Jackson Galaxy Archives

2018 Cat Camp: Jackson Galaxy signs on as partner, adds name to event’s title

April 26, 2018

by Danielle Smith

(Photo courtesy of Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp)

The second annual Cat Camp, a fan convention/adoption event, takes place May 5 and May 6, 2018, at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in New York City. The event will feature cat adoptions, panel discussions, meet-and-greets and vendors selling cat-related items and services. Guest speakers/panelists are well-known cat enthusiasts involved in cat rescuing, spaying/neutering and adoptions. The Petco Foundation is a presenting sponsor.

Here are some of the key differences between the event in 2018, compared to 2017:

New Partner: Cat expert Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet’s “My Cat From Hell” and “Cat vs. Dog,” will be the keynote speaker and will do a meet-and-greet like he did in 2017. But in 2018, he has become a partner in the event, whose official title is now Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp. Cat Camp was co-founded by Christina Ha, owner of Meow Parlour, New York’s City first cat cafe, which opened in 2014. She is still a partner in Cat Camp.

New Location: The event has moved from the Metropolitan Pavilion to the larger Penn Plaza Pavilion in order to accommodate more people.

New Season: The 2017 Cat Camp took place in March at the tail end of the winter season, when it can still get very cold in New York City. Switching the event to May, a warmer month in spring (and just in time for kitten season), is a smarter choice and better for the event’s overall appeal.

New Pricing: The price of general admission for one adult has gone up from $10 to $25 per day, not including taxes and other additional fees. The price of general admission does not include access to the celebrity presentation panels or celebrity meet-and-greets. The meet-and-greets are separate ticketed events. In 2018, Galaxy, Hannah Shaw (also known as The Kitten Lady) and Lil Bub (with her owner Mike Bridavsky) are doing separate meet-and-greets on both days, so that means an attendee who wants to attend all meet-and-greets for Galaxy, Shaw and Lil Bub will have to pay for each meet-and-greet separately, with no discounts if you buy a ticket for more than one.

In 2018, that means Cat Camp admission for one adult for one day at this event can be as little as $25 (for general admission only) or as high as $300 for access to everything, including all three meet-and-greets. Multiply those numbers by two if you plan to attend on both days. The good news is that kids under the age of 6 still get free admission, but they must be accompanied by an adult with a Cat Camp ticket. There are also discounts for children ages 6 to 12.

While some people may have a problem with Cat Camp’s price of general admission nearly tripling in one year, the big jump in admission price probably has a lot to do with the fact that having the event at a bigger venue means a higher cost to do this event. The event organizers obviously want to make a profit, but they might want to consider getting celebrities who are more famous in order to justify the higher prices. For example, CatCon, the California rival to Cat Camp, has famous actors who are cat owners as part of its lineup. Ian Somerhalder (“The Vampire Diaries”) and Kristen Bauer (“True Blood”) are part of the 2018 CatCon lineup, and CatCon has more celebrity names at about the same admission price as Cat Camp.

New Panelists: Returning guest speakers from the 2017 Cat Camp include “The Kitten Lady” Shaw and CatTown founder Adam Myatt. CatTown (located in Oakland, California) is the first permanent cat cafe in the United States.)

New panelists in 2018 include:

Dr. Carly Bloom of the Animal Medical Center
Sterling Davis, also known as Trap King, a trap/neuter/spay activist
Ingrid King, author of several cat books
Big Cat Rescue director of outreach Jennifer Leon
Kathleen O’Malley, founder NYC Feral Cat Initiative
Andrew Marttila, cat photographer/videographer (He also happens to be Shaw’s boyfriend, photographer and videoographer, so if you follow The Kitten Lady on social media, you’ve seen him and his work.)
Chris Poole, owner of celebrity cats Cole and Marmalade

Although this is an event for cat enthusiasts, the only cats allowed at Cat Camp are those that have been pre-approved for adoptions or guest appearances. In other words, people have to leave their pet cats at home (for legal and health reasons, obviously), and this policy will be strictly enforced, say event organizers.

Animal Planet announces new pet shows for 2017-2018

March 28, 2017

Animal Planet has announced these new pet-oriented TV series for the 2017-2018 season. Premiere dates are to be announced. The titles of the shows are subject to change.

