Mark your calendars for a full twelve months of cat holidays and special observances, all starring our favorite furry family members! These days recognize all aspects of our cats’ lives, from serious awareness days and months focusing on the importance of finding homes for shelter cats and keeping cats healthy and safe to fun holidays that showcase the joy our cats bring us every day.
January 2024 Cat Holidays
Walk Your Pet Month. Do you walk your cat? January is the month to get your walks off on the right paw.
Jan. 2: National Pet Travel Safety Day.
Jan. 2: Happy Mew Year for Cats Day. Definitely one of the most fun pet holidays of the year, January 2 is set aside every year as a day for cats to ring in the new year.
Jan. 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day. If your cat enjoys a little fashion, this day’s for you!
Jan. 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day.
Jan. 24: Change a Pet’s Life Day.
Jan. 29: Tuxedo Cat Appreciation Day. (Also see November’s National Tuxedo Cat Day)
February 2024
Black Dog and Cat Syndrome Awareness Month.
National Prevent a Litter Month.
Pet Dental Health Month.
Responsible Pet Owners Month.
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month. (Humane Society of the United States)
Feb. 5: World Animal Reiki Day.
Feb. 14: Pet Theft Awareness Day. There’s no better day than Valentine’s Day to remind us of the importance of safeguarding the pets we hold so dearly.
Feb. 17: Cat Day (Dzień kota) in Poland. This day is a favorite time for cat lovers in Poland to share photos of their cats and to publicize adoptable cats.
Feb. 17: Cat Day in Italy. This pet holiday celebrates not only family cats but also the many street cats of Italy.
3rd full week in February: National Drink Wine with Your Cat Week. Created by Offers.com and PetWinery (a company that makes alcohol-free cat “wines.”)
Feb. 20: International Cat Day or El Día Internacional del Gato. This day was selected as one of several international cat days after President Clinton’s cat Socks passed away on February 20, 2009.
Feb. 20: Love Your Pet Day. This pet holiday is a virtual Valentine to the friendships we form with the members of our fur family.
Feb. 20-26: National Justice for Animals Week.
Feb. 22: Cat Day in Japan. The date for Cat Day or Neko no Hi was selected for how it is pronounced in Japanese–much like the Japanese word for cat!
Feb. 22: Marie Day. Designated by Walt Disney Japan, this day celebrates Marie of The AristoCats!
Feb. 27: World Spay Day. Annual campaign by the Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States. Always the 4th Tuesday in February.
- Pet holidays for dogs and cats
- Awareness days for pocket pets, fish, reptiles, poultry
- Awareness days for horses, livestock, wildlife, bird life and marine life
- Awareness days for wild birds
- Environmental awareness days
March 2024
Poison Prevention Awareness Month.
March 1: National Cat’s Day in Russia. On this day, cats are celebrated in Russia–or celebrate Russian Blue cats around the world!
March 2: International Rescue Cat Day.
March 3: What if Cats & Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day
March 3: International Tripawd Awareness Day. Founded in 2022 by Tripawds, this day honors three-legged pets and the people who care for them.
March 3-9: Professional Pet Sitters Week.
March 14: Pet Theft Awareness Day (UK).
March 14-21: Pet Theft Awareness Week (UK). See Feb. 14 for more on both the US and the UK observances.
March 15: National Catio Day. Spotlighting the important of keeping both cats and birds safe, National Catio Day was launched in 2023 by CatTipper and our sister site, BirdTipper.
March 17: Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Day— patron saint of cats
March 17-23: National Animal Poison Prevention Week: Held the third week of March to coincide with National Poison Prevention Week.
March 23: Cuddly Kitten Day.
March 28: Respect Your Cat Day.
April 2024
National Heartworm Awareness Month.
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month. This event is an effort by the American Red Cross to draw attention to the need to know specialized pet first aid.
National Pet Month. (UK) The United Kingdom kicks off the National Pet Month celebrations, followed by a May celebration in the United States.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. (ASCPA)
April 1-7: National Raw Feeding Week.
April 4: World Stray Animals Day.
April 6: Every Day is Tag Day.
April 6: National Siamese Cat Day.
April 7: National Pet Health Insurance Day.
April 11: National Pet Day. This annual event celebrates all of our friends with fur, fins and feathers–including our dear cats.
April 14-20: Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week.
