By Tammye McDuff
We have all seen the FaceBook videos or memes of fuzzy little creatures that are simply purr-ecoius, we have joined save-a-cat organizations or hit the ‘Like’ button for the fluff ball with cat-itutde, well Los Angeles, and here is your opportunity to get a grand dose of all things Cat.
CatConLA celebrates all those hiss-terical felines with innovative products, pop culture and paw-sitive ideas for devotees of those four legged fur babies.
Part expo, part symposium, CatConLA showcases some of the world’s top cat-centric merchandise including furniture, art, toys and clothing for those of us who possess a great love of the feline, as well as conversations and interviews with some of the top cat experts in the world.
With $1 from every CatConLA ticket sold, the nonprofit organization committed to the welfare of cats, FixNation, provides low-cost, affordable spay/neuter services, provide training on how to humanely trap feral cats and kittens, and offer guidance and information on long-term care and management for feral colonies. FixNation also partners with local humane pet stores and animal rescue organizations to facilitate the adoption of friendly strays and kittens. CatConLA donated over $33,000 to FixNation and Lil BUB’s Big Fund in 2015.
Over 12,000 cat people came together from around the globe for CatConLA 2015, which was covered in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, BuzzFeed, Playboy, The L.A. Times, Gizmodo, Jezebel, PopSugar, and Modern Cat magazine. CatConLA 2016 will be held at The Reef in downtown Los Angeles, Saturday June 25th and Sunday June 26th with an amazing line up of talent and cat commodities.
This year’s highlights include a furr-ocious Fashion Face Off Contest, presented by Zappos, where ten contestants will showcase their best cosplay cat-spirational attire. Actress Mariel Hemingway joins producer and author Lisa Erspamer in the seminar, ‘How I Met My Cat.’
Comedian Andy Milonakis will host the CatVideoFest on Saturday night at the Ace Hotel Theater with special feline guest, Lil BUB, with screenings at 6:30 pm and 10:00 pm. A cat adoption will be held at The Clowder Lounge in conjunction with Hill’s Science Diet and Petco has built a 3,000 square foot adoption village, exclusively for CatConLA. This space will house over 100 cats and kittens for adoption, all organized by local shelters. Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman, will host a Meet and Greet in the CatCon Muse Lounge signing books and photos.
In the Rachael Ray Nutrish Food for Cats booth (in partnership with BuzzFeed), attendees will have a chance to get their very own ‘Caticature’ mash¬up, that’s a caricature of themselves melded with their cat and will also be able to create a playful animation of their own photos snapped in the GIF booth.
Offsite at the Ace Hotel, Purina ONE® Whole Body Health Hotel will immerse guests in a hotel environment with cat-themed amenities and cat health experts to underscore the importance of lifelong whole body health for cats and launch the new Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend cat food.
CatConLA is not like any other animal expo you have been to. Susan Michals, creator of CatConLA says, “It’s all about redefining the cat lady – proving that you can be chic and stylish, and own a cat, simultaneously.”
