Cat Camp NYC will move its cuteness to the Penn Plaza Pavilion this year (photo by twi-ny/ees)
CELEBRATING ALL THINGS CATS
Penn Plaza Pavilion
401 Seventh Ave. at Thirty-Third St.
May 5-6, children six to twelve $13, adults $25
Special passes and meet-and-greets: $40-$140
www.catcampnyc.com
How many kitties are there in New York? No one really knows. How many “cat ladies” and “cat daddies”? No one knows that either, but a lot of them will be at Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp 2018 this weekend at the Penn Plaza Pavilion. Fervor for all things feline will be at record levels as this purrer-ful event returns, promising to be bigger and better than last year’s inaugural celebration, under the purr-view of “Cat Daddy” Jackson Galaxy and such sponsors as Petco, Litter Genie, World’s Best Cat Litter, Tomlyn, and Halo. The program consists of discussions, presentations, adoption opportunities (with KittyKind and Petco), meet-and-greets, and sponsored booths. Saturday features Breakout sessions open to all ticket holders, including “Ask the Cat Expert” with Ingrid King, “Ask the Vet” with Dr. Jen Kasten and Tabitha Cromer, “The Scoop on Litter Box Issues” with certified cat behaviorist Beth Adelman, and “Going Viral: FIV, FeLV, and Respiratory Diseases” with Dr. Carly Bloom in addition to a Drag Bingo Fundraiser with Goldie Lox and Ona Louise and “Trap Neuter Return” (TNR) lessons with Kathleen O’Malley and panel with Will Zweigart, Sterling Davis, and Latonya “Sassee” Walker, moderated by Hannah Shaw. Special presentations that require special tickets include meet-and-greets with Shaw, Lil BUB, and Galaxy himself both days.
Lil BUB will again be one of the celebrity stars at Cat Camp NYC
The roster of Sunday events open to all includes the mix, mingle, and share “Cat Cafe Owners Unite!” with Adam Myatt, “The Business of NonProfits” with Lee Domascewec, “Peaceable Kingdom: Techniques to Increase the Success of Multi-Cat Households” with Mikel Delgado, and “Animal Care Centers: NYC’s Progressive Shelter System” with Jessica Vaccaro. Also on Sunday’s schedule are “Fostering Saves Lives” with Nikki and Eric Gaynor, “The Story of Lil BUB: Caring for a Special Needs Cat from Space” with Mike Bridavsky and Lil BUB, “Using Social Media to Help Feline Welfare” with Shaw and Chris Poole, and “Telling Your Cat’s Story” with Andrew Marttila and Zweigart. Galaxy will deliver the keynote speech, “The Power of You,” on Sunday at 5:00. Among the more than seventy exhibitors are Animal Medical Center, American Association of Feline Practitioners, Big Cat Rescue, Brooklyn Cat Café, Dharma Dog Karma Cat, Homocats, I Am the Cat Photographer, Meowingtons, Only Maine Coons, Polydactyl Cats, and the Cat Practice. Reminder: Do NOT bring your kitty! They won’t let either of you in, no matter how cute and cuddly both of you are.