International Cat Day 2020 – how can we celebrate?
IT'S the mews we've all been waiting for - International Cat Day is on August 8!
No, we're really not kitten you - you can now show your pampered pet that you love them. Here's more about the day.
When is International Cat Day?
International Cat Day is celebrated on August 8 around the globe each year.
The day is a full 24 hours when we can worship our pampered pets.
It began in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other animal rights groups to celebrate the most popular pet on the planet.
The Ecology Global Network estimates that there are about 600million small cats in the world.
This includes pets, strays, homeless and feral cats.
The number of wild cats is estimated at about 100million.
How can we celebrate International Cat Day?
People across the globe celebrate on social media.
Many tweet memes, videos and pictures of their pets' crazy antics using the hashtag #InternationalCatDay.
And even the No10 Downing Street cat Larry gets in on the action by tweeting about it every year, as do moggies from other government departments.
You can celebrate this special day by volunteering at a cat rescue centre or just by donating food and blankets.
Other ways to show how much you love moggies is by donating to a cat charity.
You could even visit a cat cafe.
On the other hand you could just give your own pet an extra ear scratch, a cat toy... or as a special treat a bit of cat nip.
The most popular location for pet cats is in the South East where 890,000 households own a cat.
They stated that despite dogs being the number one pet globally, cats are not far behind.
America is home to the most cats, totalling 74.1million.
So having a special day in which to celebrate our furry, feline friends is a must!
Why are black cats not so popular with pet owners?
In January 2018, it was revealed that black cats are being abandoned as they don’t look good in owners’ selfies.
They used to be hard to rehome because of their association with witchcraft.
Christine Bayka, 67, founder of The Moggery in Bristol, says these days it is because they don’t look good in social media posts.
Christine said: “It’s worse now because black cats don’t show up in selfies.
“It’s an increasing problem. It’s definitely got harder because of selfies.”
The RSPCA confirmed: “More black and black and white cats come into care than any other colour.”