CATober 9th® - Celebrate Cat Birthdays!

Would you like to celebrate your cat’s birthday–but you have no idea when it might be? No worries: celebrate CATober 9th®, a universal birthday celebration for shelter and rescue cats whose birthday is unknown, giving shelter cats across the country an opportunity to be real party animals!

Celebrate the universal cat birthday: CATober 9th®!

When is CATober 9th®?

CATober 9th® is celebrated every year on October 9. CATober was launched by the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, North Shore Animal League America.

Since we all know cats have nine lives, CATober 9th makes the purr-fect day to celebrate the new life shelter cats get upon adoption!

How To Celebrate CATober with Shelter Cats

If you are in the position to become a pet parent, give the gift of a forever home to a shelter cat!

If adoption isn’t an option at the moment, however, you can still make the universal birthday for shelter and rescue cats a day to remember by donating cat toys, supplies or funds to your local shelter!

Another way to mark the day is to spread the word about the cat holiday on social media. Using the hashtag #CATober, show how much joy your cat brings to your life by posting a photo of your feline family member.

How to Celebrate CATober with Your Cat

If you are already a pet parent to a fur baby from a shelter or rescue, you can celebrate CATober with your kitty companion in a number of fun ways:

Host a “Purr-ty” for Your Cat’s Birthday!

From paper plates and napkins to balloons and banners, your local party supply store will have plenty of inexpensive theme decorations. Would Mittens like to see likenesses of other felines on party accessories, or perhaps a bird theme would make their heart soar?

Also, don’t forget to plan a few cat-themed birthday party games for any young animal-loving attendees by cat-ifying classic children’s party games (for example, make Bingo cards featuring pictures of different cat breeds), and buy a few party favors for your four-legged family member’s feline friends.

Grow Catnip

When purchasing catnip for your little party animal’s birthday, why not also get a gift that keeps on giving by also buying either a few catnip plants or seeds to grow at home!

Build a Catio!

Are you a home owner whose indoor cat craves a taste of the great outdoors? Nurture your cat’s love of nature by creating a catio, a special space just for felines to enjoy the outdoors safely. Although time-consuming to complete, this CATober gift will be appreciated by your purring pal for years to come.

For The “Mew-sic” Lover

If your cat loves to listen to ‘mew-sic,” crank up some kitty-themed ditties for their birthday! Your playlist can include:

“Black Cat” by Janet Jackson
“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” by David Bowie
“Cat Scratch Fever” by Ted Nugent
“Cat’s in The Cradle” by Harry Chapin
“Cool Cat” by Queen
“Cool for Cats” by Squeeze
“Delilah” by Queen (A song about one of Freddie Mercury’s cats!)
“Honky Cat” by Elton John
“Look What The Cat Dragged In” by Poison
“Memory” from CATS
“My Cat’s Name is Maceo” by Jane’s Addiction
“The Love Cats” by The Cure
“Nashville Cats” by The Lovin’ Spoonful
“Phenomenal Cat” by The Kinks
“Stray Cat Strut” by The Stray Cats
“Three Cool Cats” by The Coasters
“What’s new, Pussycat?” by Tom Jones
“Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart

For The Feline Film Fan

If you and your fur baby enjoy watching films together, turn Movie Night into Mew-vie Night by watching a cat-themed silver screen hit! The list of kitty-inspired classics includes:

The Aristocats
The Cat from Outer Space
Cats & Dogs
Garfield
Harry and Tonto
The Incredible Journey
Inside Llewyn Davis
Keanu
Luck
Oliver & Company
Puss in Boots
Rhubarb
A Street Cat Named Bob
That Darn Cat
The Three Lives of Thomasina

For Our Purring Pals with A Passion for Page-turners

Our feline friends love to listen to the sound of their pet parent’s voice, so why not curl up on the couch with your kitty companion and read a cat-themed book aloud! Four-legged little ones might enjoy The Cat in The Hat by Dr. Seuss, The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter or Socks by Beverly Cleary.

For the sophisti”cat”ed feline, read through the pages of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, and for inspirational true tales, try The Cat Who Came for Christmas by Cleveland Amory or A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope On The Streets and The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Street-wise Cat, both by James Bowen.

Immortalize The Moment

Capture the enjoyment of the day with plenty of photos of your feline friend, or go one step further and find an artist to draw a portrait of your purring pal for posterity.

If that idea sounds too painfully pricey for your pocketbook, pick up a drawing pencil or paint brush and create your own image of your cat! Even if your efforts are less than Picasso-like, your kitty will love being the center of your attention as you concentrate on his or her cat features!

Another way to create a tangible memory is to get an imprint of your cat’s paws. There are a number of kits for making clay or ink imprint keepsakes.

“Purr”chase A Present…

If your fur baby lives for the day when they finally catch that elusive red dot, you might want to purchase the latest laser pointer cat toy, or buy a bag of toy mice if your cat is wild about rodents.