Tomorrow is National Cat Day!

Make your preparations early. Tomorrow is National Cat Day:

National Cat Day was founded in 2005 by Pet and Family Lifestyle Expert & Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of cats that need to be rescued each year and also to encourage cat lovers to celebrate the cat(s) in their lives for the unconditional love and companionship they bestow upon us.

The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) estimates that people in the United States own between 74 and 96 million cats. From the very beginning, the internet has been a place where cat lovers post photos of their pets. If you don’t have a cat of your own (what’s wrong with you?), you can find lots of photos on the National Cat Day web site.

But National Cat Day isn’t just about goofy photos. This observance has three serious reasons for existence:

• to educate people about the number of cats in animal shelters: “Estimates reveal that there are approximately 4 million cats entering shelters every year with 1–2 million being euthanized”
• to encourage people to “ADOPT….don’t shop” when looking for a pet
• to advocate for responsible pet ownership by reminding people to spay and neuter their pets

The sponsors of National Cat Day are BLUE Naturally Fresh cat litter and Petco.

Here are a few more web sites to visit for information about pet ownership in the U.S., including information on homeless and unwanted animals, the pet overpopulation crisis, and the importance of spaying and neutering pets:

• The National Council on Pet Population Study & Policy
• The American Veterinary Medical Association
• The American Pet Products Association
• Alley Cat Allies
• Feral Cat Coalition
• The National Humane Education Society
• SpayUSA