KUALA LUMPUR, September 10 — It was a packed weekend for some few thousands pet owners across Klang Valley who came for the recent Oh My Pet Expo 2025. 

The three-day affair which took place at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC) here saw around 99,000 animal lovers filling the exhibition halls, which were packed with around 280 vendors made up of well-known brands, local artisanal businesses and more.

From pet-friendly birthday cakes and treats to adoption drives and an endless variety of pet food, toys, supplements, accessories and hygiene products — you’ll be grateful your pet can’t read.

There were also booths selling domesticated pets — from dogs and cats to parrots, sugar gliders and hamsters — along with a mini petting zoo featuring rabbits for children.

Many pet parents took the opportunity to show off their companions, bringing them along in carriers, strollers, backpacks and even on leashes for the well-behaved ones.

But the expo wasn’t just about shopping for your fluffy overlord — it also became a space for pet lovers to connect, share experiences and celebrate their passion together.

For the love of Poms

If you were one of the visitors last weekend, you might have noticed a group of Pomeranian owners with their little fluffy firecrackers strolling around the halls — chances are, they were members of a local Pomeranian owners’ community called Puff & Tuft.

The group, which started with just 30 people in 2021, has now grown to around 300 members with approximately 700 poms. They occasionally gather for meet-ups, parties and other events.

Speaking to Malay Mail, Puff & Tuft co-founder Wendy said it all began with a Christmas gathering during the Covid-19 pandemic, when a small number of members came together to hang out, exchange gifts and, of course, bring along their poms.

Despite its growing numbers, joining the club isn’t all that easy — new members need to go through an orientation with the others and must commit to being active participants.

“Because we don’t want people to come just for free gifts. We want people to share, even in our group chat.

“We tend to have a lot of emergencies especially at night – sometimes a group member’s pom is having trouble giving birth, they might reach out to us for advice and we will try to connect them with a veterinary hospital or we will see what we can do to help,” Wendy explained.

She added that they also invite veterinarians to some gatherings to give talks on pom care, alongside fun activities like lucky draws and games.

The cat named Metallica and its 50-ish siblings

Many pet owners dressed up their fur babies for the expo, and one of them was Karin, who brought along her domestic shorthaired cat named Metallica (yes, after the band). The stylish feline sported a checkered fishing hat and a “Harimeow Malaya” shirt.

Metallica even wore a “pearl necklace” with a tiny ID card dangling from it, printed with her details — just in case of a “pawlice patrol”.

Karin, an avid rescuer of stray cats, has cared for Metallica for about three years. The cat earned her name thanks to her habit of greeting people with a long meow — and the occasional hiss.

Visitors were lucky that Metallica was in a good mood that day.

“When it comes to dressing up, for Metallica, it depends on her mood. Now she’s in the mood to dress up, so she doesn’t mind at all. 

“If she’s not in the mood, she would take all the clothes off of her by herself and just do her own thing,” Karin said. 

These days, Karin has over 50 cats at home — almost all with quirky names assigned in batches.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, I found a pregnant cat near my house and there was this other smaller cat who kept following her, so I took both of them in assuming they were related and it turned out that the other cat was also pregnant. 

“The first batch of kittens were all named after Star Wars characters such as Skywalker, Yoda and Chewbacca while the second batch, which came a week after, was named after Star Trek characters such as Sulu and Spock,” Karin said.

Another group of cats is named after her former workplace, including Maxis, Digi and Celcom.

When it comes to expenses, Karin spends around RM1,500 to RM2,000 monthly on food and hygiene products for her felines. But vet visits can sometimes skyrocket to RM4,000 each time.

A space to share and explore

For some, seeing dogs, cats and other pets wandering freely around the halls was a refreshing sight — at least that’s what 25-year-old Britney thought.

“Especially in Malaysia which is a Muslim country where sometimes it’s kind of hard to bring pets to wander outdoors freely. Having this type of event is a great way for fellow pet owners to come together and share the same love we have for our tailed friends,” Britney said, adding that she also has a poodle at home. 

She herself brought along two lop bunnies in a spacious stroller, complete with food, drinks and a blanket tucked underneath to keep them warm.

Although rabbits are often considered fragile pets, Britney said they still make wonderful companions — capable of being trained and surprisingly intelligent.

Meanwhile, for cat-fluencers Fatin and Izzat — owners of Fluffy the Persian cat, better known by their TikTok handle Fluffy Anak Dedi with over 380,000 followers — events like this pet expo come with both pros and cons.

Izzat said one of the best things about a large expo is the variety, as there is a wide range of products, making it easier for pet owners to discover new innovations compared to conventional pet stores.

For example, at a previous expo they came across a special pet comb with an antistatic coating that prevents hair from building up an electric charge — making grooming smoother and leaving Fluffy’s coat shiny.

But with the abundance of brands, they also have to be careful about unhealthy pet food. 

Izzat even goes so far as to taste-test some of it himself before buying.

“As some cat food is safe for human consumption, I would taste it in advance– if it’s too salty or too sweet, we would avoid it. 

“We would only opt for cat food that has a neutral taste because Fluffy has a history of diabetic.  

“Sometimes there are brands who offer us their products for free but if Fluffy refuses to eat it, we won’t take it,” Izzat said. 

Although many pet owners brought their pets into the expo — held inside a shopping mall — Oh My Pet Expo 2025 also laid down some ground rules, especially for dog owners.

According to Truffles & Lemon Expo co-founder Soh Boon Kuang, who also organised the event, visitors bringing canine companions were given clear guidelines. For example, dogs on leashes were required to use the elevator rather than the front entrance of the mall.

He added that a cleaning team was also hired to sanitise the halls after the event, including carrying out a ritual purification, or sertu process, using water mixed with soil or a purifying agent with a similar effect.

Soh has been organising pet expos for some time now. Their previous event, the Oh My Meow Expo, was held at MVEC in July this year, and plans are already underway for their year-end edition, expected to take place around November or December.