Every day is National Cat Day (NCD) in the eyes of our feline friends. Sometimes humans need a little reminder though, so an animal-lover named Colleen Paige founded NCD in 2005. The goal is to raise awareness and get 10,000 cats adopted each year on October 29^th. This may sound like a big number, but with current cat adoption rates, 1-2 million cats are being euthanized in animals shelters in the USA every year.

What’s especially unfortunate about this, in my opinion, is how a lot of potential cat owners exist, but they don’t even know it! Superstitions and misconceptions abound. If I had a penny for every time someone said cats are “too independent” or “not friendly enough,” I’d be rich. In truth, they are amazing creatures that bring comfort, awe, and laughter into the lives of their companions.

They are also very cute when napping!

I may sound like quite the “catvocate,” but I must admit it was only recently that I found out about National Cat Day. I assumed it existed since even donuts have their own day, but never did anything to celebrate. To make up for that, I’m giving my foster kittens some extra TLC and sharing cat-centric tidbits.

Check out these fun cat facts:

- Cats lack certain taste receptors, so they can’t taste sweets.

- A cat is 20% more likely to survive a fall from the 20^th floor than the 7^th floor because it takes about 8 floors for it to get oriented, relax, and prepare for landing.

- Cat urine glows under a black light.

- Napoleon was scared of cats.

- Cats make 100+ vocal sounds, whereas dogs make about 10.

- Families in ancient Egypt would shave off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning when their cat died.

- The smallest wild cat is the Black-footed cat, which can weigh as little as 2.5 lbs.  The largest is the Siberian Tiger, which can weigh up to 700 lbs.

- At 39 years old (172 in human years), Lucy is considered the oldest cat in the world.

Also, take a look at these interesting cat breeds I stumbled upon:

- The Savannah cat is a cross between a domestic cat and a Serval (wild African cat) and can weigh up to 30 pounds.

- The controversial Munchkin cat has short legs due to a genetic mutation that people have selectively bred for.

Lastly, did you know that cats can do a whole lot more than chase mice and nap on the couch? I think National Cat Day is the perfect time to honor all the hard-working felines out there, like these:

- An orange tabby named Stubbs has served as the mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska for the past 15 years.

- Oscar is a 5-year-old nursing home resident that comforts patients in their final hours. His accuracy is uncanny enough that doctors notify family members when he curls up next to someone.

- During WWII, “Bomber” acted as an early warning system. Upon detecting far-away German planes approaching the UK, he’d lead his owners to the air-raid shelter.

- As a certified therapy cat, Sugar Pie wears costumes, does tricks, and provides some much-needed stress relief for people in schools and hospitals.

If you’ve made it this far in my post, I think you deserve some funnies too:

- Why don’t cats play poker in the wild? Too many cheetahs.

- What award is given to the cat with the best rear end? A catastrophe.

- When is it bad luck to see a black cat? When you’re a mouse.

Hopefully your curiosity has been sparked by now and you’re Googling away, learning all sorts of fascinating, heart-warming, and amusing things about cats. Feel free to share any of your own cat facts with us in the comments section below. Remember to share with family and friends on National Cat Day – with your help, the goal of increased awareness and cat adoptions can be reached!

cat adoption    cat behavior    cat care    cat chat