CatCon 2024 Confab Delights Cat Enthusiasts for Ninth Year

Feline Fever Meets Pop Culture and Community Purrfection

PASADENA, CA – August 4, 2024 – Cat lovers from near and far pounced on the Pasadena Convention Center on August 3rd and 4th for the ninth annual CatCon – the world’s biggest event dedicated to cats, pop culture, and community.

The event has grown significantly since its inception nine years ago. CatCon now attracts attendees from all 50 states and more than two dozen countries.

Susan Michals, founder and organizer of the preeminent conclave for cat lovers, said the two-day event serves as a gathering place for people to celebrate cat culture while also receiving information on the latest trends and products. Michals says the event was born from a desire to build a community for cat enthusiasts. “I created CatCon as a way to build a community for cat lovers – there is no In-Real-Life equivalent of a dog park for cat people,” Michals explained.

The two-day event dubbed the Comic-Con for cat lovers, offered a spectrum of activities. Attendees, many rocking creative cat-themed costumes and shirts with hiss-terical puns, enjoyed engaging exhibits, celebrity cat meet and greets, informative presentations, giveaways, a cat-themed art show, and entertainment – all dedicated to participants’ favorite furry friends.

Nearly 200 exhibitors showcased the latest in cat products. Nick Mikhall, founder and CEO of father-daughter company, Penthouse Paws, showed off the company’s high high-tech line of automatic pet feeders and smart water fountains. Comic artist Hannah Hillam had her hilarious cat illustrations for sale and was promoting her soon-to-be-released book, Cat People. Kirk Iwasaki, owner of Petkinns demonstrated their new line of natural Tofu cat litter, SOYSAND. Entrepreneur Abbie Swisher-Elardo of Crochet Kitty eagerly shared her story with guests of her journey to create safer and more enjoyable cat toys and was seeing brisk sales.

Well-established pet brands like FreshStep, Delectibles, PetSafe, and Inaba Churu had elaborate booths and displays that drew large crowds.

With vendors ranging from mom-and-pop businesses to major pet industry corporations, the cat-loving crowd saw a wide range of merchandise on display.

Vendors seemed to enjoy the event as much as cat-loving attendees. Adrienne Lefebvre and Jae Kennedy, the “Two Crazy Cat Ladies” and creators of the Feline Essential supplement line, were among the enthusiastic exhibitors at CatCon. The ladies had a blast meeting some of their hundreds of thousands of TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and podcast followers in person.

“CatCon is like Christmas combined with the Superbowl for us!” said Lefebvre. “It’s incredible to have the opportunity to engage with our community in person – and meet other vendors in the cat space,” Kennedy added.

For safety reasons, cats are not allowed at the event. However, the appearance of celebrity cats for meet-ups and photo ops proved especially popular with attendees. Fans were excited by the opportunity to meet and get their paws on a selfie with ‘celebri-cats’ and human influencers including BriAnne Wills and Anka Lavriv, Cat Named Calvin, Cat Named Squirrel, Aaron’s Animals, Lily Rose Adventures, One Eared Uno, and Outdoor Bengal, and Nathan the CatLady.

Live meet-and-greets included the heroes of the Australian Firefighters Calendar joining in a panel discussion hosted by musician and comedian, Shiadanni. These heroes have raised over $3.45 million for various charities and participate in CatCon to raise funds for cat charities and support adoptions.

An  important and popular highlight of the show was the pet adoption village sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition in cooperation with Pasadena Humane. A record 195 cats found their fur-ever homes at the event this year. Hill’s Pet Nutrition sent the happy rescues to their new homes with starter kits of cat food and other goodies along with the cats’ medical paperwork.

Educational workshops on cat health and culture included a panel on feline health led by expert Dr. Evan Antin and a panel discussion on extending cat’s lifespan organized by EveryCat Health Foundation. Some of the biggest cat influencers and their humans in the world made presentations to the audience about the pros, cons, and challenges life in the ‘cat lane.’

Entertainment included a performance by Bob Baker’s Meow-ionettes, a whimsical marionette show that enchanted the audiences with its feline-themed performance.

Entertainment and fun were a part of many vendor displays. Sponsors such as Delectables, Zoetis, and Roborock offered immersive experiences such as a carnival and face painting, an interactive cat art installation, and an activity in which pet owners got watercolor portraits of their cats.

This year’s cat art show had  an all new exhibit presented by Cat Art Show and Felix Cat Insurance titled “Whisker Wonderland” dedicated to “Alice in Wonderland.” This whimsical display enchanted visitors with creative and feline-inspired original works of art based on the classic tale. An elaborate Mad Catter’s Tea Room display invited guests into an immersive, totally cat-themed photo experience inspired by the famous “Mad Hatter” tea party from “Alice in Wonderland.”

In previous years, the event was held in one hall of the convention center. Michals said this year, the event has expanded to two halls because of its popularity. Last year, CatCon sold out. “We wanted to be able to accommodate more cat lovers that are coming from all over the world for this event,” Michals said. “The only way to do that was to expand our footprint.”

Each year, CatCon gives back to local charities. Since 2014, CatCon’s parent company, Ticket Out, Inc., has donated over $375,000 to charity, underlining the event’s commitment to supporting animal welfare causes. This year’s beneficiaries are Milo’s Sanctuary, an organization in Palmdale, Califonia that takes in special needs and senior cats, and Kitt Crusaders, an adoption organization that rescues cats and kittens from high kill shelters and the streets of Los Angeles.

Michals and her team are already planning for the next CatCon. “Next year is our tenth anniversary, so you can expect an epic celebration, with lots of surprises!” Michals said.

To keep up to date on CatCon 2025, visit: www.catconworldwide.com  and follow CatCon on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.