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It is not by chance that World Cat Day has become an international holiday: these four-legged pets are most loved by most of the inhabitants of the planet. Cats improve people’s lives by their very presence. They create a favorable microclimate in the house, bring comfort, regularity and tranquility to it. For many centuries, cats live next to a person, sharing sorrows and joys with him. In gratitude for this, World Cat Day was established.
When is World Cat Day celebrated?
Every year World Cat Day is celebrated 8 August, in 2022 dozens of countries of the world will join it.
However, in many of them, fluffy pets celebrate their holiday on other dates. It is March 1 in Our Country, February 22 in Japan, October 16 and 29 in America, November 17 in Italy, and February 17 in Poland.
history of the holiday
In 2002, the International Fund for the Protection of Animals (Animal Welfare) called on all cat lovers and, in general, those who care about the fate of the mustachioed, to celebrate August 8 as World Cat Day. Many countries responded to this call, and now the international holiday unites owners of furry pets around the world.
Our Country has its own Cat Day, it falls on the beginning of spring, on March 1st. And this is probably no coincidence. After all, nature wakes up in spring, renewal comes and cats, rejoicing in the warmth and the sun, sing their “March songs”. The cat festival was initiated in 2004 by the Moscow Cat Museum and the editors of the Cat and Dog magazine.
It should be noted that in various cities of Our Country, local traditions have developed to celebrate local days of cats. For example, residents of the Northern capital on March 27 in the Hermitage honor March cats. This holiday was established by Empress Catherine II. It was she who issued a decree on this day to take cats to public service in the palace in order to protect her peace from mouse fuss. Mustachioed hunters were brought by special escort for the Empress from Germany.
There is another holiday in St. Petersburg – the Day of St. Petersburg cats and cats, June 8th.
In Kaliningrad, the cat is considered the patron saint of the city, its holiday falls on September 5th.
Holiday traditions
Each country has developed its own traditions of honoring furry pets. In various cities of Our Country, festive events, competitions, contests, and promotions are held, in which cats of different breeds participate. On this day, you can please yourself – sit in a cat cafe, escape from the hustle and bustle and problems in a charming purring company.
In the United States, this holiday has been celebrated since 2005, with October 16 being Stray and Wild Cat Day, and October 29 being Cat Day in the United States. The holiday is held under the auspices of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Its participants urge everyone to engage in charitable activities – visit shelters for homeless animals, donate part of the funds to improve their lives, or give one of the pets the opportunity to find their own home and owners. In New York, one of the taxi services in honor of the holiday offered a new service: for $ 20, they bring a cat from a shelter to the customer for 15 minutes so that people can stroke and chat with him, or maybe even leave him forever. On Cat Day, some residents also hold parties where owners bring animals, where they can interact with their four-legged counterparts.
Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun began to celebrate the holiday of cats since 1987. Poems are dedicated to cats, animated series, television series (dramas) are created. Despite the fact that the tradition of celebrating the holiday of cats is relatively young, the cult of these animals in Japan is very ancient, as evidenced by old pictures with their images. Mustaches can serve at temples and at the same time receive the favor of parishioners. On one of the Japanese islands of Toshiro there is a sanctuary of the god of cats, many fluffy purrs live there, so the island was nicknamed “cat”. Young people wear cat ears in honor of the holiday. And in stores in Japan you can find figurines of cats with a raised paw (maneki-neko). The cat, as it were, stretches it out for happiness, for good luck. They believe that such a souvenir promises prosperity to those who acquire it.
In the UK, cats and cats are in the public service. They work in warehouses and save grain from mice, and also protect exhibits in British museums from rodents. For their valiant service for several years, animals are awarded a special award. A lifetime pension is assigned to them in the form of a good allowance – milk and meat.
In China, cats are given special attention on this holiday: it is customary to caress them, feed them with delicious food. In ancient times, the Chinese used these animals for food, but now cats are protected at the legislative level. Anyone who breaks the law and offends a cat will face a fine, and possibly a two-week prison sentence.
Italy celebrates Black Cat Day. Why exactly black? Because black cats in the Middle Ages, the inquisitors burned at the stake, considering them accomplices of evil spirits. To restore the reputation of this animal, the Italians established a holiday in honor of him.
In many countries, parks for walks, shops, hotels, hotels, cozy cafes are opened for cats and cats, which, no doubt, indicates a respectful and caring attitude towards animals.
The figures
- The cat family is 36 types.
- About 600 million domestic cats counted all over the world. About 1 million of them live in St. Petersburg – about every fifth St. Petersburg resident is a happy cat owner.
- If long-lived people live an average of 90 years, then cats – 17-20 years.
- Purr’s daily sleep lasts 16-18 hours.
- 5 hours the day the cat washes.
