National Feral Cat Day – October 16, 2022, history, significance
WHAT IS NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY?
October 16 is National Feral Cat Day, so start practicing your alley cat strut and get your feline friends together. This is a day to celebrate cats of all stripes, no matter where they call home. Feral cats have been stigmatized the world over, but thanks to this holiday, we can change how we see these lovable nomads.
NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY RELATED HOLIDAYS
Happy Mew Year for Cats Day
January 2 is Happy Mew Year for Cats Day! We know you spoil your cats every day, but use this day as an excuse to give your kitty friend an extra pile of catnip. Don’t have a cat? Go down to the shelter and adopt one of your own! This is a day to spread love to all of the cats in your life, and the ones who are yet to join.
National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
“Meow? “Merrp.” If this is what a conversation with your cat looks like, then you’re ready for National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day on January 22. Cats love to ask us questions like “Why is there no food in my bowl?” and “Why aren’t you petting me and not petting me at the same time?” Take a moment to indulge in your kitty’s specific queries as best as you can.
International Cat Day
Hey cat lovers, August 8 is International Cat Day! This day was created back in 2002 by The International Fund for Animal Welfare in order to raise awareness about cats and proper ways to help and protect them. Celebrate this day by volunteering at an animal shelter, donating to a cat charity, or even visiting a cat cafe!
History of National Feral Cat Day
Alley Cat Allies created the National Feral Cat Day in 2001. Cats are adopted as pets like dogs, and they are living with us for about 10,000 years. Cats are residing in every nook and corner of human cities, and there is not even a place in the world where you can’t find cats as they live with people in homes and colonies.
In August 2001, Alley Cat Allies observed their tenth anniversary and introduced the day to develop and increase awareness about feral cat colonies and how to care for and protect them.
Alley Cat Allies is an active promoter of the Trap-Neuter-Return policy also known as Trap-Neuter-Release or TNR, where free-roaming cats are captured and sterilized and returned to the streets where they were found. It lets the cats live out their lives on the outdoors without making more kittens
NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY TIMELINE
2,000 BC
The Rise of Cats
Cats, thought to have been domesticated in Egypt, begin spreading around the known world, forming feral populations known as colonies.
300 BC
Rise of the Roman (Cat) Empire
The Romans continue to spread cats around Europe through their conquests expanding the population even more.
1700s
Sea Cats
Feral cats are introduced to all corners of the world during imperial sailing missions by several countries.
1990
Cat Friends
Alley Cat Allies forms to develop solutions to the world’s feral cat problem.
NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY ACTIVITIES
Take part in a Trap-Neuter-Return effort
Anyone can make a big difference by taking part in a Trap-Neuter-Return effort. This entails humanely trapping a feral cat in a boxtrap, taking it to a vet to be spayed or neutered, then letting it go in its wild home. This keeps the cat safe, but is also an investment in the future to ensure the feral cat population remains contained.
Adopt a cat
TNR is a great method for controlling pet populations, but if adoption is a possible method for you, this is also an instrumental way to make a difference in the lives of feral cats. On October 16, there will be several shelters hosting adopt-a-thons, so find one near you and bring home a new member of the family.
Volunteer with Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies, which formed in 1990, has done amazing work to spread awareness about this problem and develop solutions for it. Through the organization you can help hold spay/neuter clinics and food/supply drives, encourage official governmental proclamations regarding TNR policies, and more.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY
It raises awareness of a serious problem
For many, feral cats are simply seen as a part of the community, and there’s not much we can do to improve their lives. However, what many don’t realize is that feral cats have an average of 1.4 litters each year, with an average of 3.5 kittens in each litter. That adds up to 420,000 kittens over seven years.
It introduces a novel idea
For many, the best way to control the feral cat population and prevent euthanization is a strategy called trap-neuter-return, or TNR. This method, as opposed to adoption, makes it easy for anyone to do their part to control the pet population.
It saves cats’ lives
Every year, nearly nine million dogs and cats are put down because the shelters can’t find a home for them. By lowering the number of strays that are put in shelters in the first place, we can drastically cut back the number of animals that must be euthanized.
