Celebrating International Cat Day

There’s a pretty important kitty holiday coming up. International Cat Day is August 8th! Cats are quite popular pets, and not just here in the U.S. Fluffy has plenty of fans internationally! A Parkland, FL vet discusses International Cat Day in this article.

Fluffy’s Travel History

Our feline friends have been our buddies and lap warmers for about 7500 BCE. By 3500 BCE, they had more or less convinced the ancient Egyptians to treat them as gods. It’s not really a surprise that our ancestors were willing to give kitties the red carpet treatment. Cats are, of course, adorable. They are also formidable hunters, which made them very valuable allies for anyone trying to protect grain stores from rodents. The ancient Greeks and Romans employed Fluffy as rodent control. She replaced the weasel as the hunter of choice, likely in large part because she’s so cute and entertaining. Of course, kitties in the Far East didn’t really have to work for their livings: they were mostly kept as pets by nobles.

Popularity

Fluffy has been all over the world. Currently, there are about 220 pet cats in the world, and 480 million stray ones. Our feline pals live on almost every continent. The only exception is Antarctica, though Fluffy has visited it with research teams. 

Legends

Cats make appearances in various myths, tales, and legends from almost every culture. In many places, such as ancient Siam, they were the beloved pets of royalty. In Europe, they stayed busy with timeless kitty pastimes like knocking ink jars over and leaving paw prints on medieval manuscripts. No wonder Fluffy looks so proud of herself!

Celebrating

So how does one celebrate International Cat Day? Catnip is a pretty safe bet. You can also get your kitty a new toy, or offer her a special treat. Other things that will get Fluffy’s little motor going include boxes, paper grocery bags, and new beds. If you want to go all-out, get your feline buddy a cat tower or scratching board, or make her a catio. Of course, no matter how lofty and superior Fluffy looks, keep in mind that she’s actually quite affectionate. Your furball may be purrfectly content to curl up on your lap and collect some ear scritches!

Please reach out if ever we can be of assistance. As your Parkland, FL animal clinic, we’re here for you!