- More 10 million videos about cats posted on YouTube. Users upload videos of their furry pets at a rate of two per minute.
“Cat” signs
Since ancient times, cats have been considered mysterious animals, therefore, various magical abilities are attributed to them: as if they are connected with the other world, receive and transmit information from it to people.
Many peoples have developed signs and beliefs associated with cats. Here is some of them
- You can not offend cats, otherwise it can turn into trouble for a person.
- Cats are very sensitive to human energy.
- It is not advised to look pets in the eyes intently, as animals perceive this as a threat and aggression towards them, while, according to the owners, they may react inadequately.
- Kissing a cat on the nose is also not advised. It is believed that when the lips of a person and the nose of an animal come into contact, energy leaves a person.
- Many peoples believe that cats protect the house from negativity and evil. Therefore, in Our Country it has long been believed that before entering a new home for people, it is necessary to put a purr there.
- The behavior of the animal often served as a prediction of the weather: if a cat sleeps, hiding behind its tail and hiding its muzzle in its paws, then this is for the cold, and if it is “combed” against the wool, for rain; if a cat meows loudly at night, then the bad weather will last for several days; if he sneezes three times – to a cold of the owner or rain.
- It is believed that the house in which a black cat lives is protected from robbers, and a three-haired cat protects the home from fire.
- It was considered a good sign for the bride if a cat sneezes next to her – the marriage promises to be successful, the husband is loving and kind, the marriage is happy for many years.
- The Slavs had a custom: a newborn cannot be put in a cradle until the cat sits there. It was believed that after that the baby would sleep peacefully, and he would not have bad dreams.
Cat Science
Not only amateurs, but also scientists are interested in cats and study their anatomical and physiological features, behavioral characteristics. The science of cats is called felinology, felinus in Latin means “feline”, and λόγος in ancient Greek means “word, teaching”. Felinology is one of the scientific areas of zoology. Scientists dealing with issues of anatomy, physiology, genetics and selection of various breeds are felinologists. All over the world there are amateur felinologists’ clubs uniting into large associations. The most famous of them are the American association TICA and the European WCF. Their competence includes regulation of issues of catteries and breeders, organization of competitions, judging (WСF), registration of catteries around the world (TICA).
Cats and human health
Even in ancient Egypt, the therapeutic abilities of this pet were known. In ancient times in Our Country, healers gave advice on how to recover from an illness by turning to a cat. It was believed that by stroking a black cat’s tail, one could get rid of barley on the eye, and the three-colored purr could clear the human body of warts.
Conducted by physicians, various studies prove the positive impact of cats on human health. Felinotherapy, or cat therapy, is one of the zootherapy methods based on the direct bioenergetic contact of an animal with a person. Cats have a positive impact on human mental health and help to cope with chronic fatigue, depression, and reduce stress levels. In medicine, the method of treating joint pain with low-frequency currents has long been used, and they are just produced by cat hair. It is enough just to stroke a cat lying nearby with light, rhythmic movements, and the healing effect on the human body will be noticeable. Scientists from the USA have found that cat owners suffer 40% less heart disease.
Museums and monuments to cats
Museums have been created and monuments to cats have been erected in many countries of the world. The latter are especially numerous, for example, in St. Petersburg. Residents of the Northern capital are grateful to fluffy pets for the fact that they have repeatedly helped people survive in difficult conditions, protected cultural values, brought warmth and comfort to their homes. In the Vyborgsky district, on Composers Street, there is a sculptural ensemble: a bronze cat on a chair, comfortably located under a floor lamp. On the plate is the inscription “In memory of the cats of besieged Leningrad.” During the blockade, purrs brought from different parts of the country worked as orderlies and saved residents from the threat of epidemics caused by various infections carried by rats.
В Tyumen there is also a monument dedicated to the purrs who helped the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad – this is the Square of Siberian cats.
В Kazan in 2009, a monument was erected to the Cat of Kazan, known as Alabrys the Cat. By decree of Empress Elizabeth II, it was Kazan cats that were brought to the Winter Palace for the extermination of mice.
The monument to the mystical Bulgakov character – the cat Behemoth – is located in Moscow on Bolshaya Sadovaya at the entrance to the Bulgakov Museum.
В Rome An entire street is dedicated to cats.
in a bavarian city Regensburg a monument was erected to Carroll’s character – the Cheshire cat, which can frighten with its wide smile.
In Our Country, there are cat museums in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Zelenogradsk (Kaliningrad region). In Europe – in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Lloret de Mar (Spain), Siauliai (Lithuania), Okayamo (Japan), Lgarzhakh (Czech Republic), Berlin (Germany), San Francisco (USA) and other cities of the world.
How else can you show your respect for these cute animals? Just love and take care of them. They do not require more from a person.