September is Happy Cat Month! This holiday dedicated to our feline overlords comes to us from the CATalyst Council, who are looking to spread awareness and education about the health, welfare, and importance of companion cats.
Here's some facts about cats you might not know...
- 46.5 million U.S. households own a cat*
- 50% of all Pet Adoptions are cats**
- 62 million cats are owned as pets in the U.S.***
- 46% of owned cats did NOT visit a vet in 2016 (compared to 17% of dogs)***
*2019-2020 National Pet Owner Survey, American Pet Products Association and U.S. Census
** Pethealth, Inc.
***2017-2018 U.S. Pet Owner and Demographics Sourcebook, American Veterinary Medical Assn.
How can you celebrate Happy Cat Month?
- Think about the last time you took your cat to the vet. Was it more than six months ago? Then it is probably time to get an appointment scheduled!
- What do you feed your cat? Take some time this month to look at ingredients in your cat's food and make sure it's not just filler
- Spend some quality time with your cat. A common misconception is that cats are incredibly self-reliant and don't require the same level of care and attention that we give our dogs. Cats are very social creatures and love to play and get human attention as much as any pet
- Check out this list of books about cats and caring for your cat
Those of us who work at the library and have a cat (or two or three) companion of our own are celebrating them with the slideshow below! We hope you enjoy our furry friends as much as we do. Check out this photo album and more on the library's Flickr account.