You gotta be kitten me!
Crazy for cool cats like Felix? Head to the 2nd annual New Orleans Cat Art & Film Festival this Saturday (June 27) at Kingsley House for food, fun and fellow feline fans.
As Maru, Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub have become household names, the rise of Internet celebrity cat culture allows people to embrace their furry fascination, dispelling the “crazy cat lady” stigma.
“It"s almost chic now to be crazy for cats,” says Dr. Karen Miller Becnel, founder of nonprofit Art for Cats" Sake. On Saturday (June 27) from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., feline fans will gather at Kingsley House for the 2nd annual New Orleans Cat Art & Film Festival.
“It's almost chic now to be crazy for cats.”—Dr. Karen Miller Becnel, founder, Art for Cats' Sake
Sponsored by Art for Cats" Sake, SpayMart and the Louisiana SPCA, the event benefits spay/neuter programs and feline medical research.
A veteran veterinarian at the Cat Hospital of Metairie, Becnel was inspired to throw the fundraising celebration after learning about the successful Walker Art Center Internet Cat Video Festival in Minneapolis, which streamed cat-centric Internet clips all night on an inflatable screen for a massive crowd of 10,000 people.
The New Orleans festival will screen the Walker Art Center"s entertaining 70-minute cat video compilation throughout the day. Next year, Becnel hopes to hold a local video contest.
Entries in the cat photo contest with categories like “If I Fits, I Sits” and “Cats in Hats” will be displayed between screenings. Winners will receive PawNosh water bowls crafted from recycled glass.
While Katie"s Restaurant serves up chargrilled oysters, Food for the Soul will satiate cat-crazed crowds with shrimp po-boys and chicken fingers. For dessert, guests can visit Cold Stone Creamery"s station.
Visitors may shop for cat-themed jewelry and art from local vendors, while kids explore the obstacle course or take pictures with an eight-foot-tall kitty.
Though bringing cats to the festival is actually discouraged, there will be 20 kittens available for adoption through SpayMart and the Louisiana SPCA. An “Ask the Vet” seminar will answer pet-care questions.
“Most of the time, there"s a simple answer to a problem. I"m hoping it"ll be educational as well as fun,” Becnel says.
