February 17 – Cat Day in Europe

On February 17, Europe celebrates Cat Day, which was founded in Italy in 1992 by journalist Claudia Angeletti of Tuttogatto magazine in honor of these charming pets.

Throughout history, cats have been considered a kind of bridge between the human world and the extrasensory universe. In many cultures, they are believed to possess magical powers. We could learn a lot from our cats. They sense their environment with their sensitive whiskers. As is well known, cats can predict events that our senses will only detect later, such as earthquakes and storms. Their whiskers warn them about changes in air movement, the presence and size of obstacles, and even changes in magnetic fields and atmospheric pressure.

The greatest civilizations in history, from Ancient China and Greece to Egypt and Rome, revered and adored cats. They even mummified them before burying them with their deceased owners so they could travel with them to the afterlife. In Ancient Egypt, the cat goddess Bastet was the daughter of the Sun god Ra. Therefore, anyone who harmed a cat could be sentenced to death.

To celebrate Cat Day in Europe, various events dedicated to cats are organized, including photo exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and, most importantly, food and fundraising collections to help stray cats.

Celebrate European Cat Day with your pet – it’s the perfect time to pet and play with them once again. You can also assist volunteers at your local cat shelter or donate to an animal protection charity on this day.