Internet Cat Video Festival Descends On Oakland

(@scottandthesea)

Last summer, Walker Art Center hosted the first ever internet cat video film festival in Minneapolis. The event, where cat lovers converged on the museum's lawn to watch popular videos on a huge screen, attracted 10,000 fans, along with a ton of media buzz. After the festival's success, its creators were inspired to pack up the cats and take the show on the road. This weekend, it arrived in Oakland, California for an "art & cat extravaganza" to benefit the East Bay SPCA.

NPR reports that an estimated 6,000 people showed up to Oakland Cat Vid Fest on Saturday, for an event that was part street fair, part feline film festival. 

Attendees were greeted to aerial performances:

A-Meow-zing aerial cat-inspired ballet on The Great Wall of Oakland at #oakcatvidfest twitter.com/Lbartsch/statu…
— Lynn Bartsch (@Lbartsch) May 12, 2013

People wore their finest feline fashions:

my #oakcatvidfest look twitter.com/haley/status/3…
— ↁᖇᗩᙅᗩᖇᎩᔕ (@haley) May 12, 2013

And did cat yoga:

#cat #yoga for our #yogi alisunnshine #oakcatvidfest @ Oaktown instagram.com/p/ZMIBLFkO0v/
— SYD (@PINA_KITT) May 11, 2013

You could get your face painted:

Cat face painting is a popular attraction at #oakcatvidfest! We love it! #cats #MeowMix twitter.com/meowmix/status…
— Meow Mix (@meowmix) May 12, 2013

Or adopt a kitten from the Island Cat Resources and Adoption booth:

4 week old kitten at the ICRA adoption booth at #oakcatvidfest instagram.com/p/ZMUBDvvcXh/
— Great WallOf Oakland (@GreatWallOak) May 12, 2013

Vendors sold cat art and other kitty related merchandise:

We're ready for you #oakcatvidfest !! twitter.com/p_on_p/status/…
— Pussies on Parade (@p_on_p) May 11, 2013

Pawesome cat printed cards by @foreignspell at #oakcatvidfest! #cats #MeowMix twitter.com/meowmix/status…
— Meow Mix (@meowmix) May 11, 2013

While feline film critics showed up on leashes:

"That's a cat on a leash. OMG THAT'S A CAT ON A LEASH." #quotesfrom #oakcatvidfest twitter.com/avfedorc/statu…
— Alexis Fedorchak (@avfedorc) May 11, 2013

...and in strollers:

Check out Teddy's swank kitty stroller at #oakcatvidfest ! instagram.com/p/ZMROg5vcSu/
— Great WallOf Oakland (@GreatWallOak) May 12, 2013

There was also a celebrity appearance by Dusty the Klepto cat (made famous by Must Love Cats and The Tonight Show):

Dusty the Klepto Kitty chats with KOIT's Charly Kayle at the #oakcatvidfest ! @ OakCatVidFest instagram.com/p/ZMhR5Kvcbz/
— Great WallOf Oakland (@GreatWallOak) May 12, 2013

Although reactions to seeing him were mixed:

Just saw @kleptocatdusty at the #oakcatvidfest so cute!!!! #cats
— Sarah Liller (@sarahliller) May 12, 2013

Dusty stole my wallet.#OakCatVidFest
— Jon Britton (@jonbritton) May 12, 2013

Of course, the main attraction was 70 minutes of curated cat videos, displayed on the side of a building:

Nothing like watching cat videos on a 100 ft wall with thousands of other cat-lovers #oakcatvidfest twitter.com/hana__hou/stat…
— Hana (@hana__hou) May 12, 2013

#oakcatvidfest vine.co/v/b0r5OFFIQmF
— Karen Kiely (@kazkiely) May 12, 2013

Even if some event-goers had to improvise: 

When you forget to bring a blanket/chair and sit on cat food bags waiting for #oakcatvidfest to start.
— Christel Joyce (@OneOddGerbil) May 12, 2013

But in the end, everyone had a great time:

#OakCatVidFest and some people dancing to music in their special headphones? #weirdnight #awesomenight vine.co/v/b0rbU2Z5nmM
— Chelsea Bond (@nomadchelsea) May 12, 2013

It was a dream come true for all cat lovers:

6-second tour of the Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival! #oakcatvidfest #cats #MeowMix #catvine vine.co/v/b0nDiT79KIu
— Meow Mix (@meowmix) May 12, 2013

And the mayor even declared it a very special day!

Oakland Mayor names today Internet Cat Video Day! #oakcatvidfest #catvidfest
— CatVidFest (@CatVidFest) May 12, 2013

In case you missed it, the original Cat Vid Fest is heading back to Minnesota this summer, with an all new curated collection of videos, and a larger venue. Tickets are on sale now for the event, which will take place on Wed., Aug. 28 at the Minnesota State Fair.

Internet Cat Video Festival Descends On Oakland

It's Caturday!

Welcome back for another edition of Caturday, where we catch up on the week's latest cat news, and get to meet some of your amazing kitties!

