International Cat Day recognizes cats as one of the oldest and most beloved pets for humankind. We, people, have loved cats ever since. It is just so good to have cats around because they relieve us of stress and they also do some fun things that make us laugh every day. In fact, according to studies, owning a cat can improve mental health and relieve stress, depression, and anxiety. Because of our love for cats, we celebrate International Cat Day each year on August 8. Let us learn more about this special day of celebration down below.
What is the International Cat Day?
This day is also known as World Cat Day. It was created in 2002 by an organization called IFAW. This day aims to celebrate the friendship between humans and cats. But more important than that, the day aims to advocate for the well-being and safety of these beloved and cute animals.
History of the International Cat Day
Scientists continue to study and research how cats came to be. But one significant finding was that of a wildcat buried near the corpse of a human who lived in Cyprus about 9,500 years ago. This suggests that cats have had a close relationship with humans and such a thing can be traced back as far as possible. Other records show that cat ownership was traced back about 5,500 years ago in central China.
The origin of cat ownership can also be traced back to the time when agriculture took off for humankind. People cultivate all sorts of grains like rice. However, these plants were usually ruined or eaten by pests such as rats. Fortunately, wildcats were there to chase off and predate on these rodents. And so humankind got the idea of owning cats for their farms which can chase off these rice-eating rats.
Nowadays, some people still own cats in their homes to chase off rodents. However, most people own cats just for the sake of having a cute pet that can release stress. One celebrity known for owning many cats is Taylor Swift. She treats her cats as if they were her own babies.
The organization called International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW for short, created International Cat Day in 2002. They started the celebration to honor our feline friends and also for the day to become an important day of advocating for cats. this is also a day when people can go to some local animal shelters and take home a cat or some as an addition to the family.
When is the International Cat Day -?
International Cat Day is celebrated on August 8th every year. It is a day dedicated to celebrating the love and companionship of cats, as well as raising awareness about their welfare and the issues they face. The day was first created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and has since become a popular event among cat lovers around the world. On this day, many people share pictures of their cats on social media, donate to cat welfare organizations, or simply spend time with their feline friends.
Celebration of the International Cat Day
There are so many activities you can do to celebrate this day. Here are some of those activities that you can participate in.
Volunteer at a Local Cat Shelter
Every year, there are about 3 million cats that enter animal shelters. These shelters could use some help. Hence, it would be a good idea to volunteer in some cat shelters during this day. You can show your love and support to all the cats in such shelters. If you are busy during this day, then select another day when you can volunteer. These shelters need volunteers all year round.
Visit a Cafe for Cats
You can also visit a cat cafe as a way of celebrating the day. You can spend your day sipping some coffee while having cute cats beside you. You can also feed these cats with food provided by the cafe. You can also take pictures with these cats and keep these photos as good memories.
Donate Cash to Charities for Cat
There are a lot of cat charities around the world. These charities are the ones that donate cash to animal shelters so that they can build homes for cats, pay for cat food, build facilities where cats can be cleaned, and pay for workers who work in cat shelters. If you have some extra cash in you, then it would also be good to donate to cat charities as a way of celebrating International Cat Day.