Ginger Cat Appreciation Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on September 1st and encourages everyone to appreciate orange tabby cats. Known by some as red or marmalade tabbies, these cats are considered some of the most popular around. Feline friends of all breeds can be ginger cats, from British Shorthairs to Maine Coons.

Regardless of which breed a person chooses, they can’t go wrong with choosing a ginger cat. They’re cute and warm the hearts of everyone who comes into contact with them. Of course, this holiday isn’t just about befriending the orange tabbies that exist in pet stores. It also encourages people to make friends with and adopt stray ginger cats who need homes.

The History Of Ginger Cat Appreciation Day

To understand the origins of this holiday, we first have to go back to 1997. This is when a software developer named Chris Roy found a stray cat outside his home. It was an orange kitten — a kitten that would change his life.

This cat lived in his house until it died in 2014. The death of this cat (which, by the way, was named Doobert) was devastating to him, so he decided to launch Ginger Cat Appreciation Day as a tribute to his beloved cat.

At the same time, he launched Doobert — an online app that helps connect volunteers around the world with animal shelters and rescue homes. This holiday has continued to be observed by people all around the world and will probably continue to be observed well into the future.

Some Quick Facts About Ginger Cats

Yes, we all love ginger cats, but how many of us know anything about them? Probably not many, and that’s why we’ve decided to go ahead and list some quick facts about ginger cats that we think everyone can appreciate.

• Most red kittens are males. Only about 20% of them are female.
• All ginger cats are tabbies, but not all tabbies are ginger cats.
• Gingers tend to be outspoken cats with very distinct personalities.

Observing Ginger Cat Appreciation Day

This is a great day to spend more time with a ginger cat that currently lives in your home or to go out and adopt a stray ginger cat to bring home. Actually, if a person is thinking about an orange cat, then they should start by looking for one in a shelter.

After all, millions of cats are in shelters that need forever homes. While ginger cat lovers are observing this holiday, they can also take the time to spread the word about it using the hashtag #GingerCatAppreciationDay on social media.