PETS
by
Janene Zakrajsek
Show Us Your Kitties: CatCon LA Feline Frenzy
Aiming to ‘debunk the crazy cat lady stereotype’, the inaugural CatCon LA event
landed last weekend in downtown LA at The Reef drawing in more than 12,000
attendees from all over California, across the US, and internationally, including the
far reaches of Australia. The two-day show streaming live on Animal Planet was
curated for stylish sensibility by organizer Susan Michals to represent the best
of cat culture and aptly referred to as being like Comic-Con, but for cat people.
Creatives including authors and artists like animator Simon Tofield, “Simon’s Cat,”
cat culture icons, personal appearances by headlining celeb status cats Lil Bub
(famous for her dwarfism and signature bug-eyed, tongue-out appearance and
tickets were $150 to pet her!), plus 100 cat-centric vendors including local pet
lifestyle retailer Pussy & Pooch.
Must love cats is an understatement. Happy. Enthusiastic. Wide-eyed. The place
was positively buzzing with non-stop excitement. Crowds were eager to purchase all sorts of cat-tastic merchandise including handmade toys and accessories, cat-themed art and collectibles, design-forward modern cat furniture and
accessories, interactive toys and fashion for humans and cats. The demand was
so high in fact, many vendors sold out after the first day. The Pussy & Pooch popup shop was among the 100 vendors featuring a curated selection of the best in
cat lifestyle products including home furnishings by Hepper, Vesper, P.L.A.Y., and
Modko; toys by TipsyNip, GoCat Designs, Nekochan, and Vee; premium cat food
and treats by The Honest Kitchen and Nature’s Variety; Feeding into the frenzy,
exclusive tastings of Pussy Natural Energy drink available were purr-fectly suited
for the cheeky cat-eared crowd.
What a crowd it was… teaming with fans, fanatics, and obsessing over all things
cat. The basic uniform was awesome and witty cat t-shirts and faves like “Show
us your kitties” and “I got 99 problems, but my cat ain’t one” were typical of cat
dudes and hipsters. Tails, cat ears, and other crazy cat outfits including head to
tail cosplay gear were faves among the young ladies, as was a sexy version of cat
lady chic sported on dozens more. Photo opps and selfie photo walls were abundant and there was no shortage of #hashtags or media fueling the feline fuss. The
Cats of Instagram recharging lounge was the spot to ensure all methods of media
sharing. Of course, it couldn’t be a cat event without some cats to fondle. There
were cat and kitten adoptions by Best Friends Los Angeles that had long lines
and a packed room resulting in more than 70 cats adopted from local shelters
shattering expectations for the two-day event.