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Every day in the world is dedicated to some significant past events, people, heroes, discoveries. Such holidays are celebrated for the sake of memory, the transfer of certain experiences to generations, and tribute to respect. There is also a holiday that honors pets: World Cat Day .
Why is a holiday dedicated to these fluffy and graceful creatures, and why is it celebrated in most countries of the world? The cat has been present in human life since ancient times. At different times, cats were credited with either medicinal or magical properties; at one time they were even considered the devil’s messengers.
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The modern world is grateful to these beautiful animals for the fact that they decorate our home, give a lot of warm and bright emotions, and protect our home from rodents. There is evidence that these animals treat many diseases, even save the owner from heart attacks. Therefore, it is not surprising that people willingly gave an entire calendar day to cats and cats as an honor and respect for these creatures.
History of World Cat Day
Like any other, this holiday has its own, albeit not very long, history. In 2002, the International Fund for Animal Welfare proposed introducing World Cat Day into the holiday calendar. Initially, it was intended to use this calendar emphasis to draw everyone's attention to the lack of shelters for stray cats, as well as to launch the production of affordable, complete cat food. For felinologists, this date is associated with thematic exhibitions of pets. Kindness towards our furry brothers is also being actively promoted.
In some countries, cat cafes attract the attention of visitors at this time: guests with cats have a special place. The hotel business associated with furry pets is also developing, as there is a demand among owners for cat rooms where you can leave your pet for a certain period of time and not worry about its well-being.
The public has gradually become imbued with the spirit of Cat Day, and this holiday is celebrated by an increasing number of people every year. Participants in the celebrations happily plunge into the cat atmosphere, visit exhibitions, and collect signatures in defense of our little brothers. World Cat Day is celebrated on August 8th
Expensive pleasure
Pets are not only pleasant and helpful neighbors (sometimes they are literally family members), but also a significant expense. Keeping a cat, providing them with proper care, nutrition and education is a serious matter. Especially for those who use cats not for pleasure, but for business. This topic was raised on its pages by the newspaper “Soviet Siberia”.
There is an elite cat club “Royal Dynasty” in Novosibirsk. Club President Svetlana Anisimova spoke about difficult problems that have worsened recently. Many people want, but cannot buy a purebred kitten. “Now it’s more profitable to sell them to foreigners rather than to Siberians,” says Svetlana. “In addition, imported veterinary drugs and feed are rapidly becoming more expensive.” According to the breeder, it has become profitable to send kittens to China. Resourceful resellers “stock up” with kittens in Novosibirsk, add their commission and sell, often illegally, live goods to Chinese clients. “We hold exhibitions twice a year, and our first visitors are Chinese,” continues Svetlana Anisimova. “They photograph the kittens and immediately send the photo to prospective buyers in the Middle Kingdom, where cats of the British breed, as well as Neva Masquerade and Scottish Fold cats are now very popular.”
“The fashion for certain breeds among foreigners is a temporary phenomenon,” Lyudmila Petryaeva, a representative of the oldest Novosibirsk cat lovers club “Kat,” continues the topic. The specialist does not approve of the massive purchase of kittens for foreigners, because they are taken to another country at random, and the cats get stressed... Recently, raising and keeping purebred cats has turned into a very expensive endeavor. A cat from the street can be fed with what is in the refrigerator, but an expensive elite animal is another matter, there are completely different expenses. “I never count so as not to get upset,” says Lyudmila. - But these are thousands and thousands. Vaccinations, medications, various examinations, mating, and then, if the cat also needs to have a caesarean section, then it’s a total waste. But whoever loves an animal goes for it.”
According to Victoria Senatorova, who is the owner of two purebred cats named Ramses and Lancelot, now the cost of a standard bag of food remains approximately at the same level, and there is no serious increase in price. “Apparently, due to the fact that low-price food is produced at Russian enterprises,” explains Vika. — But foreign food is rising in price rapidly. When this or that specialized food is needed, it’s just ruin.”
The newspaper “Evening Chelyabinsk” touched on the same topic. According to a study by the local free classifieds site Avito, in the first half of 2021, the demand for cats among Chelyabinsk residents increased by 9% compared to the previous year. And the sale of pets increased by 16%. Moreover, residents prefer outbred pets. Why? Because you don’t need to spend a lot of money on them or buy them elite, expensive food. These are usually animals in excellent health.
International Cat Day in Russia
If you didn’t know what date they celebrate Cat Day in Russia , then circle this date on the calendar: March 1st. The initiative to celebrate the day dedicated to your favorite purrs belongs to the Moscow Cat Museum. Officially, this holiday has been celebrated in our country since 2004. This month, marked by cat chants in all courtyards and nooks, the Hermitage, according to history, pays tribute to the palace cats. As you know, on March 27, Catherine the Great issued a decree on the enrollment of cats in the civil service. Representatives of the cat world did no less than protect the palace from rodents.
St. Petersburg organized its annual holiday dedicated to mouse catchers - St. Petersburg Cat Day, which is celebrated on June 8.
Kaliningrad honors cats in early September. Residents consider these animals to be the patrons of the city.
How cat day is celebrated in other countries
International Cat Day is celebrated in many countries, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. This is due to the fact that in the Southern Hemisphere, cats as pets are less common than in the Northern Hemisphere. The second reason for the smaller coverage of countries in honoring rodent catchers with a special day is associated with the youth of the holiday itself.
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In those countries where the holiday takes place annually, cats are especially celebrated. Austria even grants pensions to cats who have been guarding food warehouses for many years. True, this pension is paid not in the form of cash benefits, but in meat, broth and dairy products.
In some countries, it is at this time that they try to open departments for cats, where you can buy a lot of useful things for your pets.
The Chinese are also kind to the mustachioed and striped creatures. This holiday draws Chinese people's attention to the needs of felines and reminds them of tougher penalties for people who mistreat animals.
Cat Day in the UK
This holiday is celebrated on a special scale. In this country, cats have their own state role - it is not so easy to be responsible for the safety of museum exhibits and for the reserves of English grain.
Absolutely all furry purrs receive congratulations, especially those who officially serve for the benefit of their Fatherland. The heroes of the occasion are treated to goodies, sea delicacies, or any food that these animals especially love. Of course, everyone’s favorites are endlessly stroked on the fur, showing their attention.
Many elegant representatives of the cat world can be seen on the streets of England on this holiday. Owners either sew cat costumes themselves or buy them in stores.
Cat Day in America
There was no way Americans could miss such a holiday on their calendar. However, the United States celebrates this celebration on a different date: October 29. The cat holiday was originally proposed to be celebrated by the editor-in-chief of Pet Home Magazine, Colleen Page. This lady is an undisputed expert on the behavioral reactions of animals.
Initially, the holiday was intended to draw attention to homeless and wild cats and their problems of existence. Today, Stray Cat Day in the United States is celebrated on October 16, actively offering animals new homes. Many stars take part in cat events, for example, Eva Longoria devotes a lot of attention to cats.
Cat Day in Japan
In the Land of the Rising Sun, there is a special attitude towards these cute creatures. The history of International Cat Day in Japan began in 1987, although the holiday officially gained global significance in 2002.
On February 22, owners of adult cats and kittens celebrate their furry friends. It is believed that Japanese cats do not say “meow”, but “nyan-nyan-nyan”. And in Japanese, “ni” is “two”. A playful form of the word is nyan. What number do we get? That's right, the 22nd of the 2nd month. This is where the date of the holiday comes from.
The meaning of the Japanese cat festival is to spread information about cats, breeds, and habits of these creatures.
Both a doctor and a weather forecaster
What other benefits do cats bring? Different. For example, they treat people from diseases. Readers of the Altaiskaya Pravda newspaper learned about this. “Many people have noticed that their furry pets settle down at their feet, lie down by their side, sometimes even on a pillow. The animal begins to purr and the pain goes away.”
