National…International…Today is Cat Day!

Cat day is every day, right?

October 29, 2011 really does mark the annual celebration of National and International Cat Day, brought to you by the Animal Miracle Network, which hosts nearly two dozen annual holidays celebrating companion animals of all sorts.

We who live with companion animals know that every day is a celebration of their love and companionship in our lives, but marking an individual day on the calendar also helps to further goals for all animal companions, not just our own. For instance, one of the goals of this day is to see the adoption of 10,000 shelter cats—today—through special events promoting feline adoptions both at bricks and mortar shelters and internet adoption sites.

This holiday along with others also raises awareness of other feline-specific issues. More cats than dogs are owned as pets, yet cats receive “significantly less  veterinary care” than their canine counterparts according to a report from the Association of Feline practitioners and the AVMA.

So if you’re thinking of adopting, do it today. I’ve recently featured a few cats through FosterCat and Animal Advocates in Pittsburgh who need homes, and you can also visit the websites or buildings of your local shelters as well as your local PetSmart, Petco and other retail outlets who sponsor cats for adoption from local shetlers, or PetFinder.com and many other online galleries of pets for adoption.

Get your cats’ records together and see if any appointments need to be made. Learn to give your cat a weekly or monthly  nose-to-tail assessment so you know your cats’ wellness in between exams, and know if something may be wrong.

And, of course, spoil the heck out of them! And remember, “Cats are like potato chips—it’s hard to have just one!” I don’t have a citation for this quote, I just happened to see it on a cute little decorative plaque years ago, but we know it’s true!