At a past Catsbury Park Cat Convention, a cute calico cat up for adoption was taking in the action. This year’s convention is Oct. 10 and 11 at Bell Works in Holmdel, and will celebrate cats while raising money and awareness for rescues. Cat behavior expert and best-selling author Jackson Galaxy will appear at the convention. COURTESY CATSBURY PARK
By Mary Ann Bourbeau
HOLMDEL – In 2012, while living in San Francisco, DJ Bornstein visited one of the first cat cafés in the United States.
“I loved the concept,” he said. “I thought if I ever moved back to Asbury Park, which was starting to revitalize, this would be perfect there.”
He did move back, and in 2016, Bornstein, who works in music production, started running a foster-based cat rescue out of his home. It quickly grew. In 2017, he opened Catsbury Park, New Jersey’s first cat café, where he has since helped hundreds of cats find their forever homes.
“We’ve not only changed the lives of these cats but the lives of entire families,” he said. “Anyone who has pets knows they become members of the family.”
In 2018, Bornstein launched the first Catsbury Park Cat Convention, bringing together cat lovers, artists, rescue organizations and advocates for a weekend celebrating cats while raising money and awareness for rescues. This year’s Catsbury Park event takes place Oct. 10 and 11 at Bell Works in Holmdel with an appearance by renowned cat behavior expert and best-selling author Jackson Galaxy.
“We tried for many years to get him to one of our events,” Bornstein said. “He was there last year, and it was standing room only!”
Also returning is Adam “Cat Man” Myatt, whose popular Cat Man Bingo has become a convention tradition with its humor, cat trivia and audience participation. Also on hand will be Drennon Davis, whose viral “Business Cats” videos have garnered millions of views online; Sterling “TrapKing” Davis, one of the nation’s leading voices for Trap-Neuter-Return for outdoor cats; and Lora Lee Medley, a holistic cat practitioner and intuitive cat communicator. The guest speakers will now reach a bigger audience as these events will be held in the venue’s Bell Theater, located on the lower level of the complex next to the ballroom where the convention is held.
Internet sensation and viral meme Evil Larry, an Oriental Shorthair also known as Dexter, will appear, along with a limited-edition Catsbury Park Evil Larry T-shirt. Larry will host his first-ever meet-and-greet, an event that quickly sold out.
“It’s crazy how these things take off, how rabid people are to meet these celebrity cats,” Bornstein said.
The event gives cat lovers a place to hang out and meet each other, Bornstein said.
“We bring in rescue groups from all over and they’re able to sell merchandise and fundraise for their groups,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s all about saving more cats. That’s always been our mission.”
The event features adoptable cats from numerous rescues statewide along with educational presentations, a caricature artist, cat-themed flash tattoos, art classes, face painting, T-shirt printing, interactive activities and vendors selling pet-focused items.
All the proceeds support the nonprofit Catsbury Park, a free-roaming cat lounge that provides veterinary care and adoption services while also giving visitors a chance to meet adoptable cats in a welcoming space. The lounge is located at 901 3rd Ave., Asbury Park. Since 2017, Bornstein estimates he has helped adopt 1,800 cats, not including the thousands of outdoor cats he has had spayed, neutered and vaccinated before releasing them back onto the streets.
“It’s amazing, but it’s a tremendous amount of work,” Bornstein, who has five cats of his own at home, said. “It’s so much harder and emotionally taxing than I could have ever imagined when I visited that first cat café. But it’s also 1,000 times more personally rewarding.”
The Catsbury Park Cat Convention takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel. Tickets are $32 each day, which includes all speakers, vendors and activities, or $50.50 for both days. Parking is free and meet-and-greets are available at an additional cost. For more information on the lounge, visit catsburypark.com. For the convention, visit catsburyconvention.com.
This article originally appeared in the October 1-7, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
