National Cat Day 2026 Is Thursday, Oct. 29: Origin, Shelter Numbers and Dates Through 2030

National Cat Day is tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, according to the observance’s official site, nationalcatday.com. The site says Pet and Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige founded it in 2005.

Why was National Cat Day created?

The official site says the day was created “to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of cats that need to be rescued each year.” It also encourages people to appreciate the cats in their lives.

How many cats are in U.S. shelters?

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) publishes national estimates built on Shelter Animals Count data. These are its 2025 figures, not 2026 numbers.

ASPCA estimate, 2025	Cats
Entered U.S. shelters and rescues	About 3 million
Adopted	Approximately 2.2 million
Euthanized	277,000
Share adopted (our calculation: 2.2 million / 3 million)	About 73%
Share euthanized (our calculation: 277,000 / 3 million)	About 9%

The two shares are our arithmetic on rounded ASPCA estimates, so treat them as approximate. For comparison, the ASPCA estimates 2.8 million dogs entered shelters and rescues in 2025.

What should cat owners check at home?

The ASPCA’s toxic plant list for cats names Asian Lily, Easter Lily, Lily and Lily of the Valley. In a March 27, 2019, article the ASPCA wrote: “The main concern surrounding lily ingestion is kidney failure, which can be life-threatening.” The same article says lily poisoning is often fatal if treatment is delayed longer than 18 hours after ingestion. The ASPCA also runs an Animal Poison Control Center; check aspca.org for its current contact details.

What weekday is National Cat Day through 2030?

Oct. 29 moves one weekday later each year, and two after a leap day. The weekdays below are computed from the calendar.

Year	Oct. 29 falls on
2026	Thursday
2027	Friday
2028	Sunday
2029	Monday
2030	Tuesday

How is it different from other cat days?

National Black Cat Day is a separate observance. Cats Protection, a charity in the United Kingdom (UK), launched it on Oct. 27, 2011, as its annual campaign for black and black-and-white cats; this year’s date was Oct. 27. Our National Black Cat Day 2026 story has the details. International Cat Day is observed on Aug. 8.

How can you mark the day?

• Visit or donate to a local shelter or rescue.
• Share an adoptable cat.
• Check your home for lilies and other plants on the ASPCA list.

Halloween follows on Saturday; see our Halloween 2026 trick-or-treat times story. Mark Oct. 29 on the October 2026 printable calendar, and see November 2026 important dates for what comes next, with the November 2026 printable calendar alongside. The free printable checklist for the day lists the checks and dates above.