Dogs may be man’s best friend, but it appears that cats are the Internet’s most favorite animal. A survey in 2015 found that felines make up about 15% of data flow online, which comes to 699 million people searching for kitty-related content every month.
So it’s really no surprise that the cat-loving community organized a whole convention for them. Called CatCon, it educates and entertains thousands of fans, showcasing the latest products and ideas for mousers and their people.
Bored Panda browsed through their Instagram account and curated the most hilarious and relatable cat memes for your enjoyment. Ranging from a bit strange to heartwarming, they are guaranteed to fill your day with some feline goodness.
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CatCon has been taking place in Pasadena, California, since 2015 and has welcomed over 100,000 participants. Their mission is “to spread joy and goodness to cats and the people who love them.”
It was the creation of Susan Michals, a previous television producer and journalist. The idea came to her when she hosted a cat art show in Los Angeles, and more than 4,000 people came to see it.
"It was young, it was hip, it was trendy. It was hungry for information about cats and things for cat people. So I thought, you know what I need to do? I need to go broader. And that's how CatCon was born," Michals told LAist.
When their doors first opened, they didn’t expect such a flow of people. Around 700 people were waiting in a line that stretched around the block. The bathrooms quickly became jammed by traffic, and the cat adoption area was blocked with benches to limit the number of people. Thankfully, their no-pet policy ensured that no pets were crushed or injured by the crowds of people.
Since then, they’ve grown tremendously. From 2015 to 2023, they went from 63 to 200 exhibitors that bring a combination of products for cats and people each year. It now holds the title of being the biggest event solely dedicated to our feline friends.
My cat refuses to eat any cat food (or treats) that isn't seafood. She's totally forgotten her early life on a ranch where she only occasionally got fed cheep dry food. Given they abused her, I'm happy she's forgotten and now lives her life as the kitty queen she deserves to be.
If only they would talk to us. Serving them would be so much easier and efficient.
We call them furry little freeloaders while filling their fancy water foundation with purified water.
I felt so privileged today, to be allowed to lug 15 kg of sand ON THE BUS, so my cat can s**t indoors.
I don't relate to this at all. I had to get trash panda locks on all our trash cans because Numbnuts and Dingleputz (not their actual names) will spend all night trying to steal and then eat a paper towel I wiped up some bacon splatters with. The thought of my racoon-ferrets rejecting perfectly good food is inconceivable. And yes, I do know what that word means.
Not to mention, doesn't take out the trash or recycling, or help clean the bathroom, right? Same.
I read all these stories about cats refusing to eat certain brands of food and am constantly thankful that I never had this problem with my furry master. She was very happy to eat the same brand (generic and cheap for a very limited budget) everyday. It was fishy flavours and she loved it! Well except for shrimp, for some reason she really hated that flavour.😁 Rip my Monkey 😢
My cats eat better food than I do and we're all very happy with the situation. *blinks furiously for help* /j
We get to the cat food aisle and spend an eternity staring blankly at the offerings and every time I say "So, let's just get this one for the furry fu*kers to look upon with utter disdain" and the dog people always mutter something which I'm sure is along the lines of "Cat people, huh, serves them right!" and then we cry.....
One time I decided to get the expensive food for my cat's Birthday... Big mistake.
Tbf, cats do compensate for not paying rent by offering companionship and keeping disease-ridden rodents from nesting in your house 🤷♀️
Jonathan, you sound like the typical boss that does not appreciate the efficiency of a dedicated employee. Your cat does have a job: they are superb bug catchers & keep your home bugless! They pay rent with loving purrs. That is the reason why you are fixing the food situation.
We've got a general election this year. I say we give him a chance. How much worse could it be?
Their core values include informing and educating people through entertaining and outside-the-box activities, supporting shelters locally and nationwide, and vigorously promoting the “adopt, don’t shop” mindset. They are further trying to debunk the negative cat lady perception and prove that having a cat can be hip and stylish.
The Purrfect Pumpkin Carving Doesn’t Exi—
During last year’s event, they found new homes for over 160 kittens through Best Friends Animal Society. The 130,000-square-foot convention center hosted an abundance of cat-themed products featuring the latest litterbox technology and towers.
Booths of kitty art were also very popular among vendors. They were full of paintings, pillows, totes, and sculptures capturing these feline beauties in almost every material and medium possible. One of the highlights was the "Karma is a Cat Art Show" exhibition, which displayed Taylor Swift’s best moments with cats.
Some Light Reading! What Could Go Wrong?
More interestingly, the convention also jumped on the artificial intelligence train and featured its own “Cat-GPT.” It allowed enthusiasts to turn their furry friends into pieces of art or have conversations with their pets with just a touch of a finger.
My tee shirts and jeans all have little loops of fabric pulled out. It takes just one claw and bad intentions.
Ok, it is definitely sleep time. I kept looking at the right side of the lion thing trying to figure out what the hèll was wrong with that person's foot. 🤪
This Feels Purr-Sonal
The participants also got to meet cat celebrities like Merlin Ragdoll, One-Eared Uno, Table Cat, and Adventure Cat Leo. The so-called Table Cat’s name is Smudge, and he has more than 1.6 million followers, making him a mega celebrity in the feline world of public figures. He goes by he/him pronouns, is the coolest meme cat in the business, has hated vegetables from day one, and is always a gremlin.
If any of these cats or entertainment from CatCon caught your attention, make sure to grab a ticket, or perhaps dive into another wholesome list of these furry critters trying something they've never tried before.
I Mustache You A Question
Ohhhh...they're not conversing, they're critiquing! That sassy little basterd.
Always A Star
Am I A Joke To You, Martha?
He Said Yes!
Note: this post originally had 101 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
