International Cat Day2026 · Date · History
International Cat Care identifies International Cat Day on August 8 and describes itself as the custodian/coordinator of the day.
About International Cat Day
International Cat Day is observed on August 8 as a global cat-welfare awareness day.
The observance was started by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in 2002, and custodianship passed to International Cat Care in 2020.
Why International Cat Day matters
The day creates a recurring opportunity to share responsible cat-care and welfare information. It is an animal-welfare observance rather than a government or UN-created holiday.
Current stewardship and original creation are separate lifecycle facts: International Cat Care is the modern custodian, while IFAW is identified as the origin organization.
History of International Cat Day
IFAW started International Cat Day in 2002.
In 2020, custodianship of the annual event passed to International Cat Care, whose international feline-welfare work became the current organizing context.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
Professional feline-welfare material states that IFAW started International Cat Day in 2002.
First documented observance
The professional source states that IFAW started International Cat Day in 2002; it does not provide a more precise inaugural date.
Custodianship of International Cat Day passed from IFAW to International Cat Care.
International Cat Care / IFAW
International Cat Care (iCatCare)
Professional material records that custodianship passed to International Cat Care in 2020, and current iCatCare material remains the project’s source for the observance.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe International Cat Day
Use August 8 as the recurring date.
Learn about evidence-based cat welfare and responsible care from veterinary or animal-welfare sources.
Support reputable cat rescue or welfare work where appropriate.
Keep 2002 IFAW creation distinct from International Cat Care’s 2020 custodianship.
International Cat Day Facts
International Cat Day is observed on August 8.
IFAW started the observance in 2002.
International Cat Care became custodian in 2020.
The observance focuses on cats and feline welfare.
The available sources do not establish why August 8 was originally chosen.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
International Cat Care — International Cat Day (opens in a new tab)
Animal Welfare Charity
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery / ISFM (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Cat Day?
8 August The documented recurrence rule is: 8 August.
Does International Cat Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is International Cat Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Global cat-welfare awareness / International Cat Care. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Cat Day?
The documented basis is: International Cat Care identifies International Cat Day on August 8 and describes itself as the custodian/coordinator of the day.. Supporting evidence includes International Cat Care — International Cat Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is International Cat Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: Global cat-welfare awareness / International Cat Care. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-07.
When is International Cat Day?
It is observed annually on August 8.
Who started International Cat Day?
Professional feline-welfare material identifies IFAW as the organization that started it in 2002.
Who coordinates it now?
International Cat Care took over custodianship in 2020.
Why August 8?
The available sources establish the date but do not provide a clear original date-selection rationale.
Other observances on August 8
These observances are also listed on August 8, 2027.
Augsburger Hohes Friedensfest (Augsburg High Peace Festival)
The City of Augsburg states that the Hohe Friedensfest is observed annually on 8 August as a municipal holiday applying only within Augsburg city limits, and that it is unique in Germany.
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Happiness Happens Day
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International Allyship Day
ISSA event material identifies Integrating Women Leaders Foundation as a founding collaborator of International Allyship Day and states that it is celebrated on 8 August; institutional cale…
National Pickleball Day
A 2025 Forbes interview with founder Deirdre “Dee” Morris documents why she selected August 8 and describes 2025 as the fifth annual U.S. National Pickleball Day; current observance sources…
National Tarantula Appreciation Day
National Day Archives records August 8 each year for National Tarantula Appreciation Day and identifies Palp Friction Tarantulas as the creator in 2019.