Celebrate International Cat Day

International Cat Day is celebrated annually on August 8th as a day of celebration and recognition to honor our feline friends and to advocate for their well being, safety and quality of life. Originally created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare as a day when people were encouraged to go to their local animal shelter and rescue a needy cat.

In the past 16 years the awareness of this special day and the festivities around it have grown considerably across the world, and there are about as many ways to celebrate International Cat Day as there are varieties of cats.

We found a number of practical suggestions from HolidaysCalendar.com offering fun and supportive ways that you can celebrate International Cat Day including:

Volunteer At Your Local Cat Shelter

With over 3 million cats entering animal shelters every year, these shelters could use some help. If not with actually taking care of the cats, then with showing them love and affection. Call around to your local animal shelters and see if any of them could use your help. Many shelters are actively seeking volunteers all year round.

Visit A Cat Cafe

Yes, there are such things as cat cafes and they exist all over the world. There are a couple dozen in the United States and even more in Japan. So spend the day sipping coffee and petting some super soft kitties. It’s a decision you won’t regret.

Donate To A Cat Charity

International Cat Day is a great day to give to one of the many great charities that help out cats. Besides the International Fund for Animal Welfare, there are a number of cat charities that you can donate to. Some of these include Alley Cat Allies, Blind Cat Rescue, Siamese Cat Rescue Center, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation, National Cat Protection Society, and the ASPCA.

Other ways you can celebrate the day is to adopt a stray cat, buy some cat-themed merchandise, dress up as a cat or simply show your own cat some love and affection. Celebrating International Cat Day should be fun for both you and your cat.

According to Days of The Year, an estimated 500 million cats are thought to be frolicking in neighbors’ gardens across the world, which means that most every extended family is bound to have an aunt with more kittens than former husbands, whatever the country or climate. And that’s great, because owning a cat has been shown to improve mental health and to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. So when it’s raining cats and dogs outside and you don’t have someone to cuddle with, any black, ginger, Persian, Siamese, Burmese, Bengal, Shorthair, Munchkin, Balinese, RagaMuffin or any old stray cat will do the trick.

Popular Cat Breeds

Our feline loving pals at PetSafe created the following visual compilation and purrsonality summary for five of the world’s most popular cat breeds and the type of owners best suited to them.

British Shorthair: Often referred to as a “teddy bear”, the British Shorthair is adaptable to any living situation and easy-going in nature. Though they like their alone time, they are bondable and trainable. They’re great for owners who like affectionate cats, are fairly busy, and don’t have time for high-maintenance pet.

Egyptian Mau: These cats are vocal, energetic and highly affectionate, as they enjoy sitting in laps and being “worshipped”. They fit best with owners who are highly active and can devote a lot of attention to their pets.

Scottish Fold: While this breed takes time to build up trust, once they do, they are extremely loyal. They can be timid, but like being mildly playful with their owners. Since they don’t like rough-housing, they fit best with someone who is lives alone and doesn’t have children. Their ideal owners are usually more introverted.

Sphynx: This breed loves human attention and will do anything for a laugh. They’re extremely fond of toys that challenge the brain or athleticism, and like the company of both humans and other cats. They’re ideal for intelligent owners who like to play games and being social, but not super affectionate.

Norwegian Forest: Independent in nature, this breed is low-maintenance and doesn’t require a lot of attention. Though, they can be cuddly and gentle in nature. They best fit with busy families or working professionals who have consistent lifestyles.

How do you say MEOW?

Finally we felt it would be remiss without including this Meow meme from the language learning app Babbel showing how meow is pronounced in various different languages.

  HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY!  

 

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