30 photos from the first-ever 'CatCon,' where thousands of people celebrated their love of cats

CatCon, the first convention held in honor of cats (not counting the Hello Kitty Convention, of course), attracted over ten thousand feline enthusiasts this past weekend in Los Angeles, California. 

The event featured cat-themed merchandise, feline-inspired artwork and famous YouTube cats Lil Bub and Pudge, reports the New York Times.

There was even a lecture about the best method for getting your cats to pose for photographs. The answer? Tape a live gecko to your head - this keeps the modeling cat focused. 

Mayim Bialik, the event's featured celebrity (you might remember her from "Blossom"), says the event is a "great opportunity to change the face of the crazy cat lady," reports the New York Times. "It's still one of those stereotypes that needs to be demolished. We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go."

We've scoured Instagram to collect the best CatCon photos.