Are you a cat person? I wasn't always — I grew up with dogs, albeit tiny ones — but I became a cat convert as an adult, I wouldn't have it any other way. If you, too, either own or just happen to love a couple of bonkers kitties, good news: CatCon LA is here, and it's essentially Comic-Con, but for cat people. No, seriously — that's actually how it's billing itself. Why, yes, I would love to attend something called CatCon LA; why do you ask? It's a shame I live on the opposite coast. Siiiiigh.
To be fair, I dig Comic-Con, too. I find San Diego Comic-Con a little daunting, but I've attended New York Comic-Con a few times, and it's a blast as long as you go in with a solid strategy in place to navigate the whole thing. CatCon, though? It sounds both magnificently weird and absolutely delightful. Organized by Susan Michals, who also curated a cat-themed art show in 2014 (a sequel is scheduled for 2015, by the way!), it promises to “[celebrate] groundbreaking products in art and design, pop culture, and attitude… for cat people.” It'll be taking over The Reef, formerly known as LA Mart, on June 6 and 7, 2015. Heck. Yes.
Why CatCon? According to Michals, it's partially a way to revitalize how other people think of cat people: “When you say you're into cats, people think 'crazy cat lady,'” she said to the Huffington Post, so in that respect, CatCon is about changing outside opinions and breaking down stigma. But even more than that, it's about bringing a whole bunch of people together, all of whom have a shared passion for adorable, furry creatures. “More than anything,” Michals continued, “CatConLA is a celebration of our feline friends — how they enhance our lives and make us happy in so many ways. Everyone is here for one sole reason. Cats!”
This year's speakers include Simon Tofield, creator of the animated web series “Simon's Cat”; Mike Bridavsky, who owns beloved Internet celebrity Lil Bub; Will Braden of Henri, Le Chat Noir fame (aka my absolute favorite Internet cat, because, well… it's hard not to love a cat name Henri who is suffering from artsy-fartsy ennui); Angie Bailey, who writes the hilarious Texts from Mittens; and many, many more. It's actually somewhat surprising how many famous cat-related guests will be putting in appearances; I mean, we all know the Internet exists almost solely for cats, but it's things like this that really put it all in perspective.
Although pets aren't allowed in (as the CatCon LA FAQ puts it, “We believe this is the best option for the safety of all beloved pets and that most cats would probably want to stay at home rather than go to a very crowded, foreign venue anyway”), a few celebrity cats will be making appearances — and even better, Best Friends Animal Society will be on site helping a whole bunch of adoptable felines find their forever homes. Awwwwwww.
Tickets are available now, so if A) you're going to be in the Los Angeles area at the beginning of June, and B) you absolutely adore cats, it might be worth checking out. Find out more at the CatCon LA official website.
Images: Trish Hamme/Flickr; Giphy (2)
