Celebrate ‘National Cat Day’ With PETA

Top Tips for Helping Cats—Give Yours Something to Purr About

For Immediate Release:
October 27, 2020

Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382

It’s late October, so you know what day is coming—and no, we don’t mean Halloween! October 29 is National Cat Day, and PETA has put together a list of ways to celebrate, featuring tips from PETA President Ingrid Newkirk’s book 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You:

• Make your cat’s life a purr Our cats rely on us for everything, so in addition to keeping them indoors for their own safety—because cats who are left outdoors are vulnerable to being hit by vehicles, attacked by predators, and harmed by cruel humans, as well as contracting diseases—and for the safety of local wildlife, here are some easy ways to keep your kitty content.
  • Bring joy with toys. Cats are cheap dates. From paper bags (handles cut, please, to avoid a nasty accident), rolled-up balls of foil, feathers found on the ground, and stalks of grass to motorized “mice” and laser pointers, toys liven up even the sleepiest feline.
  • Let them scratch. Cats love to scratch—it helps them shed their outer claw sheaths, stretches their muscles, and is a way for them to mark their territory. Give kitty lots of approved places to scratch, such as cat trees, scratching posts, and sturdy cardboard scratching boxes. (Don’t even think about declawing them—it’s like amputating a finger at the knuckle!)
  • Provide a room with a view. Windows are cat “TV”—a bird feeder placed near a window can provide hours of entertainment. If kitty’s derrière doesn’t fit on the windowsill, attach a sturdy cushioned perch.
  • Explore the great outdoors—safely. Cats can be taught to walk with a leash and harness. Just be sure to pick a safe outdoor area to explore together.
• Help cats everywhere—it is National Cat Day, after all!
  
  • Always adopt—never shop—and encourage your friends and family to do the same, because every kitten bought from a breeder or pet store means that a deserving homeless cat staring out of a shelter cage loses a chance at finding a loving family.
  • To neuter is cuter—at least 70 million dogs and cats in the U.S. are homeless and on the streets at any given time. But we can help fix the animal overpopulation crisis by always spaying and neutering. Cats can be sterilized as early as 14 weeks of age.
• Look out for cats in need. Talk to your neighbors about keeping their cats indoors. If you spot a cat in a tight spot, such as stuck up a tree, call your local authorities or PETA.

“National Cat Day may be a once-a-year event, but cats deserve your time, love, and attention every single day,” says Newkirk. “With PETA’s tips, kind people can help our feline friends live their best nine lives.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.