Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Cat Con LA, a purr-fect weekend for feline fans
1955: A sleeping kitten wearing a miniature crown. (Photo by Charles Ley/BIPs/Getty Images)
(
Charles Ley/Getty Images
)
The con is on! Cat Con LA, that is. What does it take to bring 15,000 cat lovers together? A slew of strange and stylish products, a few feline celebrities and lots of puns.
Cat Con LA founder Susan Michals launched the two-day event, taking place Saturday and Sunday at The Reef in downtown L.A., partly to debunk the cat lady myth.
"You can and be chic and stylish and have a cat simultaneously," Michals says. For the record, she has a cat named Miss Kitty Pretty Girl. "There's still the stigma... that if you have more than one cat or you're really passionate about cats, you're a crazy cat lady."
The average age of Cat Con LA attendees is 18 - 34 and about 30 percent are men, according to Michals.
Support for LAist comes from
The two-day event — part product showcase, part symposium — includes 167 vendors hawking everything from cat-themed clothing and makeup for humans (from Kat Von D, naturally) to cat scratchers and kitty bowties (for the dapper cat).
The strangest item may be the Licki Brush, a tongue-shaped brush that you hold in your mouth while grooming your cat. The product is real. So real it raised $50,000 on Kickstarter.
There's also an educational component. Buzzfeed and Cats of Instagram will lead a discussion about what separates the cute but typical housecat from the feline internet sensation. Another lecture, led by a cat behavioral expert, is titled The Truth Revealed: Yes, You Can Train Your Cat.
Then there's the Furr-ocious Fashion Face Off Contest, which lets humans show off their feline-inspired fashion. Stars of the four-legged variety can participate in a beauty pageant that Michals describes as "Project Runway meets America's Next Top Meowdel." (We warned you about the puns.)
Support for LAist comes from
Cat Con LA also includes an escape room designed from the POV of a cat. Get out in 15 min or less and Animal Planet will make a donation to an animal charity. In case you feel inspired to make a new friend, the adoption village will have more than 3,000 cats and kittens you can take home.
Feline celebs Lil Bub and Pudge will also be on hand for meet-and-greets.
Michals says 12,000 people attended last year. This year, she expects to draw 15,000 to 20,000 visitors: "It's a real combo platter of cat lovers and cat fans all coming together in one super-hip and chic location." Furr sure.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist