BETHESDA, Md. – Aug. 2, 2023 – Alley Cat Allies Global Cat Day®, a day when advocates worldwide join Alley Cat Allies to lead the charge to protect cats and kittens, is on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. The Global Cat Day theme: Cats Are Community.
“Cats are our family, friends and neighbors, and our unique relationship with them spans thousands of years, across all borders and every language,” said Coryn Julien, director of communications for Alley Cat Allies. “But even with so much history together, cats still need people to stand up for them against cruelty and other threats to their lives. On Global Cat Day, we call on everyone around the world to become cat advocates and defend cats as we should defend all members of our community.”
Julien explained that cats will truly be treated like community when they are no longer shot and killed under the false guise of protecting wildlife, as they have been in communities from California to Australia; when animal cruelty is penalized to the fullest extent of the law and acknowledged as the societal threat it is; when animal shelters and government officials understand that the public will no longer accept outdated, lethal policies for cats, and instead overwhelmingly support humane, evidence-based approaches like Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR); and when every community has effective, lifesaving programs that protect cats and improve access to care, including spay and neuter.
On Global Cat Day, Alley Cat Allies is rallying people worldwide to take actions to help cats—such as providing spay and neuter, including TNR, asking local officials to adopt policies to save cats, educating their community about cats, pledging to become a cat advocate, becoming a cat or kitten foster, donating cat food, donating to Alley Cat Allies; and much more.
Everyone is encouraged to share their Global Cat Day actions for cats, big or small, and their unique stories with the cats in their lives on the GlobalCatDay.org website (coming soon) and on social media, using hashtags #MyCatStory #GlobalCatDay and #CatsAreCommunity.
Alley Cat Allies created Global Cat Day, which takes place each year on October 16.