Catster

Catster is a North American cat-media brand combining an editorial website with a former print magazine tradition. Its coverage is directed at people who live with, care for, breed, or simply enjoy cats, and has included practical guidance, veterinary and health information, breed features, product coverage, personal stories, photography, and other lifestyle material. The brand developed from an online community created by Ted Rheingold and Steven Reading, who also created the companion dog-focused service Dogster in the early 2000s. As the community expanded, Catster moved beyond user participation into a broader editorial operation publishing service journalism and emotionally resonant stories about feline companionship. The brand’s print identity was built through the transformation of Cat Fancy magazine. Cat Fancy began publication in 1965 under founder Leslie Slawson-Smith and became a long-running specialist title focused on cat breeds, health, owner stories, products, and cat-related culture. Over time, the magazine passed through several publishing owners, including BowTie Inc. and its successor I-5 Publishing, and later SAY Media. In 2015, Lumina Media acquired Cat Fancy and changed its name to Catster magazine. The renamed publication launched its first issue in May/June 2015 and shifted to a bimonthly schedule. This move connected an established print readership and specialist editorial heritage with the Catster web brand. In 2017, Belvoir Media Group acquired the Catster brand and continued operating the website while publishing the magazine. Belvoir’s final print issue was the November/December 2023 edition. The print wind-down followed the October 2023 sale of the Catster and Dogster brands to Pangolia, a company focused on online pet media. Under Pangolia, Catster’s principal identity is digital: an editorial destination for cat-care information, breed and behavior coverage, product and lifestyle content, and stories aimed at a broad community of cat lovers. Catster has also participated in cause-related marketing and audience campaigns. Together with Dogster, it partnered with the PAWS Foundation on the annual America’s Favorite Pet photo contest, an online voting event that combined pet visibility with charitable fundraising. The contest offered a publication feature and a cash prize to the winner while benefiting the nonprofit partner. Catster publications have additionally received recognition from organizations including the Cat Writers’ Association and the Dog Writers Association, with honors spanning health writing, rescue and rehabilitation coverage, photography, periodical publishing, and articles about wild felines. The brand’s evolution reflects a wider shift in specialist publishing from print-led communities to digital services. Its continuing value rests on a recognizable editorial niche, accumulated cat-care expertise, a strong emotional connection with pet owners, and the ability to package information for search, social, and recurring online readership. Exact current corporate and operational details are not fully documented in the supplied reference material.

Catster originated as a cat-centered online community created by Ted Rheingold and Steven Reading, the founders associated with the Dogster service as well. The sites emerged in the early 2000s, when online communities were becoming an important way for pet owners to share photographs, stories, advice, and information. Catster initially emphasized community participation, but its scope broadened as the site developed a substantial editorial operation. Its content came to cover cat care, health, behavior, breeds, products, and the everyday experiences of living with cats. The brand’s print lineage is rooted in Cat Fancy, a specialist magazine first published in 1965 by Leslie Slawson-Smith. Cat Fancy developed a distinctive breed-oriented format: issues commonly highlighted a particular breed, often featuring that breed on the cover and in an accompanying poster. The magazine also carried health advice, editorial commentary, owner-submitted stories, product information, fashion and lifestyle features, polls, and cat photography. Its publishing history included ownership by BowTie Inc., later associated with I-5 Publishing, followed by acquisition by SAY Media in 2011. Cat Fancy received recognition from the Cat Writers’ Association, including multiple Certificates of Excellence in 2007. In 2015, Lumina Media acquired Cat Fancy as part of a transaction involving the Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy titles. Cat Fancy’s final issue appeared in February 2015, after which the title was relaunched as Catster magazine. The new Catster print edition began with the May/June 2015 issue and was published every two months. The rebranding connected the magazine’s established specialist content and readership with the newer Catster digital identity. Belvoir Media Group acquired Catster in 2017. Under Belvoir, the organization maintained both the website and the print title. The publication continued to receive industry recognition. Awards and honors cited in the reference material include recognition for periodical publishing, feline health writing, rescue and rehabilitation coverage, photography, and writing about wild felines. Examples include awards associated with Annie Butler Shirreffs, Dusty Rainbolt, Deborah Barnes, Helen Fitzsimons, Andrew Marttila, and Lisa Richman. These recognitions illustrate the breadth of the brand’s editorial operation, although they do not establish that every named contributor held an executive role. Catster also expanded its public-facing activities through partnerships. With its sister brand Dogster, it worked with the PAWS Foundation on America’s Favorite Pet, an annual online photo contest and voting campaign. The program combined audience participation and charitable support, with the winner receiving a feature in Catster or Dogster magazine and a cash award while the nonprofit partner benefited from the campaign. In October 2023, Pangolia acquired Catster and Dogster from Belvoir Media Group. Belvoir subsequently issued its final Catster print edition in November/December 2023. The transition effectively ended the brand’s documented print-magazine phase under Belvoir while preserving Catster as an online editorial brand. Its current public identity is therefore primarily digital, centered on information and storytelling for cat owners and enthusiasts. The supplied material does not provide verified details about Catster’s present headquarters, management team, revenue, circulation after the final print issue, or specific corporate structure within Pangolia.

