Overview
- This Saturday, August 8, is observed as International Cat Day, a date set by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002 because it coincides with peak breeding season in the northern hemisphere.
- News outlets note that cats are celebrated three times a year — August 8 (IFAW), February 20 (popular tribute to Socks, the Clintons’ cat) and October 29 (Colleen Paige’s adoption campaign) — each date serving different awareness goals.
- Mexico now counts an estimated 19.2 million domestic cats, according to INEGI’s ENBIARE 2025, a scale that makes preventive care and population control a public‑health and welfare priority.
- A global MSD Salud Animal survey cited in coverage found only 16% of cat owners list vaccination among top health priorities compared with 69% of veterinarians, highlighting a major gap in owner awareness that could leave many cats vulnerable to preventable disease.
- Veterinarians and welfare groups are using the day to urge clear steps owners can take: keep vaccines current, schedule annual vet visits, perform regular internal and external deworming, consider sterilization to reduce abandonment, and provide environmental enrichment to lower stress and behavior problems.