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8 Ways To Show Your Cat You Love Them This National Cat Lover’s Month
There’s one more reason to be merry during December. The love for cats is being celebrated during the last 31 days of the year with National Cat Lover’s Month! According to American Humane Society, this is our opportunity to honor our feline friends and highlight overpopulation to help get these furry friends adopted. By focusing on meeting physical, emotional, and instinctual needs, below are ways to show your appreciation and love for cats.

Providing Physical Attention and Affection
1. Slow Blinks - Make eye contact and slowly close and open your eyes. This is a sign of trust and affection in the cat world. When she slow-blinks back, you've successfully communicated!
2. Grooming - Use a brush to gently groom her. This mimics the bonding behavior of a mother cat grooming her kittens and strengthens your relationship.
3. Cuddling - Allow her to nap on your lap, chest, or next to you. Physical closeness is a powerful expression of love and safety.
 
Plan Instinctual Activities
4. Scratching Enrichment - Ensure she has appropriate, sturdy scratch posts or pads (vertical and horizontal) in high-traffic areas. Scratching is essential for stretching, marking territory, and maintaining claw health.
5. Hunt Play - Dedicate at least one or two sessions daily (5-15 minutes) to interactive play with toys that mimic prey (like wands or feathers). Let her "catch" the toy at the end to satisfy her hunting drive. Always supervise playtime with toys to prevent choking.
 
Give Comfort and Environmental Items
6. Offer The High Ground - Cats feel safe and secure when they can survey their territory from a high vantage point. A cat tree, shelf, or window perch shows you value her need for security.
7. Cat Beds and Blankets - Provide multiple comfortable, warm places for her to sleep, especially in quiet, undisturbed areas.
 
Learning Pet CPR and Cat Behaviors
8. The best gift you can give your cat is learning not only lifesaving skills but understanding further about their behavior. National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) offers 10 studies within the certification course, including Pet First Aid and CPR through the American Red Cross.
 
Don’t have a cat, but want to still show your appreciation for them? Here’s how you can support shelter cats:
1. Support Local:
  • Donate: Highlight high-need items (food, litter, blankets) or monetary donations.
  • Volunteer: Suggest spending time playing with or socializing with shelter cats.
2. Encourage Adoption:
  • Use this as a powerful reminder to "Adopt, Don't Shop."
  • Share local shelter profiles of cats needing homes on social media.
3. Advocate and Educate:
  • Share facts about the importance of spaying and neutering.
  • Use your social media to raise awareness about cat welfare.
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) hopes you take this time to truly celebrate your feline friends and enjoy National Cat Lover's Month!
 
Remember to share your pet-loving moments and tag us when you post online!
 
Heather McLaren