It’s no secret that cats rule the internet. Now they’re about to take over downtown.
At least 15,000 feline fanatics are expected to come together for the second-annual CatConLA on June 25 and 26 at the Reef on Broadway.
Organizers expect between 15,000 and 20,000 human attendees this year – an increase over last year’s tally of 13,000.
CatCon creator Susan Michals got the idea for the event in 2014 after a successful feline-inspired art show in Los Angeles generated strong ticket sales and attendance.
“I decided to expand on the idea of cats in pop culture and thus CatCon was born,” Michals said. “By creating an environment and offering the best in groundbreaking original products and ideas, CatCon is raising the bar and helping to get rid of the stigma attached to cat lovers for so long.”
Guests at this year’s event can choose from a number of activities, including seminars on the relationship between cats and pop culture featuring speakers from BuzzFeed Pets and Cats of Instagram, a cat-themed nail art corner and cat-eye beauty bar as well as meet-and-greets with celebrity cats such as Lil Bub, Pudge, and Nala Cat. A companion cat video festival showcasing the best viral videos from across the internet is scheduled for Saturday at the Theatre at Ace Hotel. Tickets for the convention cost $40 for the weekend or $25 for a day. The video festival requires a separate $20 admission. A dollar of every ticket sale plus a portion of proceeds from meet-and-greets will be donated to animal-related charities.
More than 150 vendors will attend the weekend cat bonanza, including L.A.-based businesses such as specialty pet shop Pussy and Pooch; animal-wig maker PetWigs; and local designer Jessica Louise, who creates attire for both humans and felines.
The convention will also house a 3,000-square-foot adoption village with more than 100 cats and kittens from Baldwin Hills animal rescue group spcaLA that can be brought home for the cost of $50 for one cat or $75 for two.
Meet-and-greets with Pudge and Nala Cat will cost $100. The $150 sessions with famous runt Lil Bub are already sold out both days.
“We’re excited to meet fans and friends,” said Pookie Methachittiphan, who owns Nala Cat – an Instagram sensation with nearly 3 million followers. She added that fans often get emotional and cry when they see Nala Cat in the fur.
“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun with all the crazy cat people,” she said.
