet (and maybe fall in love with) some adorable HART cats while you’re here 😸
Happy Holidays! 🎄🕎
12/18/2025
Visit us at HART’s Kitty Christmas Café ! 🐾🎄
📅 Date: CATurday, December 20
🕐 Time: 1:00 – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: HART – 2638 Main Street, Cambria
Event Highlights:
🎁 Adoption Specials – discounts on pairs, teens, and adult cats to help them find homes!
☕ Free Treats – enjoy hot cocoa, coffee, cider, and cookies
🎶 Christmas music!
🎅🏻 A visit from Santa!
🛍️ Gift Shop Holiday Sale – find unique gifts for the animal lovers on your list
🐱 Shelter Tours – meet the cats and kittens waiting to be adopted
✨ Come for the cocoa, stay for the cats — and make this a Christmas to purr about! ✨
12/17/2025
HART's cats and kittens are dreaming of just one thing this holiday season—a family to call their own. 🎄🐾 From playful kittens to cozy lap cats, someone here is hoping you might be their miracle. ✨
Visit HART’s website to see all of our adorable adoptables, then come meet them in person this week!
🌐 https://www.hartcambria.org
📍 2638 Main St., Cambria
🕰 Tuesday–Saturday | 12–5
Don't miss the adoption specials at our Christmas Kitty Cafe this Cat-urday from 1-4pm!
Your perfect fur-ever companion might be waiting to meet you! 💖🐱
12/16/2025
We are feeling the holiday magic in the very best way! ✨We're bursting with joy to share that 19 cats and kittens have already found their forever homes this December—and we’re only halfway through the month! 🎉 For a small shelter like HART, that’s huge. Even more special is seeing some of our long-time residents, who have waited so patiently for months, finally meet their own special people. Moments like these are exactly why we do what we do.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to our amazing supporters for sharing our cats and kittens and helping their stories reach the right homes. Your support truly changes lives. 💛 And the happy endings aren’t over yet—we still have many wonderful cats and kittens waiting to meet you! Come visit us Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5pm, and see if your future best friend is waiting right here at HART. 🐾
12/13/2025
Meet Daisy, a gentle little tortie with striking green eyes and a sweet ginger stripe running right down her nose. She’s a polydactyl—with extra toes that make it look like she’s wearing the most adorable mittens. 🧤
🌼 Daisy is a bit of a wallflower —quietly observing from the sidelines until she feels safe enough to bloom. New people and places can make her feel unsure at first, but with patience, soft voices, and a gentle touch, her loving nature slowly comes out, complete with grateful purrs. Once she’s comfortable, Daisy shows off her playful side and loves batting around balls or playing chase with her kitten friends. She would do best in a home with another kitten or young cat who can be both a playmate and a confidence booster.
Daisy has been waiting at the shelter for nearly six months, and her biggest wish is to finally find a home of her own this holiday season—and with the patience and love of her new family, bloom into the truly relaxed and confident kitten she is meant to be. 🐾
12/11/2025
Save the Date for HART’s Kitty Christmas Café !🐾🎄
📅 Date: CATurday, December 20
🕐 Time: 1:00 – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: HART – 2638 Main Street, Cambria
Event Highlights:
🎁 Adoption Specials – help our cats and kittens find loving homes for the holidays
☕ Free Treats – enjoy hot cocoa, cider, and cookies
🎶 Live Music – the Kitty Ditty HART Band will be performing
🎅🏻 A visit from Santa!
🛍️ Gift Shop Holiday Sale – find unique gifts for the animal lovers on your list
🐱 Shelter Tours – meet the cats and kittens waiting to be adopted
✨ Come for the cocoa, stay for the cats — and make this a Christmas to purr about! ✨
12/10/2025
Meet Franklin! ❤️ He’s hoping for a little holiday magic to pair him up with his forever family. ✨ Franklin is a dashing 7-month-old kitten in a classic black-and-white tuxedo, marked by a slim white blaze along his nose—like a tiny beam of sunlight that decided to stay.
He loves people, makes friends with everyone he meets, and would be thrilled to find a cozy lap to curl up in when he’s ready to recharge. He’s dreaming of being part of a loving family—not just for the holidays, but for life. ❤️🎄
12/09/2025
✨ It’s the Season of Giving… and one of the greatest gifts you can give is TIME. ✨
HART is in real need of volunteers right now, and we could genuinely use your help. The health, comfort, and daily care of our cats and kittens depend entirely on the people who show up for them—and lately, we’re struggling to fill our shifts.