April 17: Tortoiseshell Cat Appreciation Day.
April 15-21: Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week. An effort by the Humane Society of the United States. Third week in April.
April 17-23: National Pet ID Week. The third week in April is devoted to reminding pet owners to tag and chip their pets, greatly increasing the chances of them returning home if lost.
April 18: Pet Owner’s Independence Day. Brought to you by Wellcat (who also invented holidays ranging from Cat Herders’ Day to Happy Mew Years for Cats Day), this holiday encourages pet lovers to take the day off from work and send their cat (or dog) in their place!
April 19: National Cat Lady Day.
April 19: Sylvester the Cat’s Birthday.
April 21: National Pet CBD Day.
April 22: Earth Day. On this day when we think of ways to ease our impact on the earth, think of ways we can modify our cat care to choose more eco-friendly products.
April 26: National Kids and Pets Day.
April 27: Free Feral Cat Spay Day.
April 26: Hairball Awareness Day. Always the last Friday of April, this day draws awareness to an issue that, with spring shedding, really distresses many cats.
April 27: World Veterinary Day.
April 28: National Pet Parents Day. Always the last Sunday in April.
April 30: Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.
April 30: National Therapy Animal Day.
April 30: National Tabby Day.
May 2024
Chip Your Pet Month.
National Foster Care Month.
National Pet Month. (US) May marks National Pet Month in the United States, a month later than the UK equivalent pet holiday.
Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Sponsored by Pet Cancer Awareness and the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research. (Also see November events.)
Pet Sitter Safety Month.
Responsible Animal Guardian Month.
May 3: National Specially Abled Pets Day.
May 5: Cinco de Meow Day.
May 5-11: National Pet Week.
May 5-11: American Humane’s Be Kind to Animals Week.
May 8, 2024: National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. Always the second Saturday in May.
May 30: International Hug Your Cat Day.
June 2024
Adopt-a-Cat Month® and Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month.
National Foster a Pet Month.
National Microchipping Month.
National Pet Preparedness Month. This month, timed for the first month of hurricane season, urges people with pets to make preparations in case they should be hit by a disaster…and that includes making plans for what you would do with your cat in case of a hurricane, tornado, flood or other natural disaster.
Social PETworking Month.
June 2-8: Pet Appreciation Week. First week in June.
June 4: Hug Your Cat Day.
June 8: Best Friends Day.
June 10-16: National Pet Wedding Week. Always the second week in June.
June 11: World Pet Memorial Day. Second Tuesday in June.
June 18: National Internet Cat Day.
June 18: Veterinary Appreciation Day™. In 2015, Trupanion created Veterinary Appreciation Day to celebrate the critical role that veterinary professionals play in our lives.
June 19: National Garfield the Cat Day. This day celebrates the world’s most famous ginger cartoon cat.
3rd Week in June: Animal Rights Awareness Week.
June 19: National Pets in Film Day.
June 17-21: Take Your Pet to Work Week®.
June 17: Take Your Cat to Work Day®.
June 24: Cat World Domination Day.
June 29: World Day Against Pet Abandonment. Founded in 2019 by two French rescue groups, this day coincides with the start of summer holidays, a time many pets are abandoned. Always the last Saturday in June.
July 2024
National Lost Pet Prevention Month™.
National Pet Hydration Awareness Month.
July 1: ID Your Pet Day.
July 5: Pet Remembrance Day. (UK)
July 10: National Kitten Day.
July 11: All-American Pet Photo Day.
July 15: National Pet Fire Safety Day. Sponsored by the The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), ADT Security Services and the American Kennel Club® (AKC).
July 15: Feline Leukemia Day. Community Cats Podcast and Feline Leukemia advocacy supporter Margaret Tompkins host this annual online event with important expert information on this disease, ways to manage it and adoption of FeLV+ cats.
July 21: National Craft for your Local Shelters Day.
July 22: AAHA-Accredited Hospital Day or AAHA Day. A day that celebrates facilities accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association.
3rd Week in July: National Feed a Rescue Pet Week.
August 2024
Clear the Shelters. This annual event, held in partnership with NBC-owned TV stations and the Telemundo Station Group, features low-cost and fee-waived adoptions at shelters across the US.
Itchy Pet Awareness Month. Founded by Zoetis, this awareness month brings awareness to allergic skin disease.
