International Cat Day: Celebrating Cats

Free parking today, August 8. And don’t even think about heading into the office. I haven’t heard, yet, from President Joe Biden but I assume he’ll break into prime-time programing to celebrate International Cat Day.

Cats do deserve their day!

In actuality, cats are man’s (and woman’s) best friends – as there are more cats than dogs in the U.S. (and it’s been that way for years).  Over a quarter of all U.S. households own at least one cat with an average of 2.2 cats per home.

Millennials and Zillennials (Gen-Z) lead the way not only when it comes to parenting cats (that’s right, these days, our cats have non-feline parents instead of owners). It’s also the way which those generations feel about cats, as the human animal bond with cats has never been more intense. It wasn’t that long ago when most felt cats were rather disposable. And while that notion persists in some places, its become more and more rare.

Cats do continue to be under-medicalized when compared to dogs, but cat parents are changing this for the better. Cat Friendly veterinary practices and Fear Free practices and Fear Free certified professionals are supporting vet visit which cats tolerate or even enjoy.

And, in fact, everything from sales of parasite protection, cat scratchers and cat toys are on the rise.

It’s these generations who created cat cafés and influencers on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other online platforms cats truly are stars. Unsure what it is about cats that people are so enthralled by online – but it’s great for cats.

While most certainly too many cats continue to be killed at shelters or mistreated (some suggest animal abuse occurs more with cats because of their size), this is also changing.

Outdoor cats matter too – and millions of Americans (and people around the globe) ensure community cats are spay/neutered, vaccinated for rabies and then released back to where they were trapped where they continued to be watched, and supplemented with food by volunteer caretakers.

Why did this newfound adoration for cats occur? I suggest cats are, in fact, the best ambassadors for cats. If you buy into any of the antiquated notions about cats being uncaring or evil or whatever, you lose out by not having the experience of sharing your life with a cat.