They’re feline good: Event unites cat fans in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — There was no topic too small — litter boxes, scented or unscented — or too large — rescuing feral felines — that went unanswered at San Diego’s first Cat Camp led by cat wellness expert Jackson Galaxy of Animal Planet fame.
The weekend gathering at San Diego event space Julep Venue marked the first in-person Cat Camp since 2019, when the annual event was held in New York and Las Vegas that year. Attendees could shop for catnip toys, cat beds, decorative pins and organic food toppings, or even get a cat tarot reading.
There were presentations on kitten care and animal welfare efforts and one that offered some helpful hints on how to shoot engaging cat photos.
Galaxy, whose show “My Cat From Hell” ran for 10 seasons on Animal Planet, held a morning session Saturday reserved for VIP attendees to ask him their most pressing questions. Litter box and cat aggression issues, he says, are the most common subjects he’s typically asked about, and Saturday was no exception.
Asked what he thinks about scented litter boxes, his answer was unequivocal. Don’t use them, he advised.
“Cats’ noses are so sensitive. They’re defined by scent, so [scented litter boxes] are going to cover up everything,” he said.
And speaking of scent, Galaxy advised a woman worried about her imminent move from San Diego to Arizona to pack up everything in her home that “smells like your cats” and put it to “your new base camp” until her cats adjust to their new home. Oh, and don’t wash out the litter box, no matter how tempting it is, he cautioned.
The dominant issue, though, on the minds of organizers and many of the attendees was the care and rescue of kittens and cats with no homes.
Organizations such as the San Diego Humane Society and the local Feral Cat Coalition staffed booths at Cat Camp, and speakers talked about how their own cat rescue efforts changed their lives.
Sponsoring the weekend event was Petco Love, the nonprofit formerly known as the Petco Foundation.
Galaxy acknowledged in an interview that dogs tend to draw more attention and interest than cats when it comes to rescue efforts.
“The animal welfare world is where I live,” Galaxy said. “I started 30 years ago, and I’d say the attention paid to cats, it’s not great, which is a drag because cats reproduce at a much greater rate than dogs.
“Cats don’t get showcased, and part of that is because a cat’s place is in a home. It’s not like they can go out for walks, and they don’t show very well at adoption events.”
Chris and Jessica Thompson, who traveled from their home in Oahu, Hawaii, to San Diego to attend Cat Camp, said they wanted to network with others who, like themselves, operate cat rescue organizations and boarding facilities.
“A lot of people rely on us on the island for feral cat problems, trap and release, so we concentrate on the sick, the injured, the most at risk,” said Chris Thompson.
He and his wife operate a rescue organization called Lucky Paws. In addition to the dozens of cats they board at their facility, they also share their three-bedroom home with 19 cats.
“We really have a passion for animals and want them to have the best life possible. We’re so excited to be here to meet like-minded people.”
Hannah Shaw of San Diego, widely known as the Kitten Lady, shared with her audience the story of her first feline rescue at age 21 — a kitten trapped in a tree — that set her on her path of cat welfare.
Responding to a question from a woman who fosters cats and had lost one, Shaw acknowledged the emotional side effects that can lead to cat fatigue.
“I believe everyone grieves differently and deserves to grieve in the way they need to do it,” Shaw said. “Taking a break is absolutely sensible.”
When things aren’t going well in her world, Shaw will say, “I need, like, the most easy thing in the world to do; get me a healthy 7-week-old kitten and that’s what I do next, foster something that feels like a sure win so I can heal my heart that way.”
San Diego attendee Maria Putnam said she had been inspired by Shaw to do work trapping, neutering and later releasing feral cats.
“Her videos have taught me how to trap these cats in my community so they can be neutered or spayed and then returned to the neighborhood,” said Putnam, who lives in the Rolando community. “Since COVID, though, we’ve had an influx of coyotes so there aren’t many stray cats now in my neighborhood except for the strongest male cats.”