These furry felines have been an international icon since the internet and are highly revered in cultures worldwide. International Cat Day is all about celebrating the love we have for them.
Since the dawn of Ancient Egypt, cats have been kept as pets and even worshipped as gods. According to History, these cats were mummified because they wanted to take them into the afterlife. So what could make cats so unique? Is it their independent, inquisitive-adventurous-personalities, their cuteness, their physiognomy which is the ability to make facial expressions, or a superpower of self-healing? No matter the reason, today, August 8, is the day to celebrate cats and give our love to our favorite pets.
History of Celebrating Cats
Humans have domesticated cats as pets twice in ancient times, even though they have descended from the African Wildcats that often hunted vermin, according to National Today. The first record of cats came from Ancient Egyptian Civilization culture. In their culture, they often thought of cats as Gods. The first known cat deity Mafdet was the protector against snakes, scorpions, and evil during the First Dynasty, so for them, cats were not just Gods but also their protectors. When the Egyptian Dynasty ended, cats fandom started to spread worldwide.
During the days of ancient Greece and Rome, they used cats as pest control. According to National Today, the wealthy people in the East owned them. When the black plague came during the Middle Ages in Europe, cats became a pariah, with them correlated to the disease during the Black Death of 1348, leading to the death of many cats. However, in the 1600s, cats became welcome into human society and home again.
Cats came to America and were used on ships as pest control to fight disease. After this, they were taken to the mainland into towns as pets. From ancient Egypt to a national icon in modern society, the cat has risen to the upper echelon of fandom. There are over half a billion cats globally, according to National Today. Since 2002 these furry friends have had their very own holiday due to the efforts of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Cats get the royal treatment on International Cat Day. Not that this is already the case on most days, but they are especially pampered and showered with love today.
Here are some fun cat facts, according to National Today.
- Loudest Purrr | Merlin, a Black and White Cat from the U.K., has the record for the loudest purr and his purr is 67.8db.
- Fastest Kitty | A cat can reach speeds of around 30mph!
- Richest Cat | According to Guinness World Records, when Blackie’s millionaire owner passed away, he got a 7-million-pound fortune.
- Nothing Sweet | Cats can’t taste sweetness, which is why they aren’t attracted to it.
- A Special Meow | According to Pet Keen, cats only use their meows to talk to humans and not to each other, which makes these meows.
Today is the day to make sure you give your furry feline some love. You can do the following to show that:
- Blink Slowly | If you give your cat a loving gaze and give her a relaxed, loving slow blink, she might give one back to you, according to Kristen Levine of Pet Living. The way cats communicate love, so instead of a hug, try a blink.
- “Grooming” | Petting your little kitten is a way to show affection, as this simulates cats licking each other to groom them.
- Treat | Give your kitten or cat an assortment of their favorite treats, and remember not to give them too much, but just enough to show them they are especially well-loved.
International Cat Day is the day to show how much your furry friend means to you, so appreciate them as other humans have done since the dawn of ancient civilization.
