Oh, cats! Those bewitching, purr-tastic bundles of joy that weave seamlessly between our ankles and our hearts. Let’s be real: is there anything more majestic than a cat stretching out in a sunbeam, or more amusing than a frisky kitten pouncing on an unsuspecting shoelace? No wonder we mere mortals have taken it upon ourselves to celebrate these fabulous felines with a whole parade of cat-centric holidays.
After all, every swish of their tail and slow blink of their eyes is a reminder of why rescuing and adopting a kitty (or two, or three) is a one-way ticket to a life filled with more fun, laughter, and love. So, grab your calendar, fellow cat fanciers, and let’s celebrate all the cat days!
Cat Holidays and Awareness Days
January
June Cat Holidays
- June 4: Hug Your Cat Day – Similar to the day in May, but more widely recognized. At iHeartCats, we don’t mind two cat-hugging days; we’ll always take another reason to hug our purry ones!
- Second Tuesday in June: World Pet Memorial Day
- June 19: Take Your Cat to Work Day®
- June 19: Garfield the Cat Day
- June 24: Cat World Domination Day
- June 25: National Catboy Day – A fandom driven, internet born holiday celebrating catboy characters from anime, gaming, and meme culture. There’s no official government or nonprofit founder behind it; Know Your Meme documents how the date spread online.
- Last Saturday in June: World Day Against the Abandonment of Domestic Animals
October Cat Holidays
- October 4: World Animal Day
- October 12: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
- October 16: National Feral Cat Day – Advocates for non-lethal feline programs in communities such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for feral cats. Alley Cat Allies, the nonprofit that originated the day, marks it every October 16.
- October 27: National Black Cat Day
- October 29: National Cat Day – The single biggest cat specific holiday of the year. It’s built to celebrate cats already living in homes and to nudge more people toward adopting from shelters and rescues. Give your cat some extra one-on-one attention to mark the day right.
February
Month Long Events
- Pet Dental Health Month
- National Cat Health Month
- Responsible Pet Owners Month
- Spay/Neuter Awareness Month (AKA Beat the Heat Month)
Week Long Events
- February (usually observed in the last week): National Justice for Animals Week
February Cat Holidays
- February 22: Cat Day in Japan, also known as “Neko no Hi”
- February 20: Love Your Pet Day
- Last Tuesday in February: World Spay Day
March
Month Long Events
- Poison Prevention Awareness Month
Week Long Events
- First Week in March: Professional Pet Sitters Week
March Cat Holidays
- March 3: If Pets Had Thumbs Day
- March 3: Tripawd Awareness Day
- March 9: World Kidney Day (aimed to raise awareness for the health of our kidneys and our furry friends’ kidneys too)
- March 23: Cuddly Kitten Day
- March 28: Respect Your Cat Day (isn’t that every day anyway?!?)
April
Month Long Events
- National Heartworm Awareness Month
- National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
April Cat Holidays
- April 4: World Stray Animal Day
- April 6: National Siamese Cat Day
- April 11: National Pet Day
- April 19: National Cat Lady Day
- Third Week in April: National Pet ID Week
- April 25: National Kids and Pets Day
- April 26: National Pet Parents Day
- April 30: National Tabby Day
- April 30: Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
- April 30: National Therapy Animal Day
- Last Friday in April: Hairball Awareness Day
- Last Saturday in April: World Veterinary Day
- Last Saturday in April: National Pet Parents Day
May
Month Long Events
- National Pet Month
- Responsible Animal Guardian Month
- Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Week Long Events
- First Week in May: National Pet Week
- First Week in May: American Humane’s Be Kind to Animals Week
May Cat Holidays
- May 30: International Hug Your Cat Day – This day encourages cat parents to hug and cuddle their kitties. But remember, never force contact on your cat. Only hug them if they’re into to it too!
June
Month Long Events
- National Pet Preparedness Month
- National Microchipping Month
- Adopt-a-Cat Month® from the American Humane Association
- National Foster a Pet Month
- Social PETworking Month
Week Long Events
- First Week in June: Pet Appreciation Week
- Third Week in June: Take Your Pet to Work Week®
- Third Week in June: Animal Rights Awareness Week
June Cat Holidays
- June 4: Hug Your Cat Day – Similar to the day in May, but more widely recognized. At iHeartCats, we don’t mind two cat-hugging days; we’ll always take another reason to hug our purry ones!
- Second Tuesday in June: World Pet Memorial Day
- June 19: Take Your Cat to Work Day®
- June 19: Garfield the Cat Day
- June 24: Cat World Domination Day
- Last Saturday in June: World Day Against the Abandonment of Domestic Animals
July
Month Long Events
- National Lost Pet Prevention Month™
- National Pet Hydration Awareness Month
Week Long Events
- July 16-July 22: National Feed a Rescue Pet Week
July Cat Holidays
- July 1: ID Your Pet Day
- July 10: National Kitten Day (another double day, but kittens always need celebrating!)
- July 11: All-American Pet Photo Day
- July 15: National Pet Fire Safety Day
- July 21: National Craft for your Local Shelters Day
August
Month Long Events
- National Immunization Awareness Month
- Itchy Pet Awareness Month
August Cat Holidays
- August 8: International Cat Day – Founded by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in 2002
- August 15: National Check the Chip Day
- August 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day
- August 19: International Homeless Animals’ Day
- August 22: National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
- August 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
- August 30: National Holistic Pet Day
September
Month Long Events
- Happy Cat Month: Founded by the CATalyst Council
- National Pet Insurance Month
Week Long Events
- Third Week in September: Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week
September Cat Holidays
- September 1: Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
- September 13: Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day
- Second Sunday of September: National Pet Memorial Day
- Third Thursday of September: Remember Me Thursday® (an international social media awareness day, originated by the Petfinder Foundation, that brings attention to the millions of adoptable pets waiting in shelters and remembers those pets who never got a second chance. Share your rescue pet using #RememberMeThursday)
October
Month Long Events
- National Animal Safety and Protection Month
- National Pet Wellness Month
Week Long Events
- First Week of October: Animal Welfare Week
October Cat Holidays
- October 4: World Animal Day
- October 12: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
- October 16: National Feral Cat Day – Advocates for non-lethal feline programs in communities such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for feral cats.
- October 27: National Black Cat Day
- October 29: National Cat Day
November
Month Long Events
- Adopt a Senior Pet Month
- National Senior Pet Month
- Pet Cancer Awareness Month
- Pet Diabetes Month
- National Pet Awareness Month
Week Long Events
- First full week of November: National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week
November Cat Holidays
- November 1: National Cook for Your Pets Day
- November 28: Giving Tuesday
