Camillia, future cat lady.

Cats aren’t just for crazy cat ladies anymore!

Last weekend I participated in something new- a cat, pop, and art convention called Pop Cats. Since the advent of Cat Con LA and Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp a few years ago, I’d heard a lot about cat conventions, but I had little hope one would actually come to Portland. I’m not sure why, since Portland and its surroundings have some of the most cat-centric people in the country. Portland’s Oregon Humane Society is a leader in cat welfare, uniting with other animal affiliations to form ASAP, the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland, working to reduce cat overpopulation. (They have been so successful that now OHS brings cats from all over the US to keep up with our local adoption needs!) Portland has several wonderful cat shelters and organizations such as Cat Adoption Team and House of Dreams no-kill all-volunteer cat house.

Anyway, they came, the Pop Cats people, and a wonderful convention ensued. My friend and fellow cat writer Ramona Marek and I were there to sell our books, but we also took turns shopping, listening to fun and informative presentations, and checking out the other vendors. There was an artist’s section as well as lots f space for purveyors of cat necessities such as food, beds and catnip. Several shelters had booths, including OHS which set up a corral of kittens up for adoption.

And what would a convention be without celebrities? Headliners were the Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw and Iammoshow the Cat Rapper. (He’s from Portland!) There was also celeb cat BenBen CatCat and his family Norman and Dilly Bean, (who have cerebellar hypoplasia) and the families of Maya Cat and Monte & Molly all the way from Denmark!

BenBen CatCat

Michael and Mikala, Monte & Molly’s people

Pop Cats had it all: art, clothing, accessories, kitchenware, trinkets, jewelry, and an endless array of items for the cat-inclined, but one of the coolest things about the convention was the people! The amazing cat finery- everything from sequined cat ears to entire furry costumes! And it wasn’t just the women and children, either. Men sported cat ears and hats, tee shirts, cosmic pants, and I even saw a few tails among the crowd.

Cats aren’t just for crazy cat ladies anymore! I can’t wait for the next Pop Cats to come to town!

About Pop Cats: POP Cats™ is a fun-packed festival fueled by the spirit of cats, pop, and art! You’ll love the cat playgrounds; artists; music; photo ops; artisans; brands; workshops; influencers; cat adoptions; and more! A portion of profits benefits participating cat organizations.