If you’ve ever thought about volunteering… this is your moment. Come see what HART is all about. 💛
🐾 2-Hour Shifts Available — We’re looking for help in:
🛍️ Office / Gift Shop
Be the friendly face visitors see when they walk in! Help answer phones, guide adopters toward their future feline soulmates, and ring up gift shop purchases. Your smile will genuinely make a difference.
🥣 Feeding & Scooping Team
Feeding time is pure joy—fresh water, topped-off kibble, tasty canned food, and a chorus of grateful meows. And yes, litterbox scooping is part of the gig… but our kittens love to “supervise,” climb your shoulder, play around your feet, and “help” with the digging.
You won’t be alone—we do our best to pair volunteers on every shift, so it’s twice the support and way more fun. Plus, there are free-roaming cats and kittens there to "help" with your tasks.
Lately, when we reach out hoping for volunteers… we’re lucky to get one application. Sometimes none. So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to volunteer… this is it. We need you, the cats need you, and even a couple of hours a week makes a huge difference. 🐱💕
✨❄ Emily is all dressed up in her holiday best, hoping to catch the eye—and the heart—of her future family. This 8-month-old soft, stripey brown tabby is a gentle soul with big, curious eyes that light up like twinkle lights when she spots something interesting. A thoughtful little explorer, she prefers to quietly observe from a cozy perch before joining the festivities. She adores “cat TV,” spending peaceful moments watching birds and bugs from her favorite window seat. And when the world settles down, Emily turns into the sweetest little cuddlebug, soaking up lap time and gentle pets like they’re the best gifts under the tree.
💖
Emily feels most at ease with other cats, finding comfort and joy in their company. She’d be over the moon to go home with one of her siblings or to join a household with a friendly feline already waiting by the stockings. Emily’s biggest wish is to find a warm home, a cozy spot by the window, someone to love, and a forever family for the holidays.
🐾 Meet HART’s November Cats of the Month: Tani & Jack!
Tani & Jack are an irresistible pair of 8-month-old bonded siblings hoping this festive season brings them the greatest gift of all: a home for the holidays. Jack, a warm and vibrant dark orange tabby with matching amber eyes, brings playful cheer wherever he goes. His sister Tani, a gorgeous black tortie dusted with ginger and glowing amber eyes of her own, adds gentle sweetness and cozy snuggles to the duo. Together, they’re the purrfect blend of holiday warmth, joy, and charm.
These two sparkle best when side by side, from spirited playtime to curled-up sweetness that could melt even the frostiest December evening. To help their holiday wish come true, their combined adoption fee is reduced to just $45—a little seasonal magic to help them find the loving home they’ve been dreaming of.
Today is , and as of the time of this posting, we’re so grateful to have reached just over 25% of our $10,000 goal—support that will help keep HART going strong in the months ahead. We’ve taken in and cared for 185 felines so far this year, and as you can imagine, the cost of caring for so many little lives adds up quickly. 💗
🌟If you’ve adopted from us, stop by often, entrusted us with a cat in need, enjoyed spending time with our whiskered residents while visiting Cambria, or simply love animals, please consider making a donation today.
There are so many ways to help HART on : a direct contribution, a planned gift through your trust, volunteering, fostering, or sharing our posts to help spread the word. Every act of support makes a real difference for the cats who rely on HART. Thank you for being part of their journey. 🧡🐾
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Welcome to HART, the Homeless Animal Rescue Team in Cambria, CA. We are a no-kill, cage free animal rescue and adoption center located on the beautiful Central Coast of California. HART’s mission is to rescue domestic animals in need, strays as well as cats who have lost their homes due to death or illness, and place them into good permanent homes. We also aim to eliminate unwanted surplus animals from being born in our immediate area through our active spay/neuter programs.
Our doors are open and we welcome you to drop in. Enjoy some cuddle and play time with the cats in our beautiful home environment, which allows you to get to know these fun and furry beauties one on one. We have three separate rooms of our amazing felines just waiting for you to meet them and take them to their new forever home. Spend the day and who knows? One of the cats might end up adopting you!
