How To Really Celebrate National Cat Day

Post by BlogPaws CoFounder, Yvonne DiVita

October 29th is National Cat Day. I expect all of our favorite cat bloggers, and even cat bloggers we don’t know yet (how that can be so I do not know! but, tis true…there are cat bloggers out there we know of not…) will be shouting their praises to the Meow all day next Thursday.

I’m a dog person, myself. Except when I’m a cat person. Oh my, yes. I have to tell you, I have had deep, sincere relationships with my cats and I take to task those folks who say cats don’t…love us, or play with us, or give us respect. I have known cats like that, and to their defense I say – it’s a personality trait folks, some people have the same approach to life. All of the cats I have had in my life, and I admit, it hasn’t been all that many… after all, I am allergic to them, have been creatures that brought love and entertainment into my life.

That’s why I am qualified to write a post on How To Really Celebrate National Cat Day.

But, first… let’s talk about cats.

The Humane Society notes on its website that there are more homes with cats than dogs, in the U.S. Is that because so many homes are open to multiple cats or is it because… cats make such great companions! I don’t know. I just know the numbers say we have more cats per household, than dogs. I don’t fit the survey as I have more dogs than cats, but I also know friends with 3-5 cats, and I feel as if that is becoming the norm. No matter what the number is…it’s not enough. Cats still languish in shelters longer than dogs. Sigh. (some folks will continue to write about black cats being less adoptable… but, is that true? Maybe not – visit the link to read more.)

True story – a couple of years ago I saw a desperate plea on Facebook from someone in a neighboring city. She had a beautiful cat to give up and did not want to take it to a shelter. She was confident it would languish there … because of its age. It was eight. Knowing she was probably right about that, Tom and I drove to a fast food place and we adopted her cat. It was an act of support. Not an act of love. I’m telling you now that the love came quickly. After losing our precious Pandora, pictured with our Emily above (Emily was in love with Pandora!), we were ready for another meow. And, our Molly is the sweetest, gentlest (well, she tolerates the FURminator for a bit, but…if you push her, watch out!), and most delightful kitty in the world. She took right to Tom. The dogs found her fascinating… let’s face it, they still find her fascinating, and she in turn treated them appropriately. At first, she fled… to the safety of her space in the basement, now, she barely turns her head to acknowledge them. As she should. We consider her the Queen of the house.

Celebrating National Cat Day is a requirement for those of us who are pet lovers. We don’t discriminate between dogs and cats. Much. Truth is, we love cats as much as dogs at our house. I’ve contemplated getting a second cat, giving Molly a ‘friend’, but I hesitate. Partly because of my allergies…one cat seems to me okay to me. And partly because I’m pretty sure Molly is content as our only cat. Still, I’m assuming that and I do not know it for sure.

Here’s what I think on how to really celebrate national cat day – first, love your kitty to pieces! Good healthy treats, maybe a trip in the back yard on a harness. Then, consider adding a shelter kitty to your home. Yep, this is a good day to increase your kitty love and add to the stats that say there are more cats than dogs in U.S. households. Why not? For us, we will discuss it.

Alternatively, volunteer at your local shelter and give the kitties there a little extra love.

Or, clean out your closets and take some goodies (old towels and blankets, a boatload of paper towels and other things you see the shelter needs – visit their site, I’m sure they have a wishlist page!) to your local shelter, just for the kitties.

Last, I advise you to shout it out. Tell the world it’s National Cat Day and share the GREAT reasons cats make FANTASTIC companions! (if you do not have a cat but you have dogs… really, consider a cat. Your dogs need a cat. Cats don’t need dogs, of course, but all dogs need a good cat. Yes, they do.)

And that’s how to really celebrate national cat day. Go for it. Share some cat stories in the comments. Meow!

p.s. hey, check out this link… The Definitive List of North America’s 24 Open and Upcoming Cat Cafes!  OOOooohhhh… there’s one in Denver!