World Cat Day: in different countries, in Russia

Photo: rg.ru

In Russia, Cat Day is celebrated on March 1st. This is an unofficial, spontaneous holiday and it is celebrated by the owners and lovers of these animals. In 2022, it will be held for the 16th time.

It is noteworthy that in other countries special days are designated in honor of furry and not-so-furry creatures. For example, in the USA it is October 29, in Poland it is February 17, and in Japan it is February 22. And World Cat Day on our planet is celebrated on August 8th.

Photo: theecology.ru

When and how did the holiday appear?

Cat Day is not an officially recognized holiday, but is celebrated in almost all countries of the world. On this day, cats who work in social spheres for the benefit and health of humans are especially honored and respected. These include pets that are used in the treatment of people (feline therapy) and those that protect government institutions and homes from rodents.

First celebrations. Cat's day was invented relatively recently. The history of the holiday dates back only 17 years. It is celebrated in each country on its own specific days, but August 8 is considered international. This date was chosen by Animal Welfare. The first time Cat Day was celebrated was in 2002.

Volunteers and people who keep cats shared photos of them on social networks. Particular attention was drawn to the action called “Before and After,” when the owners of kittens found on the street showed photos of babies that had just been taken into the house and miraculously transformed after domestication.

The main objectives of the holiday. The goal is to attract the public to these unique animals and show how much people need their love, care and affection and are grateful to them for their presence in life. Another equally important goal is to promote the procedure of castration and sterilization.

The goals set for this day since 2002 have not only been successfully achieved, but also exceeded all expectations. Since that time, cat day began to be celebrated in every country. Entrepreneurs also did not ignore the idea of celebration. Cafes for cats, museums opened in their honor, and theaters in which gentle purrs perform as actors are extremely popular all over the world.

Lebanese Fried Chicken with Mint Sauce

Ingredients:

For chicken: 1 whole chicken 1 lemon 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. coriander seeds 1 tsp. chili pepper 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce: 1 tbsp. olive oil 300 ml natural Greek yogurt 5 sprigs of cilantro 5 sprigs of mint 2 tbsp. viscous honey

How to cook:

Mix cumin, paprika, coriander, chili, and cinnamon in a mortar. Grind thoroughly and add salt.
Pour lemon juice and olive oil into the spices. Mix and set aside to brew.
Rub the chicken with spices and leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place the chicken for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Chop the cilantro and mint leaves.
Mix yogurt, herbs, olive oil and honey. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Place in the refrigerator.
Serve the hot chicken with the cold sauce over it.

In which countries and how is it celebrated?

Although the official date of Cat Day is August 8, each country has chosen its own, when the cute pets are given all the attention and honor.

Russia

The founders of the holiday are the magazine “Cat and Dog” and the Moscow Cat Museum. The main traditions of this holiday:

Date: March 1st.
Features of the holiday: opening of exhibitions dedicated to cats, holding charity fairs, the purpose of which is to focus attention on the problems of homeless animals and attract investment to support nurseries for such individuals. Animals often find a new home at charity events.

The holiday has been celebrated on Russian territory since 2004.

USA

The date of celebration is October 29. Founder: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ASPCA. Objectives and goals of the event:

Attracting more volunteers to work in centers for stray pets.
Popularization of the sterilization procedure as the only effective method for preventing the appearance of street animals.
Attracting financial investments into shelters for homeless cats.
Educating people, especially children and youth, in a humane attitude towards cats in order to reduce cases of physical abuse of them.

Festive program. On this day, numerous exhibitions for cats are held, museums are opened and cat cafes are visited. Celebrating Purr Day in America has the greatest benefit, since every year more and more people donate considerable sums to the development of shelters that house homeless animals.

The results of the celebration are a decrease in cases of violence against cats, a massive involvement of volunteers in animal care centers, tens of thousands of rescued cats who have found homes and loving owners.