This week, a fortunate feline was reunited with his family six months after Superstorm Sandy, Grumpy Cat inspired an amazing art show in Alabama, I reviewed Henri, le Chat Noir's new book, CCLAS hosted a cupcake wars to benefit homeless kitties, the cat meme to do list served as a cute reminder to get stuff done, a big panther and lil' panther went paw to paw in an amazing slow motion video, we featured the adorable (and adoptable) kitties of Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society, and met a 22-year-old cat who hasn't left his 21-year-old human's side since birth!

Also, there's still time to enter to win a kitty-themed t-shirt from TVStoreOnline.com! Choose from Grumpy Cat, Soft Kitty (from the Big Bang Theory), Felix the Cat, and Cat in the Hat designs! I'm drawing the lucky winner this coming Tues. 5/14!

And finally, I'm really excited to be heading to the BlogPaws 2013 Pet Social Media Conference in D.C. next week! If you're going to be there, let me know so we can meet up!


Eddy

This week's featured feline is a sweet boy who knows how to work a variety of poses!

Joan writes:

This is Eddy, my handsome rescue boy! 



Eddy is a 4-year-old rescue who selected me the first time we met, by immediately crawling in my lap! He loves boxes, catnip-filled socks, and drinking water from the faucet. He is especially fond of playing with real turkey feathers (from a taxidermist friend).



Here's Eddy in the box! A classic, I know, but one of his favorite things. Every day I pick up a handful of spit-out pieces of cardboard. I just found out recently that he is also fond of paper bags (our county just outlawed plastic bags). I would have taken a picture, but it was destroyed so fast I didn't have time! 





Special thanks to Joan for sharing her fabulous feline with us this week!

p.s. Looking for more Catsparella? Check out my weekly style column over on Catster!

This week:
Our 5 Favorite Cat-Centric Manicures

***
Want to see your cat(s) on Catsparella? I'm always accepting submissions for my weekly Caturday post! Just email your best kitty pics to catsparella@gmail.com, and include your cat's name and anything else you'd like to share. I can't wait to hear from you!

It's Caturday!

Spotlight On: Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society

Adopt Jill

A few weeks ago, Charlie and I celebrated National Hairball Awareness Day with a little help from Furminator. Besides giving me an excuse to make a mustache out of cat hair, I was also excited to participate because Furminator generously offered to donate 25 of their great grooming tools to the animal rescue of my choice. This year, I selected Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society, based out of East Brunswick, NJ. 


Adopt Tipit - Look at that tail!

I first met Karma Cat founder, Christie Arlotta, at a local adoption day event last year, and was immediately drawn to her because 1. she was hanging out with kittens, and 2. she was wearing a pair of jewel encrusted cat ears! 

Since then, I've learned that she is as compassionate and caring as she is stylish, and am completely in awe of, and am inspired by, of all the amazing work her organization has done. Last month, Christie invited me to attend the rescue's annual Paws for Celebration event, a charity dinner celebrating their three year anniversary and honoring the 124 cats they saved last year.


Adopt Dexter

Christie founded Karma Cat with her sister Michelle in 2010, inspired by their longtime dream of starting their own rescue after years of volunteering with other groups. They currently manage the adoption center at Edgebrook Animal Hospital in East Brunswick and plan on creating a sanctuary setting somewhere in New Jersey within the next 7 years.


The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Kittens were rescued from a hoarding situation. Adopt Anya, Oz & Xander!

The mission of Karma Cat + Zen Dog is to provide a safe and peaceful haven for homeless, abandoned or abused animals. They also work to decrease the number of cats and dogs being destroyed in kill shelters through the work of their foster, spay/neuter, trap-neuter-return, and education programs. Their vision is to create a world where every companion animal is respected, fed, warm, happy, and not in danger of being killed because it is temporarily homeless.



I've seen firsthand the great work they do with local shelters, and have had the pleasure of meeting just some of their passionate volunteers. Visit the wonderful Zen Cat kitties at Edgebrook Animal Hospital or at North Brunswick PetSmart, and find all of their adoptable cats online (including all of the kitties featured in this post!) on Petfinder.

To learn more about Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society, or to donate or volunteer, visit their website at karmacatzendog.org. You can also follow their updates on Twitter @KarmaCatZenDog, and on Facebook here.

Spotlight On: Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society

Big Panther And Lil' Panther Go Paw To Paw In Stunning Slow Motion Video

Duality from Rich K on Vimeo.

I love black cats of all sizes, and it's not hard to see why when watching this gorgeous video, produced as a promo for eHow Pets. The mesmerizing clip features a comparison between a black panther and an equally fierce domestic cat, jumping and roaring together in glorious slow motion. 

Bonus: The music is by Nine Inch Nails.



