CatCon draws tens of thousands, sets adoption record with 222 kittens
Denis Akbari, USA TODAYSun, October 18, 2026 at 6:32 PM UTC
Tens of thousands of people attended this year's CatCon, with organizers saying attendance was on par with previous years.
The event in Pasadena, Calif., featured celebrity cat lovers including Merv the Cat, Devon Diep, Sarah Whittle, Katie Farhood, Bap.Kat, Orange Boys of WeHo and ALODIE.
A total of 222 kittens were adopted on-site through Pasadena Humane Society, breaking the convention's previous adoption record.
Throughout the weekend of Oct. 10 and 11, attendees explored a showroom floor featuring products for cats and their owners, workshops, interactive experiences and games. Visitors also attended meet-and-greets with some of the internet's most beloved cats and animal influencers, including One Eared Uno, Cat Named Calvin, Gareth Reynolds, Steven Ray Morris, Nathan the Cat Lady and Squirrel & Chipmunk.
The world-famous Australian Firefighters returned to CatCon for live meet-and-greets and panel discussions. The group sells calendars featuring shirtless firefighters, many posing with animals, and donates some of the proceeds to animal groups. This year, they were joined by Pasadena Fire's Braeden Wallace to support on-site adoptions and calendar sales. The firefighters have raised more than $3.5 million for various charities and were on-site to support the Pasadena and Altadena communities.
CatCon also welcomed back the Bob Baker Marionette Theater for a performance of its Halloween-themed mew-sical revue, "Spooktacular," featuring the iconic Black Cat.
The convention's Cat Art Show featured artists across the generational spectrum and showcased how cats have been represented in visual culture over time. Featured artists included Rob Reger of "Emily the Strange," Bunny Dee, Nikita Chan, Vanessa Stockard, Shepard Fairey, Studio After Cigs and Briseida Robles. A portion of proceeds benefited cats in need. The exhibit was dedicated to the late Sid Krofft, creator of shows including "H.R. Pufnstuf" and "Land of the Lost."
PrettyLitter returned to CatCon for the first time in eight years with its Poops & Hoops activation, where visitors were invited to shoot hoops with poop-shaped stuffies and take home free goodies.
Pasadena Humane also returned to CatCon with its Paw Promise Adoption Village, sponsored by NexGard COMBO. The organization helped 222 kittens find forever homes during the event, breaking the previous adoption record for the convention.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CatCon draws tens of thousands, sets adoption record with 222 kittens
Source: Nature
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