“Animal House”

“Animal House” (working title) follows “HGTV Design Star” winner Antonio Ballatore and his right-hand dog, Chewie, along with project manager Grace and a team of designers as they convert drab spaces into dream living arrangements for homeowners and their pets. Each week, Ballatore and his team meet with pet-owners looking to add custom-designed, pet-centric builds to their homes. The “Animal House” designers and builders are up to the challenge of finding creative ways of building new customized spaces for homeowners to share with their beloved pets.

“Rescue Dog to Super Dog”

Millions of dogs live in shelters in the U.S. waiting for their forever homes. Tens of millions of people in the U.S. live with physical, mental or neurological disabilities. In Animal Planet’s new series, “Rescue Dog to Super Dog” (working title), shelter dogs are given a second chance to become a companion to someone in need. Dog trainers Nate Schoemer and Laura London work hand in paw to train dogs to improve the lives of the people they serve, proving that people may rescue dogs, but dogs rescue people, too.

“My Fat Pet”

Who hasn’t laughed at a shared internet video of a fat cat trying to fit through a cat door? But the unfortunate truth is that the U.S. pet overweight and obesity rate for dogs and cats is more than 50 percent, mostly the result of being overfed and not getting enough exercise. In Animal Planet’s all-new series “My Fat Pet,” animal expert and trainer Travis Brorsen works with pets and their owners through a four-month weight-loss journey. “My Fat Pet” premieres on Animal Planet in the third quarter of 2017.

UPDATE: The title of this show has been changed to “My Big Fat Pet Makeover.” The series premiere is on September 30, 2017.

“Cat Meets Dog”

What happens when nature’s worst enemies are forced to live together? Cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy (“My Cat From Hell”) and dog trainer Zoe Stathis-Sandor come together to establish harmony in households with cats and dogs who don’t get along. Throughout the series, Jackson and Zoe also educate one another on their preferred species and try to convince the other who has the most pawsome pack.

UPDATE: The title of this show has now been changed to “Cat vs. Dog.” The series premiere is on November 11, 2017.

In addition, Animal Planet has announced that these pet-oriented TV shows have been renewed: “My Cat From Hell,” “Pet Nation Renovation,” “Pitbulls and Parolees,” “Puppy Bowl,” “Tanked” and “The Vet Life.”

New shows on Animal Planet that will focus on wild animals will include “Monster Rivers,” “Expedition Mungo” and “Extinct or Alive.”

2017 Cat Camp: inaugural event in New York City will feature Jackson Galaxy, Lil Bub, Hannah Shaw

January 11, 2017

by Danielle Smith

Jackson Galaxy (Photo courtesy of Animal Planet)

People who love cats are invited to attend the inaugural Cat Camp, a fan convention/adoption event which takes place March 11 and March 12, 2017, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. The event is co-founded by Christina Ha, owner of Meow Parlour, New York’s City first cat cafe, which opened in 2014.

The event will feature cat adoptions, panel discussions, meet-and-greets and vendors selling cat-related items, merchandise and services. The Petco Foundation is the presenting sponsor.

Cat expert Jackson Galaxy, the host of Animal Planet’s “My Cat From Hell,” will be the keynote speaker and will do a meet-and-greet. Celebrity cat Lil Bub and her owner Mike Bridavsky will also be in attendance. Guest speakers/panelists are well-known cat enthusiasts involved in cat rescuing, spaying/neutering and adoptions, including:

Hannah Shaw, also known as The Kitten Lady, a Washington, D.C.-based kitten rescuer/foster parent who has become a star on social media
Kate Benjamin, founder of Hauspanther, an online magazine for cat-oriented designs
Adam Myatt, founder of the CatTown in Oakland, California, the first permanent cat cafe in the United States
Dr. Jennifer Conrad of The Paw Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to banning feline declawing and educating the public about the dangers of declawing.

Although this is an event for cat enthusiasts, the only cats allowed at the event are those that have been pre-approved for adoptions or guest appearances. In other words, people have to leave their pet cats at home (for legal and health reasons, obviously), and this policy will be strictly enforced, say event organizers.