Belgium

In Belgium, the holiday was established at the state level. Date: 2nd Sunday of May. Peculiarities:

Celebrated only once every 3 years.
Celebrated on a grand scale. While in other countries on this day it is customary to simply open cat exhibitions and hold events aimed at attracting the attention of all social strata of society to the problems of stray animals, in Belgium a grandiose cat parade is held.
Belgium has its own belief: if you kill a cat, you can be cleansed of all sins. Today, of course, no one thinks of killing furry pets, but tribute to this tradition is still paid, albeit in a peculiar form. Hundreds of stuffed toy cats are thrown from the bell tower during the parade. If you catch a toy, happiness, luck, success and luck will “pursue” such a lucky person.

Cats of any breed, as well as their owners, can take part in the parade. Many people dress up in giant animal costumes, opening and closing the cheerful, meowing procession.

Great Britain

The founder of the holiday is the state. Date: March 1st. Features of the celebration and traditions:

Everyone wears artificial mustaches and ears on this day, and some even purchase special costumes for this purpose that imitate feline representatives. In this form, people go out into the city centers, gather in friendly groups and have fun.
Purring owners dress their pets in colorful, funny costumes, walk them down the street, and organize small parades.
Charity parties are held to attract financial assistance and volunteers to animal protection centers where “street children” are kept.
On the day of the celebration, all parks, cafes and restaurants open.
Gifts and rewards are given to cats whose costumes and appearance at the celebration turn out to be the most beautiful or unusual. In addition, the purrs are given sweets, and some are even awarded the right to subsidized food for the next year.

Great Britain is a country known for its rather “unusual” attitude towards cats.

Here it is considered normal to take an animal to work. Moreover, we are talking not only about museums and exhibitions, but also government organizations in which pets serve and even receive a salary for it.

Italy

Founder: Claudia Angeletti, journalist. Date: November 17th. Features:

In this country, feline representatives enjoy special honor and love. This is explained by a difficult history, when in the Middle Ages in Italy they punished suspected witchcraft and magic too harshly. Often cats, especially black cats, became victims of the Inquisition, since they were credited with witchcraft abilities. Therefore, on the day of the holiday, special respect is shown to individuals with a black fur coat.
Parades are held across the country, charity events are held to raise funds and attract more volunteers to work in centers for the protection and maintenance of homeless animals.

Much attention is paid to the prevention and prevention of violence against pets.

Poland

The founder is the editor of the magazine “Cat” Wojciech Kurkowski. Date: February 17th. Peculiarities:

This holiday is celebrated on a special scale, in a positive way with mass fun.
In many cities across the country, from very early in the morning, the police are blocking certain streets that will be used for the ceremonial procession. Tailed purrs and their owners take part in it. Not only cats show off in beautiful outfits, but many people dress up in funny animal costumes.
During the cheerful procession, a large number of balls of wool of different colors and toys are thrown into the crowd - all for the fun and amusement of the cats.

The celebration lasts the whole day.

Japan

The founders are cat food manufacturers. The date is February 22. Features of the holiday:

The date, February 22, is completely non-random and, remarkably, it was chosen by the animals themselves. Back in 1987, a survey was conducted among the country's population to choose the date of the celebration. The Japanese decided to place this responsibility on the heroes of the occasion themselves. Translated from Japanese, the sounds that cats make, “neu” or “nyan,” mean “two.” Accordingly, the purr of “neu-neu-neu” is considered as 222 or February 22.
Due to Japan's high pet taxes, most people simply cannot afford cats. Another reason for the impossibility of having cats is that they cannot be kept in apartments. Therefore, the celebration of Cat Day takes place on a special scale.
Everyone who wants to take part in the celebration gathers on the island of Tairo. They give each other famous Japanese cat figurines - Maneki Neko figurines. Why is Tairo spicy? This area in Japan is famous for the fact that there are 4 times more cats than people living here.
During the day, people have fun with tailed purrs in special cafes for cats.

July

July 11 is Animal Photography Day in the USA

July 15 is National Pet Fire Safety Day in the USA.

July 21 is National Day to Help Local Animal Shelters in the United States.

July 29 - International Tiger Day (Global Tiger Day - established at the International Forum on problems related to the conservation of tigers on Earth, in November 2010 in St. Petersburg, Russia). A tiger is also a cat!

