As many of you know about me..... I LOVE all animals, but I'm especially fond of cats. You will see mine on my posts and in my class videos.
October 16 is "Global Cat Day" and the 2023 theme was "Cats Are Community".
Cats are our family, our friends, and our neighbors who live indoors with us and outdoors among us.
Cats have been partnered with humans since 7500 BC. The Egyptians worshiped and adored cats. They were buried with Pharaohs. They treated them as Gods... What happened?
Cats have played an important role in protecting human food supplies and keeping our rodent population down. They give love, companionship, and laughter.
How much time have you spent watching cat videos on YouTube?
A little Cat History
300 BC
During the Roman Empire's conquests, cats were spread around Europe.
1492
Cats were apparently aboard Christopher Columbus' ships.
1700s
Cats were a part of many ships' crew lists. Feral cats were introduced all around the world by sailors, explorers, and settlers.
1950s
Cats come indoors. Cats roamed neighborhoods freely — before the invention of clay litter.
1960s
When litter boxes caught on, we grew to love them as indoor pets.
1990
The original cat lady, Becky Robinson, began humanely trapping feral cats, had them neutered, and returned them to their outdoor homes.
Out of concern for cats routinely killed by animal control agencies and shelters, Robinson begins "Alley Cat Allies".
2001
The first Feral Cat Day was started by "Ally Cat Allies". It is a day for all to be cat advocates, and give them a voice, defend, and protect them as we would any member of our community.
2015
Cats go viral
The number of cat videos on YouTube tops 2 million — with the average views hovering around 12,000. — higher than any other "cat"egory of YouTube content.
2017
"Feral Cat Day" becomes "Global Cat Day"
2022
China has almost 66 million domestic cats
33.6 million pet cats live in Brazil
Cyprus Island (Cat Island) is home to 1.5 million.
There are a dozen "Cat Islands" in Japan
2023
The city that has the most cats in the world is Istanbul, Turkey. It has around 200,000 stray cats. The residents in the community provide food, water, and shelter for them.
Prophet Muhammad was a respecter of cats, therefore it is considered disrespectful to harm them.
2023
There are 400 million cats living in Asia.
11 million pet cats in the UK, with 90% of them having free access to outside.
Almost 62 million cats in the US
The worldwide cat population is 600 million to 1 billion.
Interesting fact about cats
Cats can drink salt water, their kidneys are able to filter out salt from water and use the desalinated water for hydration.
Maybe we can learn to do this for ourselves, without harming the cats.
On a serious note, Cats face cruel threats to their lives. They are used for research, shot as threats to wildlife, cats are tortured for entertainment, and kittens are even taken from their mothers and destroyed in shelters. Felines are killed more than any other animal in shelters across the nation.
We can make a difference.
One of the best ways to control the feral cat population is a strategy called trap-neuter-return, or TNR. TNR reduces shelter intake, “euthanasia” and calls to animal services, which saves taxpayer dollars.
"Global Cat Day" reminds us that educating, engaging, and empowering people to defend and protect cats is the right thing to do.
“The Global Cat Day Pledge includes the fundamental principle that all cats have the right to live their lives, and it guides everything we do to protect cats,” says Allies founder and president Becky Robinson. “We stand for humane, non-lethal programs for cats, and those who join us can take action to stop cats from being killed.”
If you want to help, check out https://globalcatday.org