Via Facebook (Hauspanther) / Tumblr (alxbnxgala)

Big Panther And Lil' Panther Go Paw To Paw In Stunning Slow Motion Video

Book Review: Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat

"Though sitting in the box brings momentary feelings of contentment, it is, in the end, an illusion. My ennui cannot be contained." - Henri, le Chat Noir

On any given day, my favorite internet feline changes. One day it might be Lil Bub, and the next it could be Tardar Sauce. But one figure who stole my heart right from the start was Henri, le Chat Noir, the philosophical French feline from Seattle who has gained thousands of fans (and millions of YouTube views), for dishing out his existential musings to the delight of bored house cats everywhere.

Although he seemed to appear out of nowhere, Henri's sudden rise to fame was not exactly an overnight success. His first video, Henri, was released six years ago, but it wasn't until filmmaker William Braden released the follow-up, Henri 2, Paw de Deux, in 2012, that the world finally began to take notice. The video, which has gone on to inspire several sequels, garnered over 7 million views, and also won the coveted Golden Kitty award at the first ever Internet Cat Video Film Festival in Minneapolis. Late film critic Roger Ebert declared it "The best internet cat video ever made," and I tend to agree.



As part of his growing empire of ennui, which also includes popular Facebook and Twitter profiles and a line of merch (a portion of the proceeds go to charity), last week saw the release of the world's first and foremost feline philosopher's book debut, "Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst Filled Cat."

Although the cover credits William Braden (aka the "thieving filmmaker") as the author, the introduction makes it clear that the book was not a collaborative effort, as Henri himself writes: "Now I am finally able to put forth my unedited thoughts without interference. Though my search for answers has, thus far, been fruitless, perhaps somehow I will provide you with a new insight. If not, at least this will make you look smart if you leave it on your coffee table."


Priscilla wonders how Henri feels about older women

The hardcover features several never-before-seen black and white photographs of the handsome tuxedo kitty (including an adorable kitten pic, as well as a centerfold shot that Priscilla particularly enjoyed), as well as new and classic quotes, culled from his extensive videography. Fans are also treated to guest appearances from the white imbecile, Henri's simpleminded feline roommate who doesn't share his deep thoughts.


Henri 6, "Cat Littérature"

Braden recently released a new video in conjunction with the book, where Henri delves into his distaste for sharing the spotlight with a "bald buffoon" who "doesn't even own a tuxedo." If you're looking to capture the magic of Henri in book form, human and feline fans won't be disappointed.

"Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat" is available now on Amazon, or through any of the booksellers listed here.

Henri, je t'aime!

Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review, but all opinions and philosophical felines contained in this post are my own.

Book Review: Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat

22-Year-Cat Hasn't Left His 21-Year-Old Human Best Friend's Side Since Birth

Love Meow recently uncovered a heartwarming thread on reddit, where one user described the relationship he has with the 22-year-old cat who has been with him his entire life. 

ryantemple writes: 

22 years my little buddy has been alive. Been with me since the day I was born, my one true friend.

For anyone wondering, I am 21 and my parents adopted him when they found out they where pregnant with me. Weird. But I guess they wanted to practice parenthood with a cat.


He won't let me leave

Everyone can't believe it when we say he is 22! I guess there's something special in the tuna we give him once a week as a treat to make him youthful! Haha. Or it could be he sleeps for 20 hours a day.

When my cat turned 20, he ran away! Being an indoor cat all of his life he would try to get out every once and awhile, and he did. We lost him for over a week, turns out he was living in my neighbors back yard eating their koi fish from their koi pond. Needless to say we are grateful for finding him and we haven't had another incident since then.

And NO he wasn't running away because he didn't like it here, he ran away because of his curiosity. You know what they say... Curiosity killed the cat. Not in my case though!


Put my cat in a beanie, he was not amused

Do you have a cat who is 20+ years old? I'd love to hear your story!

Via Love Meow / Reddit (ryantemple)

22-Year-Cat Hasn't Left His 21-Year-Old Human Best Friend's Side Since Birth

Grumpy Cat Inspires Amazing Alabama Art Show

Judson Portzer

As part of her continuing quest for world domination, Tardar Sauce recently took over Lowe Mill, the largest arts & entertainment center in the southeast. Over 30 artists from the Huntsville, Alabama-based venue were inspired by her famously grumpy visage, and created original works of art in her honor. 


Calvin Hubbard


Tracey Allyn Greene

The pieces range from oil paintings and sculptures, to cool paper cut-outs, painted rocks, painted glass, and more. Fans will be able to bid on their favorites from May 27 - 31 in an online auction, with proceeds going to building a children's playground. If you're lucky enough to be in the area, there will also be a Grumpy Cat Art Show at Lowe Mill on May 31 from 6 - 9 p.m.


Holly Morningstar


Denise Williams

Event organizer Dustin Timbrook tells AL.com: "We came up with the idea of having everybody do projects based on this cat that is so popular to create a bridge to reach the general public and to help make Lowe Mill a destination for people outside of Huntsville." 

(It worked!)


Emily Bodnar


Dustin Timbrook


Katherine Purves


Ann Moeller Steverson

Visit the Lowe Mill website to learn more about the auction and art show, and to browse the entire collection of cranky kitty art.

Via Lowe Mill / AL.com

Grumpy Cat Inspires Amazing Alabama Art Show