October 29 is National Cat Day that is supported by the ASPCA. This holiday helps solidify the importance of felines in U.S. homes and encourages cat lovers everywhere to work together to find shelter cats forever homes.
How it Got Started
In 2005, Colleen Page began a grassroots movement to help find forever homes for cats in need and National Cat Day helps heighten the awareness of the plight of shelter cats around the country. Each year there are as many as four million cats entering shelters and nearly half of that population being euthanized.
The Mission of the Day
The National Cat Day website states this as their mission: “We believe that every cat should have a forever home where there is no abuse, anger, poverty, illness or divorce … as these are many of the reasons cats are abandoned in the first place.”
Adopt, Adopt, Adopt
That’s what National Cat Day is all about. Getting the word out to adopt cats from shelters and give the best gift ever. Each year, the goal is to find 10,000 cats in shelters new homes.
The sad part of this tale – or should that be tail? – is that, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats have become our most disposable pet. And that’s with cats outnumbering dogs in American homes.
Kittens tend to get swept up quickly but a senior cat or one with some health issues have little chance at rescue.
Why October 29?
Simple. Black cats and Halloween. Black cats have the lowest adoption rate in shelters everywhere because of their association with a holiday that lauds ghosts and goblins.
Check out the National Cat Day Facebook page and get in touch with your local shelter to see if they have any programs to celebrate the day. Get out there and advocate for felines in your town!
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
