Respect Your Cat Day

Feline friends can offer love, companionship and joy to individuals and families who choose to adopt a cat as a pet. Though cats can certainly have their own opinions and often have no issue with demanding what they want, cats can make great pets, especially because they are very independent creatures. They really deserve a huge amount of respect – and that is what Respect Your Cat Day is all about!

It’s true that cats and kittens have a few days that celebrate them throughout the year, including International Cat Day in August and Global Cat Day in October.

But none of these are quite the same as the celebration of Respect Your Cat Day! Because, when it all comes down to it, cats can be impulsive, neurotic, and even somewhat antisocial. But the thing that they demand most (though they might pretend like they don’t really care)? Respect.

History of Respect Your Cat Day

The reverence that humans have for cats has been going on for thousands of years. In Ancient Egypt, cats were honored and some were even considered to be feline goddesses. In England, toward the end of the Middle Ages, King Richard II set forth an edict that prevented people from eating cats. In fact, some historians even say that the edict banning the eating of cats took place on March 28, 1384, which may very well be the reason that Respect Your Cat Day is celebrated on this day.

How to Celebrate Respect Your Cat Day

Looking for some cool ways to pay homage to the purring, furry feline that hangs out at the house and sometimes makes an appearance? Then try out some of these ideas for celebrating Respect Your Cat Day:

Spend Time with Your Cat (If it wants to….)

Of course, that is, if your cat likes you and wants to be around you at the moment. If it doesn’t then perhaps it would be better to give it the space it wants and respect its boundaries in honor of Respect Your Cat Day. At the very least, show the cat some appreciation for its unique personality qualities, delicate sensitivities, and strong opinions. With more than 600 million domesticated cats in the world today, this is a great day to show respect!

Make a Respect Your Cat Day Playlist

Get the tunes going strong for Respect Your Cat Day by making a soundtrack that will go along with the vibes of the day. Get started with some of these songs for a fun playlist that commemorates the day:

• Respect by Aretha Franklin (1967). “R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me.” What could be a more appropriate song for cats today than this one?
• I’m Gonna Give You Respect by Marvin Gaye (1973). Of a similar era, this song by the “Prince of Motown” offers some soul vibes.
• A Little Respect by Erasure (1988). Jump into the alternative scene of the ‘80s with this English synth-pop duo’s desire for respect.