October 16th is Global Cat Day, and that means cat lovers all around the world are going to want to get ready. This holiday not only encourages everyone to show their cats a little bit of extra love, but it’s also a day when people are encouraged to consider the plight of cats that don’t have a home.

Just in the U.S. alone, over 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters each year, but only about 2.1 million of them will get adopted. That means kittens and adult cats are euthanized at a rate higher than any other shelter animal, and that’s something that has to stop. That’s why everyone on this day is encouraged to get involved and help fund non-lethal feline programs in their area.

The History of Global Cat Day

This holiday grew from a holiday known as National Feral Cat Day — a holiday that was created in 2001. It was rebranded as Global Cat Day in 2017 by Alley Cat Allies. This organization works in communities to champion low-cost spay and neuter programs, as well as Trap, Neuter, and Release (TNR) programs.

Facts About Cats

Since we are going to assume that everyone reading about Global Cat Day is either a cat lover or at least sympathetic to the plight of stray cats, we thought we’d take the opportunity to leave some facts about cats below.

• Kittens have 26 baby teeth. By the time a cat becomes an adult, it will have 30 permanent teeth.
• Cats can jump five times their height.
• Cats have 32 muscles in each of their ears. This allows them to locate sounds more easily by turning the ear.
• A female cat can become pregnant by the time they are 4 months old.
• Cats sleep about 15 hours per day, on average.
• National Siamese Cat Day falls on April 6th.
• The oldest pet cat grave ever found was over 9,500 years old and was discovered in Cyprus.
• The longest domestic cat ever recorded measured 48.5 inches. It was a Maine Coon named Stewie.
• House cats share approximately 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers.

Observing Global Cat Day

On this day, animal lovers are encouraged to donate and volunteer at their local animal shelters. They are also encouraged to participate in non-lethal feline programs such as Trap, Neuter, and Release (TNR) programs.

People can also use the hashtag #GlobalCatDay to encourage others to participate in this holiday and help save the lives of stray cats, as well as shelter cats.