National Cat Day: 'Pawsitively purrfect’ holiday helps felines find homes

Have you heard the latest “mews?” A very special day of the year is here and people across the land are ready to “pawty.” Oct. 29 is National Cat Day.

National Cat Day was founded in 2005 by animal behaviorist, author, animal lover and all around fabulous gal, Colleen Paige. The annual “howliday” celebrates one of the world’s most “purrfect” animals – cats. Paige created National Cat Day in order to raise awareness about the millions of kittens and cats in animal shelters, rescue organizations and out on the street. In an interview, Paige said:

"Ten years ago when I founded this day, I never imagined that National Cat Day would have grown to save as many cats as it has and that it would become a worldwide trending holiday every Oct. 29. It just goes to show how much people love cats, how valuable they are and how they've become just as popular as dogs, in that they give the same unconditional love. I thank my sponsors and all the cat lovers in the world for making this day as successful as it has become in promoting adoption and saving, what we estimate to be, over a million cats globally in the last ten years."

Many animal shelters around the country are inundated with pets. Sadly, millions of these unloved, unwanted, abandoned, abused and/or neglected felines will be euthanized through no fault of their own. While many lucky kittens and puppies will make it out alive, some of those amazing animals are often overlooked due to the color of their fur or their age. Black animals and seniors have an especially difficult time getting adopted. Please consider opening your heart and your home to an animal in need – before it is too late.

Today is also Internet Day.