National Kitten Day – July 10, 2023

Kittens! Who doesn’t love tiny, adorable kittens? …their big heads, giant eyes, tiny pink paws and noses, and the adorable mews they make…. We can’t resist their cute and furry charms. Surprisingly Americans seem to like cats and kittens best: According to the American Humane Society, 95.6 million cats were owned, while 83.3 million households owned a dog. There is certainly nothing wrong with dogs, but a tiny kitten is irresistible! So join us on July 10, as we celebrate National Kitten Day!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL KITTEN DAY

Cats are an enigma, and we humans are utterly fascinated by them. Cats have been living with people for 12,000 years, according to scientists. We are still not exactly sure when cats became domesticated, especially since the skeletons of wild cats and domesticated cats discovered at archaeological sites are very similar. Still, most evidence suggests that the domestication of cats occurred more than 8,000 years ago. 

As if cats were not already so irresistibly cute, they are even more adorable as kittens! Sweet little babies that we just want to hold and cuddle, and once they start purring, our hearts simply melt. National Kitten Day is when we spoil and pamper our little fur babies. Created by animal advocate and pet expert Colleen Paige, National Kitten Day is also an opportunity for abandoned kittens to be adopted into loving homes. 

While many of our kittens will be given special treatment today, countless kittens don’t find homes. Left alone at shelters, on roadsides, or in the wild, National Kitten Day doubles as an awareness campaign to save these babies and give them the love they rightfully deserve. 

BY THE NUMBERS

2 — the number of weeks until when kittens are blind and mostly deaf. 

3-4 ounces — the weight of kittens at birth. 

3 — the number of weeks it takes for kittens to learn to walk. 

2-3 — the number of hours between a kitten’s meals. 

70 – the number of cat breeds in the world

4 — the number of months after which a kitten is mature enough to reproduce. 

18 — the number of hours a day kittens sleep. 

12 — the number of weeks after which kittens can leave their mother. 

NATIONAL KITTEN DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Adopt a kitten! (or foster if you can’t adopt)

If you cant adopt a kitten and commit to being a kitty parent for a furry pal you can also foster kittens. Feral kittens need human socialization to be adopted out, and staying with a cuddly human is much more fun than staying at a pound before they find their ‘forever home’. So if you can’t adopt fully, help out in the adoption process, and maybe a kitten will end up staying with you in the process 😉

2. Volunteer to help kittens at the ASPCA

The ASPCA always needs help socializing feral kittens! Human contact is great for the kittens and makes them adoptable, since they wont be afraid of humans. Besides the benefit to the kitten, playing with kittens is also fun and good for you too, and besides, you’ll feel great volunteering too!

3. Make plans to host an Uber kitten delivery if available in your area

Make sure your boss/significant other is ok with kittens arriving right to your doorstep, because Uber delivers adoptable kittens once a year. Not only will you have a blast, but one might just end up staying with you. Plus the $30 “snuggle fee” actually goes to local shelters, doing good, while feeling good, thats the best way to do it!

5 FACTS ABOUT KITTENS EVERY CAT LOVER SHOULD KNOW

• 1. Fleas are a real threat
  • Kittens are especially vulnerable to fleas and can develop diseases.
• 2. They need help
  • They can’t go to the bathroom on their own.
• 3. Newborn kittens purr
  • Kittens start purring right away after being born.
• 4. All kittens are born with blue eyes
  • As they grow, their eye color changes
• 5. It’s all in the whiskers
  • A kitten’s whiskers are as long as its body width.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL KITTEN DAY

A. Checking out kitten photos is actually good for your mental health

If you love kittens as much as the next person, chances are you’ve snuck in a few peeks at kitten photos throughout your day. Research shows that people who take short breaks to look at cute animals are more productive throughout the day. So go ahead look at those photos of kittens today!

B. Adopting a cat or kitten is good for your health

Besides looking at photos of kittens, having kittens and cats around is good for your health! Having a cat around can risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of heart attack, reduced blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduces stress, improved mood… need we go on?

C. Kittens are great for children!

Having children grow up with cats can reduce the risk of developing allergies and asthma later in life. Besides teaching them how to care for another creature, it encourages empathy, and can aide in learning and the development of a socially rounded and well adjusted person.

Source: https://rb.gy/0hlz6