Animals in the service of the state

In various countries, cats work alongside people:

In Russia, it is customary to keep cats as museum guards. They protect expensive exhibits from the attacks of rodents, which with their sharp teeth can irrevocably damage expensive paintings.
In Austria, cats protect grain warehouses. At the same time, every animal that has served for more than 10 years retires. Retired cats are maintained by the state.
In Great Britain, cats are the guards of houses and government institutions from rodents. In England, the problem of a large number of mice is still acute, so the state is in great need of such furry guards.

Incentives. On cat day, “working” animals receive many different treats - selected meat and fish, milk and broths. The best and longest-working animals for the benefit of humans are awarded medals and regalia.

Also watch the World Cat Day video:

What should you not give to cats?

Even if you are ready to give your cat all the best and tastiest things you have, you shouldn’t overdo it! It turns out that there are foods that can not only disrupt digestion in cats, but even lead to death.

Milk. Unfortunately, you can watch a kitten lap up milk and be moved only when it is very small. Many adult cats, like humans, are intolerant to the protein casein or the sugar lactose found in cow's milk. Of course, milk contains many useful substances - proteins, vitamins, minerals - but compared to the problems that it can cause: from diarrhea to an acute allergic reaction, this is insignificant.

Coffee. Many cat lovers start their morning with two things: coffee and cuddling with their beloved pet. But keep in mind - it's best to do this one at a time: cats are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than people. Coffee grounds are especially dangerous for cats - even a small amount can cause poisoning in adult animals and even lead to the death of a kitten. When taking coffee internally, signs of hyperactivity, rapid heartbeat, hypertension, tremors, vomiting, convulsions and other problems may occur.

Alcohol. Some cat owners like to indulge and offer their pet to try beer or wine at their leisure. This should not be done under any circumstances, because alcohol is harmful even to humans, not to mention pets. Cats are very sensitive to alcohol, and even a very small amount, such as one tablespoon, can lead to serious problems: problems with coordination, difficulty breathing, diarrhea and even depression.

Citrus. Oranges, tangerines, lemons and even kumquats can be great toys for your cat, but they are not food! The stems, leaves, peel, fruits and seeds of citrus plants contain citric acid and essential oils that can cause gastrointestinal irritation, diarrhea and even central nervous system problems.

Eggs. Some cat owners find it beneficial to give their animals raw eggs, as they are rich in vitamins, proteins and nutrients. But they can also contain salmonella and other parasites that can lead to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas. In addition, some enzymes contained in raw eggs can interfere with the absorption of B vitamins.

Raisins and grapes. Grapes and raisins are often given to pets, but in reality this is not a good idea at all. It turns out that grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in some cats. Even a small amount of treats can make your cat sick.

Chocolate. It is known that many dogs love chocolate, but unlike them, cats usually avoid it. Apparently, they feel that they may have serious health problems. Chocolate contains a substance toxic to cats called theobromine , which is easily digested by humans, but cats digest it much more slowly, allowing it to accumulate to toxic levels in the body. This can cause them dehydration, abdominal pain, overexcitement, tremors, seizures and even death.

Leisure and fun for purrs

More and more “cat” cafes are opening all over the world every year:

The objectives and goals of the establishments are to provide close contact with animals to people who adore cats, love to play with them and spend time, but for certain reasons are not able to have them as pets. Another goal of such cafes is charity.
Animals come to cat cafes with their owners, but there are also representatives of the cat world who live in these establishments permanently because they do not have owners.
Visitors to the cafe can take home the animal they like.

In addition to specialized establishments for animals, there are cafes and restaurants that a person can visit with their pet, and the staff will kindly offer the purr milk or other treat.

SPA for cats

Not only people can relax under a pleasant massage surrounded by the fragrant scents of an aroma lamp. In many cities around the world, spa centers for animals are popular. Here, your beloved pet will not only receive a pleasant massage, but also a variety of procedures for caring for fur, claws and skin.

There are also spa centers that employ cats.

If you want pleasant relaxation and incredible tenderness, you should visit a massage performed by a cat, trampling its paws on the client’s back and stomach.

