Posted on 10/16/2023 6:01:50 AM PDT by Red Badger
GLOBAL CAT DAY | October 16
Global Cat Day on October 16th raises awareness surrounding non-lethal feline programs across the country. More than any other shelter animal, cats and kittens face euthanization at a much higher rate. However, programs such as trap, neuter, and release (TNR) are making it possible for cats to live full and healthy lives right in our neighborhoods.
#GlobalCatDay
TNR programs aim to reduce shelters and overall colony populations across the country. TNR programs trap feral and stray cats. They are then neutered and vaccinated under the care of a veterinarian. Their ears are tipped to identify that they have been neutered. Then the cat is released back into the neighborhood where they were captured.
Long-term studies across the country show that not only does the population decline, but the cats live out their lives healthily. Additionally, these programs save taxpayers money over time.
Reduces animal service calls
Lessens the burden on shelters
Neighborhoods become quieter - mating behavior decreases
Why Adoption Doesn't Always Work
Feral cats - cats that have never had human contact - don't associate well with humans. They will always be feral and unable to be adopted. Feral cats prefer the wild. A TNR program offers them the best chance of living side by side with humans.
However, adoption is still a viable option for stray cats and kittens under 12 weeks of age. Visit your local shelter if you are seeking a pet of your own.
HOW TO OBSERVE GLOBAL CAT DAY
Learn more about TNR programs. Donate or volunteer to support a program near you. Help protect and control the cat population in your neighborhood in a humane way. Share information about TNR programs to make a difference.
Visit AlleyCat.org to find out more. Use #GlobalCatDay to post on social media.
GLOBAL CAT DAY HISTORY
Global Cat Day (2017) takes the place of National Feral Cat Day, which was initiated by Alley Cat Allies in 2001.
Cat FAQ
Q. My cat's tongue is always sticking out. What's that called?
A. Many cats will let their tongue hang out during the course of their day. Cat owners call this a derp, blep, herp, or merp. While in most cases, your cat is likely just being cute, sometimes it's a sign of an oral condition. Check with your veterinarian if the behavior is new to be sure there is no disease-causing your feline critter discomfort.
Q. How many domestic cat breeds are there?
A. Different sources recognize different breeds and those numbers change from time to time. The number is somewhere between 40 and 80 breeds.
Q. My friend is always making cat puns. How do I make her stop?
A. Yikes! That's claw-ful. However, it's not a cat-astrophy. Cat puns are a purr-fect way to have some fun. Your friend is just being claw-ver. You should feel fur-tunate she's in your life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 16th Celebrated History
1846
A dentist named William T.G. Morton performed the first successful use of an anesthetic while performing surgery in the surgical amphitheater of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
1901
Booker T Washington becomes the first African American to dine at the White House when President Theodor Roosevelt invites him to dinner.
1923
The creator of some of the world's most recognizable animated films founded Disney Brothers Cartoons along with his brother Roy. The studio would later be named Walt Disney Company.
1968
Yasunari Kawabata earned the Nobel Prize for literature "for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind," and was the first person on Japanese descent awarded the prize.
1987
In her role as Sarah Webber in the film The Whales of August, Lillian Gish became the oldest actress in a leading role. At the age of 95, the actress's career spanned 75 years.
2002
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina reopens bringing to life the Ancient Library of Alexandria more than 1000 years after its destruction. Once the greatest library in the world full of ancient scrolls and tomes, the library reopened with 250,000 volumes. Today, the library built in the Egyptian city of Alexandria overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is capable of holding over 4.5 million books. The 11 story repository continues to grow its collection.
2016
The KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore hosted 2,241 people all born at the hospital. The participants aged from 7-85 years-old set a world record for the most people gathered for a reunion of people born at the same hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 16th Celebrated Birthdays
Lucy Stanton - 1831
The first African American woman to graduate from a four-year college. She completed the course at Oberlin College. Both a teacher and abolitionist, Stanton also served as a local president for the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
Oscar Wilde - 1854
The poet and playwright is best known for the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray as well as his comedic plays. Plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest, A Woman of No Importance, and An Ideal Husband are some of his most popular writings.
Cecile de Brunhoff - 1903
The bedtime stories she told her children about an elephant named Babar became a worldwide favorite when her husband, Laurent de Brunhoff wrote them down and added illustrations to go with them.
Charles Dolan - 1926
A pioneering cable innovator established packaging, marketing, and syndication platforms. Before founding Cablevision Systems Corporation in 1973, he established The Green Channel which later would be called Home Box Office (HBO). He also created AMC Networks which include the AMC, IFC, and Sundance channels among others.
Henry Jay Lewis - 1932
After becoming the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, Lewis would go on to conduct in every major U.S. orchestra and around the world. His parents recognized his affinity for music early. While he studied a variety of instruments, his true love was the double bass.
Paul Monette - 1945
The poet and gay activist wrote several poetry collections including Love Alone: 18 Elegies for Rog. Along with his partner, Roger Horwitz, he founded The Monette-Horwitz Trust.
Tim Robbins - 1958
The Academy Award-winning actor and director rose to fame in the late 1980s in films like Top Gun and Bull Durham. One of his most memorable roles as Andy Dufresne in the Stephen King film The Shawshank Redemption is alluded to in the Castle Rock television series. In the second season, he plays Reginald 'Pop' Merrill.
John Mayer - 1977
Some of the most popular songs by the singer-songwriter include "Waiting on the World to Change," "Gravity," and "No Such Thing."
Naomi Osaka - 1997
The three-time Grand Slam singles champion is the first Asian player to hold top ranking in professional tennis singles.
It’s also World Food Day, but that’s just a coincidence..................
Cat Day?
I’m in!
Calvin, my Siamese mix (named for President Coolidge because of his blue eyes) will be happy to hear this.
Money for cats, not colleges. :-)
So you’re a Calvinist?
I used to feed a couple of old feral cats on my patio but last year the population exploded.
I now have approximately 20.
I've still got a ways to go in getting them all fixed, but I'll get there.
It is expensive BTW. I have spent about $2,000 so far on vets.
Every spring we get a new herd of feral cats in our neighborhood. By summer, they slowly disappear. We also have a healthy population of raptors including hawks and Bald Eagles.
Cat owners have a 40% less chance of having a stroke than non-cat owners. Just sayin’...
Terry Pratchett
Texted image to wife and stepdaughter. I’ll hear about that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.