National Cat Day — October 29

National Cat Day is October 29 — founded in 2005 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige with two goals: to celebrate the cats already in our lives, and to raise awareness about the number of cats in shelters who still need one.

It falls two days after National Black Cat Day, which is not a coincidence. The back-to-back placement in late October creates a full week of cat awareness right before the holiday season, when shelter intake increases and adoption inquiries tend to drop.

The origin of National Cat Day

Colleen Paige created National Cat Day as part of a broader series of pet awareness holidays. The idea was straightforward: designate a day to pause, appreciate, and act. Appreciate the cats already in your home. Act on behalf of the ones who aren't yet in anyone's home.

In the nearly two decades since its founding, National Cat Day has become one of the most widely observed pet holidays in the United States, generating significant shelter donations, adoption spikes, and a volume of internet content that briefly rivals International Cat Day every October.

What your cat has actually given you this year

Before you celebrate today, take a moment to take stock. Your cat has, over the past year, probably:

Sat beside you during more difficult work days than you remember. Shown up when you were stressed in ways you couldn't always articulate. Made your home feel inhabited. Given you something to come back to. Made you laugh — probably at an inconvenient time. Reduced your blood pressure, your cortisol levels, and your sense of isolation in ways that are scientifically documented and personally felt.

That's worth a proper acknowledgement.

How to celebrate National Cat Day meaningfully

• Adopt or foster. If you've been considering it, October 29 is a meaningful day to take action. Contact your local shelter.
• Donate to a rescue. Even a small donation to a local cat rescue or TNR (trap-neuter-return) program has a direct impact.
• Spend time with your cat, intentionally. Put the phone down. Sit on the floor. Let your cat set the agenda for 20 minutes.
• Upgrade their environment. Do they have adequate vertical territory? A dedicated resting spot that's actually theirs? If the answer is no, today is a good day to change that.

The cat who shares your desk

If your cat is part of your workday — present while you type, audible on your calls, occasionally walking across your screen at the worst possible moment — National Cat Day is an especially good moment to recognize what that presence actually means.


Show us your cat

Tag @ergopurrch on Instagram. We want to see how every cat is spending October 29.