Adopt a black cat whose Palm Beach County owner died

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but this week’s Pet of the Week will show you you can always show an old kitty new love. After her previous owner sadly passed away in January, she’s looking for a family with whom to spend her senior years.

Welcome to The Palm Beach Post’s Pet of the Week, a series where we feature animals up for adoption in Palm Beach County in hopes of finding them a forever home and bringing a smile to your face.

This week’s pet is Asabache (pronounced ah-sah-BAH-cheh). Although it sounds like the Spanish word azabache, meaning “jet,” her name refers to a jet-black stone thought to ward off bad spirits. And despite her recent loss, Asabache is in good spirits and looking for another loving family.

Here’s what to know about our pet of the week, including what Animal Care and Control staffers say about Asabache’s personality:

Cat for adoption: Asabache

• Age: 12 years old
• Weight: 11 pounds
• Sex: Female, spayed
• Animal ID: A2160946

About her: This senior girl was surrendered to Animal Control on Jan. 3 after her owner passed away. Asabache was nervous when she arrived at the shelter, but she is now happily residing in one of the shelter’s free-roam rooms where she has been able to relax with other cats. She has gotten along well with other long-term residents.

For more information, you can check out Asabache’s online profile on the animal care website.

How to adopt a cat or dog in Palm Beach County

You can start the adoption process in person or online.

To begin in person, visit Animal Care and Control during normal business hours at 7100 Belvedere Road in suburban West Palm Beach to fill out an application and meet the pets there.

To begin the process online:

1. Use Asabache’s animal ID number to search her on Animal Control’s online database.
2. Click on the “Ready to Adopt? Click Here” link to the right of the pet’s photo.
3. Fill out the two-page downloadable adoption application​ and email it to Animal Control at PSD-ACCSupport@pbcgov.org.
4. Once Animal Control has reviewed your application, a team member will contact you to confirm that you have been approved to adopt. Submittal of an online application does not guarantee the pet’s availability.

Adoption fees: This month, standard adoption fees are waived at Animal Care and Control. Adoption fees are usually $60 for adult dogs, $75 for puppies and $50 for cats and kittens. Palm Beach County residents who are 55 years and older are offered a discounted adoption fee.

Note: All animals adopted from Animal Control will be spayed if female or neutered if male. They will be up-to-date on vaccinations, protected against fleas and ticks and microchipped.

About fostering: If you are not ready for a long-term commitment, you may want to consider offering foster care to a pet. This is a great way to get the feel for becoming a pet parent, and it allows you and your new prospective pet to get to know each other. You can find more information about fostering on Animal Control’s website.

Have you adopted one of The Palm Beach Post’s pets of the week?

We’d like to track our impact, and potentially feature you in a “where are they now”-style story this year.

If you’ve adopted a pet featured in this series, tell us about it here: https://forms.gle/nN9w7cmCQRJmVcus6

We won’t use any of your information without contacting you first.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. She has a dog, Cooper, who is 8 years old, and a kitten, Benny, who is 9 months old. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work:Subscribe today!