*By Kate Gill*
Christina Ha, founder of the Meow Parlor, wasn't always a cat person. Ha, who is allergic to felines, paid them minimal attention until her husband brought one home ー and she fell deeply, madly in love (although she admitted she takes Benadryl daily).
Eventually, her adoration became a bustling cat cafe in New York City. And now, she's adding another furry business to her portfolio ー cat camp.
"It's basically this weekend adventure," Ha told Cheddar.
"You go and explore your love for cats. We have camp counselors and they're talking about all these different topics from fostering, or your cat going to the vet."
But don't let the name fool you. This camp, [Jackson Galaxy](http://www.catcampnyc.com/schedule), is for cat enthusiasts, not their pets. Attendees are advised to bring their zeal, but leave their cats at home.
The website even includes a stern advisory: "Any guest who attempts to bring in a cat or any other animal will be turned away at the door and will not be given a refund."
"Cats typically don't like to be taken outside," Ha explained.
According to Ha, the camp ー which facilitates fostering for strays ー has found 130 homes for homeless cats over a period of two years. And she's even scored a new sponsor for the business: PetCo.
"It's amazing," she said. "They're really helping us out with sort of spreading that messaging, getting it out there and getting people involved both in stores and at the event. They're really big fans of pushing for people to start fostering," she added.
The weekend-long slate of events includes guest speakers, info sessions, and group exercises about all things cats this June.
To celebrate the start of spring, Matt Crafton, lead winemaker at Chateau Montelena in northern California, joins Cheddar News to showcase some warm-weather wines and the best meals to pair them with.
Entertainment and lifestyle expert Josh McBride joins Cheddar News' hosts Hena Doba and Baker Machado to talk about some highlights from last night's annual Meta Gala dinner.
Jared Leto showed up at the Met Gala as Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld's cat. And Kim Kardashian dressed in strands of pearls. Fashion's biggest night of the year included lots of vintage from Chanel and a reveal by Janelle Monae.
Oklahoma on Monday became the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors as Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes it a felony for health care workers to provide children with treatments that can include puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.
Television and movie writers declared that they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.
The top entertainment headlines for May 1, 2023.
Fashion designer Nicole Miller joins Cheddar News correspondent Hena Doba for a Walk & Talk that touches on the importance of not living in a bubble, how to compete with new designers on social media, and why she regrets sometimes neglecting the life side of a healthy work-life balance.
It's the first Monday in May: Welcome to Met Gala mania. With a livestream available when the evening gets underway, the world's most fashionable fundraiser takes on one of the world's most prolific — and controversial — designers, the late Karl Lagerfeld, as the starry party's theme.
While doctors fear the dangers of untrained people managing their own hormone replacement therapy, a growing number of transgender people say they see no other option for life-saving care.
The Mario Party continued as it faced little new competition at the box office.
Load More