For nearly all of my life, Cat Fancy magazine has been a part of it. I find it bittersweet to know it will no longer be…

Irreverent. That was the word Susan Logan, editor of Cat Fancy magazine used with me when she called me last month to give me the news – after 50 years, Cat Fancy magazine would cease to exist, being replaced this May/June with a high-gloss, headline attention-getting, new print entity – Catster magazine born from Catster.com.

She used the word not disrespectfully, but as a sign of the times. Cat Fancy, first published in 1965 and primarily known in the mainstream for featuring one to two cat breeds on its cover in conjunction with written content, was not irreverent – the current measurable yardstick for success today. No surprise really – the writing had been on the scratching post for many years as Cat Fancy tried to redefine itself to reflect the changing culture of present day feline connoisseurs that are increasingly not breed-centric by featuring more articles on shelters, rescues, and feral cats alongside the traditional breed specific articles, directories of breeders and show listings.

I personally saw the transformation – the magazine that I had remembered from my youth as being not much more than a showcase of picture perfect cats that I could not relate to had become a wealth of information on all aspects of feline care from health and well-being, to behavioral issues, and everything in-between. But the struggle to keep and increase its audience hit a standstill with the recession (as clearly evidenced by the fact the magazine was becoming thinner with each passing issue as a result of less ad revenues) and in early 2013, Cat Fancy, a Bow-Tie entity was bought out by I-5 (which owns Catster) in hopes of modernizing the faltering magazine.

What happened instead, a mere year later, was that I-5 decided in order to truly modernize the publication to cater to the current generation of cat lovers – those hip, edgy, and technically savvy people who are accustomed to getting their cat fix through quick and easy sources such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube videos where any cat can become famous, the Cat Fancy brand needed to be put to pasture to make room for the much younger, less-traditional, and yes, irreverent audience, the likes of which have brought Grumpy Cat to household fame.

I got the call from Susan because I had been a contributor to the publication for the past several years writing about feral cats, kittens, and the importance of spay/neuter and she wanted me to hear it from her. I had a piece scheduled for the 50th Anniversary Commemorative issue that was to hit newsstands in March (an article about famous cat people, past and present, that have loved cats over the past 50 years), that I now found out would ironically be the last Cat Fancy issue ever to be published.

2011 when I met Susan Logan for the first time at the White Plains Cat Writers’ Association conference. I had no clue at this time that I would be working with her as a contributing writer for Cat Fancy magazine.

Naturally I was flooded with a plethora of reactions. Of course I understood the underlying reason why it had to happen, but the emotional side of me was deeply saddened. I was a fanatical cat lover who grew up reading Cat Fancy. A fanatical cat lover who grew up reading Cat Fancy who never in her wildest dreams thought she would be writing for the magazine that she held in such high regard. And now I was finding out the relationship was over and I didn’t want it to end.

I look at it all now with a gentle sadness. I am extremely proud  I can say I wrote for Cat Fancy along with so many other esteemed writers, but I also understand the magazine did not have the window dressing appeal of what Catster promises to be – a glossy, high-end kind of publication that will be like Cosmopolitan, but for cat lovers. You know what I mean – the kind of fodder that harkens to the reading you do when you get your hair done or chat with girlfriends. You look at the larger than life pictures, take the quizzes (i.e., just how obsessed are you with your cat?) and enjoy the Taylor Swift celebrity inspired cat gossip that will already be old news and passé by the time it hits newsstands to be replaced by the newest feline-loving diva.

One of my favorite author moments was at last year’s Global Pet Expo – there was a booth featuring pet related publications and my article I had written on early spay/neuter for kittens just so happened to be in the Cat Fancy issue at the time!

And honestly, it’s not all bad. The folks at Catster are great. I have written several articles for their online site and I hope I will be able to contribute an article or two for this new publication. I wish them all the success in the world – after all, it’s about cats, so what’s not to love? I also know the new publication will continue to feature vital information on topics such as health care, rescue, behavioral issues, feral cats, TNR, spay/neuter, and more. By grabbing the attention of a younger audience, it will allow a significant segment of our population to be educated on these types of issues that they might not otherwise know about so they can help make the world a better place for the well-being of cats.

Just allow me my mourning period as I bid my sweet Cat Fancy adieu as it goes to the great Rainbow Bridge in the journalistic sky. I hold my head high, and as I look at my advance copy that has just arrived in my mailbox, my heart fills with pride. I made the last issue ever of Cat Fancy magazine and that’s quite an achievement. Perhaps it won’t get me a great seat at a restaurant and maybe years from now people will say “Cat Fancy who?” but that’s okay. With each chapter that ends, just like the 9-lives of a cat, another one begins.

Peanut shares in my sentiment that Cat Fancy will be missed as she looks at the last issue ever to be published, but she also knows that with life comes change and she is looking forward to welcoming Catster to her world with open paws!

Please be sure to get a copy wherever Cat Fancy is sold in your area. It is certain to be a collector’s item and I hope you enjoy my article that can be found on page 28, “They’ve Got Purr-sonality!” in which I share a lot of great cat loving celebrity stories and pictures that I think you will find to be quite entertaining and interesting! My favorite was the one on Audrey Hepburn that might just surprise you!

Thank you and I welcome any thoughts you care to share on this subject.