The History and Evolution of CatCon
CatCon 2018 is coming to the Pasadena Convention Center on Elm Street in August. If you’re a cat lover and you’ve not yet heard of it, you’re in the right place. This amazing convergence of cat lovers from all walks of life is a must attend. We think that the sensation deserves attention. We wanted to know how it all began and how it evolved into the pop culture showcase of cat-centric merchandise, adoption center and display of all things cats, that it is today.
What is CatCon and who is the founder?
The short answer is that it’s a convention for cat lovers. The founder of the event is Susan Michals. Susan set out to dispel the myths about single women who own cats, and the “crazy cat-lady stereotype.” People from all walks of life love cats and embrace them as members of their families. Michals is a journalist from the Los Angeles area and her goal is to end the stereotypes and show cat lovers for who they really are. Not all are eccentrics.
The first CatCon
The first CatCon was held in Los Angeles in June of 2015. There were more than 10,000 people in attendance. A few celebrity cats were present, including the YouTube sensation L’il Bub, and Pudge the cat, the feline with a mustache. Some attendees came in Cat themed Cosplay outfits. A celebrity promoting cat adoption was present to encourage people to adopt cats and kittens in need of homes. Mayim Bialik of “The Big Bang Theory” donated her time for the event.
The tone was set
In addition to providing a place for cat lovers to meet and greet each other, the event offered a variety of panels and seminars that gave useful educational information about cats with tips on care, play and the importance of spay/neutering and adoption. There were plenty of vendors on hand, offering unique cat themed merchandise that was geared towards both humans and animals. It was a place that is filled with information, fun and games and vendors selling really cool cat merchandise.
A social media craze
Immediately after the first CatCon, social media lit up with interesting pictures of the event. Tumblr was overflowing with pictures from CatCon, and Instagram had its share as well. Snapchat also received a ton of traffic from the first cat-lovers’ convention. In addition to photos, there were also tons of videos shared by enthusiasts who obviously had an amazing time.
The upcoming CatCon in Pasadena
CatCon 2017 featured a large adoption village that helped to find a lot of happy cats their new forever homes, and this year is scheduled to offer double the kitties to choose from because of the huge success they had from the previous year. The 2018 convention will also feature fashion makeovers, a silent disco, an awards show and numerous exhibitions. There will be a variety of different presenters there, speaking on multiple “cat” topics, along with a host of “kitty credentialed” influencers and feline advocates.
New CatCon video fest and other offerings
This year, attendees will be privileged to enjoy a 45 minutes of the past year’s best internet clips of amazing cats doing what they do best, and that’s entertaining us. There will also be a First Annual CatCon Awards, complete with statuettes patterned after the real Oscar awards for a variety of different CATegories. It’s a good idea to bring your wallet because there is schedule to be more than 140 vendors present to sell some one of a kind and hard to find merchandise for both kitties and humans. There will be fun and games for people of all ages. While funds made from ticket sales go to help sponsor the massive event that is expected to draw 20,000 or more, $2 from every ticket sale will be donated to animal welfare organizations.
Final thoughts
CatCon started out with a good idea, but it’s beginning was hardly a small one. The pop culture cat convention started its first year with more than 10,000 cat enthusiasts in attendance, and now in its third year running, the numbers are expected to at least double the original figure. The 2018 event is anticipated to guarantee a full weekend of fun, excitement, learning and bringing pets in need of a home, new families. It’s a worthy event that shows the world how cool it is to be a cat lover, and how exceptional these amazing pets truly are.