OUR MISSION
HART is a Volunteer Service Organization whose mission is to rescue domestic animals in need and place them into good, permanent homes, and to eliminate surplus animals from being born through active spay/neuter programs. HART is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (Federal ID 77-0018508).
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy is ensuring quality of life to all living creatures, both feral and domestic.
OUR HISTORY
HART was founded in 1983 by a small core of volunteers who fostered animals in their own homes. Starting with Mika (a wayward cat in a family way), HART has placed thousands of homeless animals into permanent homes through adoption and foster programs. In 2000 HART acquired its own premises by renting a former veterinarian’s office, allowing us to expand our resources in the community. Our TNR (Trap/Neuter/Release) programs have prevented countless more homeless animals. Through partnerships with educators and other rescue groups HART has helped to develop an effective Humane Education program that has been shared with local schools and communities.
In 2012 HART purchased its current location at 2638 Main Street.
For over 30 years the overwhelming constant characteristic of HART has been a team of volunteers dedicated to the welfare of the animals, first and always.
OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Michael Zarowitz, President
A California native, Michael graduated with degrees in economics, finance, genetics, and a doctorate in molecular biology. During his work as a biomedical research scientist, he acquired several patents. Since moving to the central coast he has been an adjunct faculty member at Cal Poly and is currently a volunteer science teacher at Coast Union High School.
Michael became involved with HART through his partner, Mary Ann Zirretta. Playfully describing himself as a 25-year "on-call grunt,” Michael is a long-standing volunteer and creative fundraiser. Along with Carol Jean Attoe, he organized HART's award-winning Pinedorado Parade floats.
Michael currently lives in Cambria with his dog Shiloh.
Gary Swauger, Treasurer
Gary grew up in Torrance, CA. After studying architecture at Cal Poly, he moved to Cambria with his wife, Susan, two cats, and a dog. Since then, Gary has designed over 400 homes, motels, restaurants, and other commercial buildings.
Beginning his association with HART at the first shelter location, Gary worked on permit requirements, software development, and updating computer equipment. He helped orchestrate the purchase of HART's current building and was the lead on designing tenant improvements necessary to transform an old single family residence into an animal shelter. As Board treasurer, he continues to pursue and evaluate various approaches that will keep HART on solid financial ground.
Currently, Gary and Susan care for Stuart and Snow, two former HART cats and a standard black poodle named Pal
Julie Jenkins, Secretary
Julie was raised in Ohio. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is a certified life coach. While technical theatre was her early career choice, she eventually moved to Los Angeles where she worked at the studios until she retired from the industry in 2014.
Moving to Cambria in 2015, Julie began volunteering with HART soon after and describes herself as “the new kid on the block.” She serves on the Med Team and regularly furnishes a lap for any feline in search of loving attention. In addition to fostering post-surgery cats, Julie offers compassionate hospice care for those cats experiencing end-of-life challenges. Julie, is a proud member of the ‘Fosters Failure Club’ with 4 fosters that are now permanent members of her household. She considers it a privilege to contribute to the wonderful work done by all those who sustain HART.
Carol Jean Attoe, Board Member
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Carol Jean has lived most of her adult life in California. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, taught physical education at Sacramento CC, and volunteered at the SPCA. After retiring from teaching, she turned her attention to ceramic arts. For over 30 years, her work has been grounded in the natural world and inspired by animals and nature.
During her years at HART, Carol Jean has been a cleaner, transporter, and events volunteer, while her Love Paws fundraisers have enhanced the shelter’s coffers. Her precious cats, Shadow and Silver, are HART alumni.
Of her commitment to HART, Carol Jean says, “It is my hope that we can raise awareness of the animal/human bond and bring love and peace to all livings things.”
Leah Cox, Board Member
Leah and husband Kerry moved to Cambria 2 1/2 yrs ago from the Santa Monica mountains near Lake Sherwood. Before their moving boxes were unpacked Leah was doing TNR for HART. She is our Head Trapper and appreciates any help you can give with trapping situations. Leah has volunteered with county animal shelters and private rescue groups for over 25 yrs, fostering 100’s of kittens, before opening her own Rescue in 2011. Leah is also a member of the ‘Foster Failure Club’ with 2 HART cats plus several feral cats she brought with her from SoCal. HART is delighted to have her decades of cat rescue experience.