• 2023

  Pangolia acquires Catster and Dogster

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  Pangolia buys the two pet-media brands from Belvoir Media Group in October.

• 2023

  Print edition ends under Belvoir

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  The November/December issue is identified as Belvoir’s final Catster print edition.

• 2017

  Belvoir Media Group acquires Catster

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  Belvoir takes ownership of Catster and continues its print and online publishing activities.

• 2015

  Cat Fancy is rebranded as Catster

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  Lumina Media acquires Cat Fancy and changes the magazine’s name to Catster; the first Catster print issue appears in May/June.

• 2011

  SAY Media acquires Cat Fancy

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  SAY Media acquires the Cat Fancy magazine business before the later relaunch under the Catster name.

• 2007

  Cat Fancy receives writing-industry recognition

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  Cat Fancy receives 14 Certificates of Excellence at the Cat Writers’ Association’s annual awards event.

• 1965

  Cat Fancy begins publication

  [1]Catsteren.wikipedia.org

  Leslie Slawson-Smith launches Cat Fancy, the specialist feline magazine that later becomes the print predecessor of Catster.

A specialist editorial and community media brand for cat owners and cat enthusiasts, combining practical feline-care information with breed expertise, personal storytelling, photography, and pet-lifestyle content.

• Digital publication

  Catster.com

  Catster’s principal digital property publishes material for cat owners and enthusiasts. Its editorial scope includes feline health and care, behavior, breeds, nutrition, products, personal experiences, photography, and broader cat-lifestyle subjects. The site developed from an online community and later became a more conventional specialist content platform.

• Print magazine · 2015

  Catster magazine

  The print magazine was created through the 2015 renaming of Cat Fancy. It retained a specialist feline editorial focus, including breed coverage, health and care advice, owner stories, product information, photography, and cat-related lifestyle features. It was published bimonthly and had its final documented Belvoir issue in November/December 2023.

• Predecessor print magazine · 1965

  Cat Fancy

  Cat Fancy was a long-running cat magazine founded in 1965. Its issues commonly centered on cat breeds and combined breed features with health guidance, owner stories, product coverage, photography, polls, and editorial material. The title was renamed Catster after Lumina Media’s 2015 acquisition.

• America’s Favorite Pet

  United States

  Catster and sister publication Dogster partnered with the PAWS Foundation on an annual online pet-photo contest and public voting campaign. The initiative linked audience participation with nonprofit support and offered the winner a feature in Catster or Dogster magazine plus a cash prize.

  Outcome. The campaign provided promotional exposure for participating pets and directed attention and benefit toward the PAWS Foundation; the supplied material does not quantify its fundraising results.

  Source

• 2023

  Sell Catster and Dogster to PangoliaM&A

  Background

  Belvoir Media Group owned and operated the two pet-media brands, including Catster’s website and print magazine.

  Action taken

  Belvoir sold the Catster and Dogster brands to Pangolia in October 2023.

  Aftermath

  Pangolia became the brand owner, while Belvoir’s November/December 2023 issue became its final documented Catster print edition. The supplied sources do not state the transaction value or detailed operating plan.

  Source

• 2015

  Convert Cat Fancy into Catster magazineOther

  Background

  Lumina Media acquired Cat Fancy while Catster already existed as a recognized digital cat-media brand.

  Action taken

  The publisher changed the magazine’s name to Catster and launched a bimonthly print edition beginning with the May/June 2015 issue.

  Aftermath

  The move united the Cat Fancy print heritage with the Catster online brand and created the principal print expression of Catster until its later discontinuation.

  Source

1. 1Catsteren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Catster official websitecatster.com