CatCon in Pasadena draws a lot more than 9 lives to first day of annual feline-palooza

There was no shortage of cat ears on the long line stretching around the block outside the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday morning, Oct. 10.

CatCon was back in town for its 11th year this weekend and feline aficionados were out in droves to visit with hundreds of specialty vendors, consider adopting one of 250 kittens in attendance, but mostly to share and commiserate about their deep love of the noble kitty.

“I came last year and it was a blast,” said Debi Deckman of Santa Clarita, who was so excited to attend again that she managed to be the first on line of among more than 1,000 who queued up before the 10 a.m. start.

“We’re all a bunch of cat lovers — enthusiastic cat lovers,” said Deckman, who shares her home with Mr. Hobbs, a rescue she adopted years ago. “For me a cat is an easier pet. They’re not as demanding.”

CatCon attendee Briana Wong is now going to learn that for herself, she hopes, picking out a tiny calico kitten named Poppy to take home on Saturday.

“I think I’ve always wanted to adopt a cat,” Wong said. “CatCon is the perfect timing.”

She noted that Poppy, with a waving paw and piercing green eyes, made it clear to her they were meant to be together.

More than 250 kittens were available at CatCon through a partnership with Pasadena Humane, which offered a special adoption price of just $50 for the event instead of the regular $150 cost.

“Last year we were able to find just over 200 homes,” explained Chris Ramon, president and CEO. “This year we’re hoping for 250.”

He commended CatCon for drawing thousands of cat lovers to the city — people who can potentially adopt the large number of kittens that coincidentally have come into their care the last couple of months.

“It allows us to find hundreds of kittens’ homes over the weekend,” Ramon said. “There are many cats and kittens in shelters that need homes.”

After organizing the Cat Art Show in 2014, Susan Michals, founder of CatCon, was taken aback to see how many people — more than 4,000 — showed up over four days.

“That was when I discovered how underserved the cat-loving audience was,” said Michals, who describes CatCon as an in-person dog park for cat people. “I created CatCon as a way to build a community for cat lovers where they could celebrate, learn and engage with others who share a profound love for felines.”

Along with providing a gathering space for cat lovers, since its inception CatCon has donated over $400,000 to help cats in need, according to Michals.

“This year we are benefitting Pasadena Humane, who of course did such heroic work after the devastating wildfires last year,” she said. “They are also our adoption partner, and will be bringing over 200 kittens to our adoption village.”

Donations will also be going to Kitt Crusaders, a Los Angeles cat rescue, and RedRover, an emergency veterinary service provider that also supports domestic violence survivors and their pets.

Tail Town Cats, a nonprofit cat cafe based nearby at 1780 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena, was among the many vendors that appreciated the exposure that CatCon gave them to this consumer base.

“You can’t get a better target demographic of cat lovers,” said Gwendolyn Mathers, executive director.

Their facility offers adoption, but also operates a cafe where visitors can enjoy informal interaction and hang-out time with an array of cats.

“We’re hyper local, so at the end of CatCon if they’re looking for a place to adopt cats, we’re right around the corner,” Mathers said.

It was the third time at CatCon for Niko Collins and her coworker and friend Veronica Lopez, both of whom arrive in their cat ears and cat t-shirts.

“We love cats,” Collins said. “We are cat owners and this is just an opportunity to be around other fellow cat owners, check out new products, and meet some of the people we follow online — cat personalities.”

One of the more famous cats in attendance was Uno, a one-eared black cat that enjoys more than 200,000 followers on Instagram.

“Uno got popular on the internet and we got invited to CatCon,” explained Uno’s owner Kat Curtis. “This is our fourth year.”

“CatCon is such a fun event if you’re a cat enthusiast,” Curtis said. “I grew up with cats (and) cats have always been a part of my life. They’re a such a reliable, awesome, funny friend to have in your home.”

Lopez, the proud owner of Luna and Bean, concurred.

“I love cats,” she said. “They’re just adorable. And I love being around people who just love cats.”

CatCon returns from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. For more information, visit catconworldwide.com.