Old people advised that in case of illness, observe where the cat most often lies down. Then you need to “stand in this place and not leave it longer.” All these wisdoms have come down to us from the depths of centuries, and we don’t really believe in them. But it turns out that already in our time, authoritative scientists have proven that cats really do heal. For example, a tendency has been identified for a decrease in blood pressure in hypertensive patients after they interact kindly with cats. “Despite the fact that the body temperature of cats is higher than that of a person, and a person is pleased when a cat “warms” him, a cat acts differently as a medicine. The effect is achieved due to the positive emotions that a person experiences.”
There is an interesting publication on the same topic in the Khabarovsk newspaper “Young Far Easter”. One person had two cats in his house. They didn’t really get along with each other, but they loved their owner and tried to jump on his lap or fall asleep on his chest. And one day the owner of the cats had a mini-stroke: his hand began to work poorly and speech became difficult. However, after a couple of months he was able to fully recover. The most curious thing is that on the day when the “blow” overtook him, one of the cats died suddenly. Although she did not have any prerequisites for death. It turns out that the cat took the blow of a person’s fate and sacrificed itself for the life and health of its owner.
In addition, it is worth taking a close look at the cat’s behavior and noticing characteristic changes in it. The fact is that cats are weather-dependent creatures that can predict the weather no worse than weather forecasters. If the cat curls up into a ball and hides its face, then you need to wait for frost. He lies down with his stomach up, rolls on the floorboards and stretches for warmth. She sat on the windowsill and looked out the window - towards the thaw. He tears at the wall with his claws, scrapes the floor - to bad weather, to a blizzard. Licking a paw - for sunny weather...
Cat Day in Poland
Almost half of Poles keep one or more felines in their home. Therefore, February 17, the Polish date of World Cat Day , is celebrated everywhere.
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The key moments of the holiday are considered to be a variety of exhibitions and competitive programs in which everyone can participate with their pets. The main goal of this annual mass event is to raise money to buy food and medicine for homeless cats and sterilize these “nobody’s” animals.
Beautiful is the one who is loved
Not so long ago, inhuman passions were in full swing in Irkutsk. The competition for the most beautiful cat has opened! The owners of their beloved pets enthusiastically joined the competition. “Among the meowing contestants there are plump ones, non-pedigree ones, and those with character,” comments the Irkutsk newspaper. A Sphynx cat with the strange name Shkidla Kusechka made it into the top ten. Her owner Yana Lisitsyna told a lot of interesting things about her beloved pet.
“Once I was walking down the street and saw a sphinx cat of incredible beauty in the window of a wooden house, and next to it was an advertisement “We are giving away kittens.” As it turned out, there was only one left - a small, fragile, gray lump. I paid 30 rubles for it and took it home. We began to nurse her, feed her, and specially made a small “pen” in the apartment, but this baby immediately got out of there and proved that she was a completely viable little monster. Very soon we realized: it is not necessary to save her, but to save ourselves. Due to her hooligan character and brutal appetite, the nickname Shkidla Kusechka immediately stuck to her.”
One day Shkidla Kusechka entered the closet, pulled out five pairs of socks, overturned a laundry basket in the bathroom, dropped a heavy chair on cups of cat food in a swift jump, and climbed the curtains as if on ropes. She liked all this so much that she began to practice such manipulations constantly. “Well, what can you do - there’s a child in the house! - the hostess says tenderly. “And we sent it to the competition as a symbol: “Favorite means beautiful.” Regardless of breed, purebred, color or manners.”
Cat Day in Italy
Italians celebrate this holiday with pleasure on February 17th. They also have another date dedicated to cats: Black Cat Protection Day, celebrated on November 17th. In Italy, black cats have a special attitude, since the population of these beauties was intensively exterminated by the Inquisition for the so-called aiding of the devil. Justice has long triumphed, but the November holiday annually reminds us of the pages of history.
The Italian celebration has been held annually since 1990. February is the month of Aquarius, the most freedom-loving sign, which means this time is also suitable for honoring equally freedom-loving animals. The number 17 is unlucky for Italians, so this day was chosen to dispel the myth about cats bringing bad luck.
In honor of the cat holiday, Florence issued a number of stamps. Every year on February 17, the Gattart art exhibition is held throughout the country, dedicated to the theme of the day.
