Put 13,000 cat lovers under one roof for two days and what do you get? Since its quirky debut in 2015, CatCon, often described as “Comic-Con for cat people,” has evolved from a fringe feline gathering into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
Think happy cat lovers dressed up in elaborate costumes, 200 ecstatic cat product vendors enjoying a lucrative weekend, many new cat parents, a fashion show, a parade of Instagram-famous cats and a whole lot of catnip-fueled fanfare.
One of many costumes seen at CatCon (Photo: Melanie Staten)
Held again at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, on August 2-3, CatCon celebrated its birthday in style — and for the first time in its history, it sold out both days. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Pasadena Convention Center buzzed with activity, with lines still curling around the building mid-afternoon.
Not Just Catnip and Selfies
But CatCon isn’t all fluff. Over the past decade, it has facilitated more than 1,500 adoptions and raised over $400,000 for cat welfare organizations. This year topped all adoption records — 210 cats and kittens went home with new families, thanks to the Pasadena Humane Society’s on-site Adoption Village. Every time a cat found a forever home, a bell rang, and the crowd cheered. Some of these whiskered adoptees were survivors of the nearby Altadena fires, making the celebrations even sweeter.
10 years and 1500+ adopted cats and kittens from CatCon (Photo: Melanie Staten)
As a chronic softie for cats, I appreciate the event’s wise decision to keep Adoption Village in its own space. It prevents impulse adoptions — and keeps people like me from suddenly “accidentally” coming home with three more cats.
Seven Years of CatCon (and counting)
My sister-in-law from Arizona and I have attended seven CatCons (with a two-year Covid gap), and every year tops the last. With press credentials and reporting for two outlets this time, I found the organizers and vendors as gracious as ever. “Talent” handlers beamed for the cameras, though some of the feline celebrities were divas in fur coats. Case in point: Calvin the Cat, who needed a little coaxing before agreeing to pose.
Phoenix and Knoxville reporters coaxing Calvin the Cat (Photo: Paige Maguiles, official CatCon photographer)
No Cats Allowed (Mostly)
Ironically, ordinary cats aren’t welcome — unless they’re “talent.” The official CatCon publicity says it best: “For the safety of our guests and your pet, leave your cats at home!” Anyone who’s tried to get a cat to play nice in a crowd understands why.
The Feline “Talent”
Celebrity meet-and-greets are reserved for Instagram-famous cats, whose main trick is tolerating thousands of strangers petting them. This year’s roster included Nathan the Cat Lady, Angela Hadnagy, Dr. Matt McGlasson, Maple Cat, Cat Named Calvin, and others. No flaming hoops or tightrope acts — just typical cat behavior staring into the distance while looking adorable.
Calvin the Cat (Photo- Melanie Staten)
From Meow to Wow
The mastermind behind all this is Susan Michals, a former TV producer who once looked at Comic-Con and thought, “Why not cats?” Her first event in 2015 drew a few thousand curious visitors. In the 10 years since, CatCon has attracted more than 113,000 attendees from all 50 states and 33 countries.
Ticket Prices
General admission is $35 per day. There are additional charges for “Meet and Greets” with famous influencers, a private evening party and more. We chose the general admission. One dollar of every ticket price this year was donated to the Pasadena Humane Society’s continuing efforts to provide care to the pets impacted by the Altadena (just north of Pasadena) fires.
Sold out both days with lines wrapped around the Pasadena Convention Center
Two Convention Halls filled with Feline Fun
The two huge convention halls host more than just the feline-loving attendees, the vendors and the “talent.” There are well-attended lectures by prominent feline health experts, contests and drawings.
Merch, Freebies and Temptation
Over 200 vendors hawked everything from luxury cat beds ($200 plus — which your cat will ignore in favor of the Amazon box it came in) to AI-powered litter boxes with a camera ($800). For humans, there were cat-themed shirts, dresses, jewelry, and more. Cat food and kitty litter vendors handed out freebies — I know because I collected them all. Of course, my “free” haul came after paying $35 for the ticket, a plane fare to Burbank, a Pasadena hotel bill, and $48 to UPS it all back to Knoxville.
Interesting People and their Stories
Every year we meet up with Adrienne and Jae, University of Tennessee alums originally from Knoxville. They are known as The Two Crazy Cat Ladies, owners of Feline Essential. Their natural cat health products have made them rock stars in the feline wellness world. More on them in a future Knox TN Today piece.
This year we met a couple who had just appeared on Shark Tank with their cat-related invention, stories from the ASPCA who assisted the Pasadena Human Society with the Pacific Palisades and Altadena fires, a vendor who claimed his kitty litter was the most popular in Eastern Europe and so many more.
The Last Word and Purr
Yes, it’s commercialized, but CatCon delivers what it promises: a joyful celebration of the human-cat bond. The atmosphere is friendly, new cat parents are over the moon with their purrfect new family members, and the vendors are happy. I have always maintained that even non-cat people would have a fantastic day at the event.
And as for my husband? He stayed home — on cat duty, naturally — still skeptical about this whole CatCon thing. Maybe next year I’ll bring him back a souvenir. Or a cat.
Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.
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