Temple for cats

In Tokyo there is a temple opened in honor of man's faithful four-legged friends. This city was chosen as the site of the opening of the temple for a number of reasons:

According to Buddhist beliefs, the human soul is imprisoned in the body of cats.
Based on these beliefs, in Japan it is customary to bury cats with great honors, installing statues and portraits on their graves.
Burial of cats in the temple with great honors opens the way for animals to eternal Nirvana and a happy afterlife.

Cat Theater

There is an amazing place in Moscow - a theater in which all roles are performed exclusively by cats under the leadership of trainer Yuri Kuklachev. It would seem, what is so amazing about trained animals? The thing is that teaching cats commands, and even more so getting them to execute them at a certain time, is an extremely difficult task. It’s hard to imagine what complex and painstaking work was done to train these animals.

Cat shows

Cat shows are popular all over the world and are held several times a year. These events attract cats of various breeds: beautiful and noble, both adults and kittens. This is a parade of the best representatives of the cat world, who compete with each other in sleekness, grooming and compliance with world standards.

At exhibitions, you can choose a kitten of your favorite breed or reserve one from a future litter. People visit such exhibitions not only for the purpose of purchasing a pet. Animal lovers come to these events to enjoy interacting with cats and see what perfect creatures nature can create.

Interesting facts about cats

Mustaches are not just for beauty. The whiskers of cats, which we usually call whiskers, are actually organs of touch and orientation in space. They record the slightest vibrations in the air, so a cat can determine the temperature of food and even the location of objects surrounding it from a distance. Vibrissae are located not only above the lips and above the eyes of the animal, but also on the paws, between the pads of the toes, inside the ears, and sometimes at their tips.
Cats cannot taste sweets.
The cat door was invented by the eminent scientist Isaac Newton.
Cats are most often left-handed, and cats are often right-handed.
Cat owners are 17% more likely to have an academic degree.
Many people are touched when cats rub against their legs, although in fact the animals are simply marking their territory this way.
The cat's brain is in many ways similar to the human brain - the same areas are responsible for emotions.
Cats reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in their owners by about a third.
The vast majority of cat owners (95%) talk to their pets.
The first cat, to which the owner gave a name, lived in Ancient Egypt. Her loving owner named her Nej, which translates to “sweetheart.”
Cats are inferior to dogs in mental abilities, but if desired, they can solve more complex problems.
Everyone knows that before eating, a cat carefully sniffs the food. This is how she determines the composition and temperature to avoid poisoning and burns.
The frequency of cats purring coincides with the rate of muscle and bone recovery.
Cats can make about 100 sounds, while dogs can only make ten.
Cats spend about 70% of their lives sleeping.
The body length of the largest cat exceeded 1.2 meters.
Cats use about 20 muscles to move their ears.
There are approximately 500 million domestic cats in the world.
Dusty the cat was included in the Guinness Book of Records due to her fertility - she gave birth to 420 kittens.
A third of cat owners believe their furry pets can read their minds.
Cats sniff their food before eating because this is how they determine its temperature.
According to some reports, Napoleon Bonaparte was terribly afraid of cats.
A cat named Stubbs was the mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, for 15 years. Another cat tried to become the head of Mexico City in 2013.
In the original version of the fairy tale Cinderella, the fairy godmother was a cat.
In Britain and Australia, black cats are believed to bring good luck.

Prepared based on information from open sources

Poland

In Poland, Cat Day is celebrated on February 17th. The Poles have long been famous for their reverent attitude towards their four-legged friends.

Wanting to help our smaller brothers, the inhabitants of Poland established a cat day. Its main goal is to raise funds for donations to nurseries, as well as for medicine and sterilization of homeless animals.

Poles celebrate in a big way. Already in the early morning the main streets are closed and the fun begins. Exhibitions are organized, cat competitions, competitive events, colorful shows and festivals are held.

The “cherry on the cake” is a game of cat fun. Participants dress up in cat costumes and begin chasing huge balls of colored thread. This whole action looks very spectacular.

November

November 1 is National Pet Chef Day in the United States. If you cook at least something for your cat, then this is about you)

Sunday through the first full week of November is National Animal Shelter and Rescue Week in the United States.

November 6 is International Day of Remembrance for Animals Killed by Humans

November 17 - National Black Cat Day in the USA Black Cat Day in Italy

November 30 – Pet 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!