As you can see, the love for cute furry creatures has given the world another wonderful day - World Cat Day .
Belgium
Belgian cats have paid dearly to be revered today, with festivals held in their honor. It was a long and difficult journey from “Cat Wednesday” to Kattenstut. But first things first…
“Cat Wednesday”
Twelfth century. Flemish town of Ypres. Bell tower of St. Martin's Church. Helpless and defenseless cats fly from a high bell tower to the square, without the slightest chance of survival.
The monstrous event took place every year. On Wednesday, the second week of Lent. Hence the name “Cat Wednesday”.
There are several theories that explain in different ways the need for such a cruel custom.
According to one of them, cats in those distant times were associated with dark forces. They represented the embodiment of evil and black magic. In order to rid the world of evil spirits, people threw live cats down from the bell tower. Associating the death of cats with the killing of evil spirits.
There is also a more down-to-earth version of the horror that took place.
In the Middle Ages, Ypres was famous for the production of woolen cloth and was nicknamed the city of weavers. The local industry relied solely on this.
The wool came from the Kingdom of England and was stored in warehouses for some time. Then artisans bought it, wove cloth and sewed clothes. After which she also ended up in warehouses awaiting the fair held annually.
Wool and woolen products have become a real bait for mice and rats. Harmful rodents happily settled in warehouses, setting up their nests among raw materials, materials and ready-made clothes.
Of course, all this posed a serious threat to the further development of industry.
The solution was found quickly. Cats. The main enemies of rodents.
A four-legged army was dispersed throughout the warehouses. The furry patrol quickly dealt with the task and carried out the cleanup.
Warehouse owners breathed a sigh of relief.
However, soon the residents of Ypres were faced with the fact that the “faithful helpers” themselves began to pose a problem for them.
The cats began to actively reproduce and simply filled the streets of the town.
Then the Belgians came up with the idea that it was time to get rid of the extra cats.
In those days, people didn’t think much about humanity. Therefore, no one objected to the proposal to throw cats from the bell tower. That's what they did. And they repeated it every year.
The terrible and strange tradition of “cat throwing” existed in Belgium until 1817.
The turning point came when the last abandoned cat survived. She simply landed on the ground and sped away in front of an astonished audience.
From that time on, “Cat Wednesday” began to be celebrated only by ringing bells. This is the day of cats. With the tears of these same cats.
Kattenstut
The early morning of the thirty-eighth year of the eighteenth century began with a cycling competition. It was called the “cat race”. Next there was a clownish procession. From the town hall to St Martin's Church. The jester led the procession. The servant boys followed him, holding toy cats in their hands.
The parade ended with the throwing of toy cats from the same famous bell tower. But now the event was accompanied by confetti, fireworks and the sounds of an orchestra.
This is how the first “Cat Parade” took place, later called Kattenstut.
Unfortunately, the continuation of the tradition was prevented by the tragic events associated with the Second World War.
However, already in 1946, the people of Belgium resumed the celebrations.
At first everything was quite modest. A small parade and symbolic dropping of toy four-legged animals. Over time, the scale of the event increased.
Holding the parade in the post-war years was not just a tribute to the dark days in the cat's biography.
The organizers understood that dilapidated Ypres needed to unite the people. Restoring the image, gaining faith in a bright future. And they succeeded.
Residents of Ypres have already experienced the side effects of decisions made. One day, Kattenstut became a real problem for the city’s economy.
The spectacular performance required more and more funding, but the possibilities were not very good.
The authorities decided to abandon the tradition, which has become famous throughout the world and attracts numerous tourists. But the parade was not held annually. Currently, the “Cat Parade” takes place once every three years, on the second Sunday of May.
The main actions remain the same. Theatrical processions, fireworks, musical orchestra. Spectacular, fun and beautiful.
The culmination of the holiday remains unchanged. But now it has a completely different meaning.
Ypres. Bell tower of St. Martin. Toy cats are flying down. But the crowd below is trying their best to catch the falling toy. After all, then it will be possible to make a wish. Belgians believe that such wishes will definitely come true!
