It's International Cat Day!

“I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.”
― Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now

It’s no secret cats are special animals. They teach us independence, dignity, and honesty. A cat has nothing to prove to you; they know their self-worth. This is a day to celebrate our furry feline friends and all they provide to us.

International Cat Day was created on August 8, 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Now, August 8 is a day to raise awareness for cats and learn more about these wonderful pets.

So, what’s the best way to celebrate this day? Pamper your feline friends, of course! Whether that is donating to your local cat shelter, adopting a new kitty family member, or spoiling your own cat at home. This is a day to shower our cats with love and affection!

Another great way to celebrate the day: take a nap with your cat! A cat’s purr can be healing for their human companions. Purring releases endorphins in cats, and it can do the same for humans as well. When a cat purrs on you, you will have lowered stress hormones and lowered blood pressure. A cat’s purr has been shown to fall between 25 to 140 Hz. This is the same frequency range that has been used to help the healing of broken bones, joint and tendon repair, and wound healing. Cats heal very quickly from broken bones as a result, and it is possible that when a cat purrs on a human, they can heal faster, too.

 Now for some fun International Cat Day statistics!

9,500 – the number of years ago when the oldest-known pet cat existed.
70% – the percentage of their lives cats spend sleeping.
20 – the number of years an orange cat named ‘Stubbs’ served as the mayor of a small town in Alaska.
48.5 – the record number of inches for the longest cat ever.
19.05 – the record number of inches of the tallest cat ever.
1963 – the year when a cat was successfully sent to space.
30 mph – the maximum speed of a house cat.

Source: National Today, 2022

Works Cited

Adnan I Qureshi, M. M. (2009, Jan.). Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular            Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/

“International Cat Day - August 8.” International Cat Day, National Today, 6 Aug. 2021, https://nationaltoday.com/international-cat-day/.