Our own cats get lots of love and play every day, but what about the felines that don’t have safe homes?  

In 2005 Colleen Paige founded National Cat Day to alert people to the huge number of cats in the United States in need of rescue each year. Colleen is an internationally known Animal Welfare Advocate based in Washington state. Since its start this special awareness day has helped save the lives of more than one million cats!  

On October 29 many animal welfare groups join in to promote safety and health for the millions of cats that live unhoused in our communities. Local shelters, pet supply stores, veterinarian offices, and other cat welfare groups publicize the holiday and offer special events geared to celebrating cats.  

Here are a few suggestions for the day that you can give clients or add to promotional materials:

• Adopt a cat
• Organize a play date with friends’ or family’s cats
• Donate to a local rescue
• Host a Cat Party
• Create cat-related art
• Sponsor a cat at a rescue organization

How can you spread the word and get clients and local businesses involved?       

• With your business and NAPPS logo prominently displayed, drop off or send a postcard to your cat clients with day-of information and ways they can pamper their putties! Suggest the importance of play, etc. for cats or include other feline health and welfare subjects.

• Contact your local media and post in your social media about the day and its significance for cat rescue, etc., and how your business is acknowledging the occasion.

• Contact local grocery and pet supply stores, vets, etc. about National Cat Day and suggest tie-ins with these businesses (e.g., a special offer on cat-related items, your logo and information on promotional materials, NAPPS-branded informational handouts/fridge magnets/save our pets stickers). 

• Pet Parent member clients might be given a special NAPPS-branded handout with ways in which they can join in locally (e.g., visiting a business participating in promotion, and buying a cat toy or other feline-related item). 

• NAPPS Presents for Pets initiative is a great way to involve cat clients! If you haven’t used this terrific NAPPS promotion, check out our website for information and how-to. P4P gathers gifts for shelter animals over a specific period. These are provided by our clients and collected by us to be delivered with, of course, publicity about your business and NAPPS.

• Local libraries with story hours and kids’ programs could be a great venue! Check with the head librarian/children’s’ librarian. It may be possible to get a local shelter representative or vet to attend with either a live cat or toy model. The guest could read a cat story, or involve the kids with a project.

 Let’s celebrate the joy these furry friends bring to our lives! Post on NAPPS Facebook page about what you’re doing to share National Cat Day 2023.

Holly Holmes, Pets At Home

NAPPS Marketing Committee