Rawgust. Celebration of raw feeding for pets for the month of August.
Aug. 8: International Cat Day.
Aug. 8: National Cat Day in Canada. This Canadian awareness day helps shine the spotlight on the many homeless cats in need of a family of their own.
Aug. 10: National Lazy Day.
Aug. 15: National Check the Chip Day. AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create “Check the Chip Day.”
Aug. 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day.
Aug. 17: National Nonprofit Day. Honor the nonprofit shelters and rescues that do so much to help homeless cats!
Aug. 17: International Homeless Animals’ Day®. Always the 3rd Saturday in August.
Aug. 22: National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day.
Aug. 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.
Aug. 30. National Holistic Pet Day.
September 2024
Animal Pain Awareness Month.
Happy Cat Month. Established by the CATalyst Council, this month celebrates cats and shines a spotlight on the importance of their well-being, from their physical to their mental health.
National Pet Insurance Month.
National Preparedness Month.
Pet Sitter Education Month.
World Animal Remembrance Month.
Sept. 1: Ginger Cat Appreciation Day.
Sept. 5: National White Cat Day.
Sept. 8: National Pet Memorial Day. Second Sunday in September.
Sept. 9: Tuxie Appreciation Day. (Also see November’s National Tuxedo Cat Day)
Sept. 13: Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day. A day dedicated to the issue of pet birth defects including information on identification, prevention and treatment. Sponsored by the MBJungle Foundation.
Sept. 16-22: Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week.
Sept. 19: National Meow Like a Pirate Day.
Sept. 19: National Cat DNA Day.
TBA: World’s Largest Pet Walk.
Sept. 26: Remember Me Thursday® Remember Me Thursday® is an international social media awareness day 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.
Sept. 28: World Rabies Day. Sponsored by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control.
Sept. 29: Maneki-Neko Day or Beckoning Cat Day.
Sept. 30: Pet Tricks Day. (UK)
October 2024 Cat Holidays
Black Cat Awareness Month.
National Animal Safety and Protection Month.
National Pet Wellness Month.
Oct. 1-7 Animal Welfare Week. 1st Full Week of October. (AVMA)
October 4: World Animal Day.
Oct. 9: CATober 9th®. The date declared by North Shore Animal League as the universal birthday of shelter cats whose birthdays remain a mystery.
Oct. 11: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Always the second Wednesday in October.
Oct. 10: World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day. We all know the sad fact that far to many cats fall victim to road accidents every day. This awareness day is designed to make drivers think what would they do if they hit a cat or other animal on the road.
Oct. 11: Vet Nurse Day. Also called Veterinary Nurses Day, this annual event is scheduled for the second Friday in October. Share photos of your favorite vet nurse with the hashtag #VetNurseDay.
Oct. 13-19, 2024: National Veterinary Technician Week. Third week in October.
Oct. 16: Global Cat Day.
Oct. 21: National Pets for Veterans Day.
Oct. 27: National Black Cat Day (UK).
Oct. 28: Plush Animal Lovers Day.
Oct. 29: National Cat Day. This US pet holiday to celebrate cats was established in 2005 by Celebrity Pet and Family Lifestyle Expert Colleen Paige.
Oct. 30: National Treat Your Pet Day. Launched in 2021 by Dr. Marty Pets, National Treat Your Pet Day is the purr-fect day for treating your cat with nourishing snacks, extra love and attention.
November 2024
Adopt a Senior Pet Month. By ASPCA.
National Senior Pet Month. Created by National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS).
National Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Sponsored by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) and the Animal Cancer Foundation. (Also see May events).
Nov. 1: National Cook for Your Pets Day.
Nov. 1: International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day.
Nov. 3-8: National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.
Nov. 12: World Animal Enrichment Day.
Nov. 10-16: Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week. Created in 2016 by the Animals & Society Institute, this week (always the 2nd week in November) is also known as HARA Week.
Nov. 17: National Black Cat Day (Italy). Also celebrated in the US on August 17 and on October 27 in the UK.
Nov. 18: National Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Awareness, Research and Education Day.
Nov. 29: National Tuxedo Cat Day.
December 2024
Dec. 1: Celebrate Shelter Pets Day. Humane Society of the United States.
Dec. 9: International Day of Veterinary Medicine.
Dec. 10: International Animal Rights Day.
Dec. 15: National Cat Herders Day.
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