National Cat Day: 29 October

National Cat Day is almost upon us! Cat lovers, your time arrives on the 29^th of October. It’s a good excuse to celebrate everything cat, from their cute little toe beans to their special happy purr.

Whether this year you’re thinking of adopting a new furry friend, spoiling the cat-shaped love of your life with some catnip toys, or just spreading the word about one of our favourite days of celebration, here are some ways to make National Cat Day special each and every year.

What is National Cat Day?

National Cat Day is quite a new holiday. It began in 2005, and was started by writer, conservationist, and animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige. Obviously, she’s a fellow cat lover and cat parent. But on top of that, she’s also been involved in behavioural rehabilitation work with wild cats. Taking cat love to a brand new level, really!

The aim of National Cat Day is to encourage people to rally and help save the millions of cats living in shelters across the globe.

National Cat Day statistics in New Zealand

It’s impossible to say exactly how many cats end up in shelters each year. But one well-known shelter organisation alone estimates it receives around 20 000 cats and kittens per year. And the National Cat Management Strategy Report from 2020 says “large numbers” of cats are euthanised every year, as legislation allows for euthanasia to occur after seven days in a shelter.

Putting a pet to sleep is the sadder side of humane animal management, and is something every potential pet owner needs to consider before they commit to a companion animal. For many of the cats in shelters, euthanasia isn’t due to health or humane reasons – the vast majority are healthy cats who are simply in need of a home.

So you can see why spreading the message about National Cat Day is so important.

Celebrating National Cat Day in New Zealand

Here are some of our favourite ways to mark National Cat Day this year, and for many years to come. All of them make you, your cat (or even future cat!), or the cat community at large, happier and healthier, in the true spirit of National Cat Day.

1. Adopt a cat to mark National Cat Day

If you’re hoping to add a cat to your family, why not adopt a cat instead of buying one? That way, you rescue an animal in dire need of a home and make space for the shelter to take in another needy animal. Bonus: if you adopt on National Cat Day, you’ll never forget what date “gotcha day” is.

And remember, you don’t need to adopt a kitten. Cats have a relatively long lifespan so they could easily be with you until their late teens. Adopting an adult cat can still give you many, many years of companionship and happiness.

But if you’re totally set on a kitten, lots of shelters and rescue organisations have youngsters in need of homes too.

Our opinion? Visit a shelter and meet the cats and kittens in person. You might just find your perfect friend there. Like with people, sometimes you’re instantly drawn to one another. And we all love the thought of a good human-cat love story just waiting to unfold!

2. Be a responsible cat parent

If you adopt a cat from a shelter, they’ll normally have been sterilised. If you get a kitten or end up with a cat from elsewhere then consider the benefits of spaying and neutering.

Cats can have large litters of kittens in quick succession, and without proper management you’ll simply be adding to the problem of too many cats and not enough homes. Even if the thought of a miniature version of your best friend seems appealing, think about the implications.

3. Spoil your cat for National Cat Day

We’re pretty sure there are tons of pampered cats out there living their best lives every day. But that doesn’t mean National Cat Day can’t be extra special. You could just spoil cat a little more than usual on 29 October.

But how, you may ask? Luckily, we have no shortage of ideas. There are at least 10 ways to pamper your cat for a special day. Or settle down to some quality time with your cat and TV. You could even whip up some homemade cat treats for the movie marathon.

Or, you could indulge in some pet photography and share the best snaps on social media to let your cat and others know how important they are.

The options are pretty much endless.

4. Support a shelter

You don’t have to have a cat – or even be thinking of getting a cat any time soon – to celebrate National Cat Day. If you can’t or don’t want to have a pet right now, you can show your support in other ways.

Donating time, resources, or unwanted items to pet shelters can make a massive difference. A huge amount of work and effort goes into keeping any shelter afloat. At a minimum, they need to feed and care for all the animals, maintain shelter conditions, update social media and websites, and try to find homes for their charges. And that doesn’t even touch on the never-ending finance challenges!

Read our National Pet Day article to find out what animal shelters really want you to donate.

5. Take out cat insurance

The ultimate in protecting cats is a cat insurance plan. We all know that vet bills can mount up really quickly, especially if your cat needs hospitalisation or surgery. What are you waiting for – protect your savings with pet health protection…