A complete list of 2021 pet holidays is essential for those wishing to celebrate cats this year. At Paws News for Cat Lovers, we focus on cat tourism and events, cat news, and lots of other cat stuff. Therefore, we felt we would be remiss if we did not bring you a complete list of special cat days in 2021. While many places may not be open in person due to the pandemic, there is bound to be a flurry of online activity surrounding pet holidays in 2021.
The complete list of 2021 pet (mostly cat) holidays include well-known celebrations like National Cat Day on Oct. 29, the Fourth of July, Halloween, National Black Cat Appreciation Day on August 17, and February’s Feline Fix by Five Appreciation Month.
We also include January’s Answer Your Cat Question Day (January 22), Change a Pet’s Life’s Day (January 24) and National Plan Your Vacation Day (January 26).
The list is comprehensive, including National Disaster Preparedness Month (September), Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month (June) and Happy Cat Month (September).
This list serves as a great guide for writers, bloggers, photographers, videographers, or event planners that are looking for a way to gain attention in a fun way. We encourage you to bookmark this list, and keep it handy, for your reference in 2021.
Cat Holidays Year-round
Complete list of 2021 Pet (Mostly Cat) Holidays
January 2021
Walk Your Pet Month
January 1, New Year’s Day
January 2, National Pet Safety Travel Day, Happy Mew Year for Cats Day
January 14, National Dress up Your Pet Day
January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 22, Answer your Cat Question Day
January 24, Change A Pet’s Life Day
January 26, National Plan for Vacation Day (last Tuesday of January)
January 28, National Fun At Work Day
February 2021
Beat the Heat Month
Feline Fix by Five Awareness Month
National Cat Health Month
Spay\/Neuter Awareness Month (Humane Society of the United States)
Pet Dental Health Month
Responsible Pet Owners Month
National Prevent a Litter Month
February 2, Groundhog Day
February 7, Super Bowl & Kitten Bowl VII (Hallmark Channel)
February 14, Valentine’s Day
February 14, Pet Theft Awareness Day
February 16, Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras
February 17, Ash Wednesday
February 19, President’s Day (third Monday of February)
February 20, Love Your Pet Day
February 25 – March 3, National Justice for Animals Week
February 27, World Spay Day (Annual campaign Humane Society International and Humane Society of the US)
February 27, Spay USA Day (last Tuesday of February)
At Paws, we have focused on cat holidays. Check out these articles that you might enjoy.
- International Cat Day
- Keep Cats Safe This Fourth of July
- Cats Ready to Pawty on Mardi Gras
- 2018 Cat Holidays Celebrate Cats Year-round
- Hacking Hairballs on National Hairball Day
March 2021
National Pet Poison Prevention Month
March 3, If Cats Had Thumbs Day
March 6 -12, Professional Pet Sitters Week
March 14, Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 17, St. Patrick’s Day
March 17, St. Gertrude of Nivelles Day (“The Cat Lady of the Catholic Church”)
March 20, First Day of Spring
March 21-27, National Poison Prevention Week
March 23, Cuddly Kitten Day
March 27, Passover Begins
March 28, Respect Your Cat Day
April 2021
National Heartworm Awareness Month
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
Prevention to Cruelty to Animals Month (ASPCA)
National Pet Month – UK
April 1, April Fool’s Day
April 4, Easter
April 6, National Siamese Cat Day
April 11, National Pet Day
April 11, Celebrate Shelter Pets Day
April 15, Tax Day
April 16, National Wear Your Pajamas to Workday
April 18-24, Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week (second full week of April)
April 17-24, National Pet ID Week
April 18, Pet Owners Independence Day
April 17-24, National Pet ID Week (third week in April)
April 18-24, Animal Cruelty\/Human Violence Awareness Week (Humane Society of the US – third week in April)
April 19, National Cat Lady Day
April 22, Earth Day
April 24, World Veterinary Day (last Saturday in April. World Veterinary Association)
April 25, National Pet Parent Day
April 26, National Kids & Pets Day
April 30, Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
April 30, National Therapy Animal Day
April 30, National Tabby Day
April 30, Hairball Awareness Day (last Friday in April)
May 2021
Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Chip Your Pet Month
Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Lyme Disease Awareness Month
National Foster Care Month
National Pet Month
Pet Sitter Safety Month
Responsible Animal Guardian Month
May 2-8, American Humane Be Kind to Animals Week (celebrated since 1915, always first full week of May)
May 2-8, National Pet Week (American Veterinary Medical Association – first full week in May)
May 3-9, National Air Quality Awareness Week
May 3, National Specially-abled Pets Day
May 5, Cinco de Mayo or Cinco de Meow Day
May 8, Vet Nurse’s Day
May 8, National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day (second Saturday in May)
May 9, Mother’s Day
May 31, Memorial Day
June 2021
Adopt-a-Cat Month (American Humane Association)
Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month (ASPCA)
National Pet Preparedness Month (Timed for the first month of hurricane season, urges people with pets to make preparations in case they should be hit by a disaster including making plans for what you would do with your cat in case of a hurricane, tornado, flood or other natural disaster)
National Foster a Pet Month
National Micro chipping Month
June 4, Hug Your Cat Day
June 6-12, Pet Appreciation Week (first week in June)
June 8, Best Friends Day
June 8, World Pet Memorial Day (second Saturday in June)
June 13-19, Animal Rights Awareness Week
June 14, Flag Day
June 19, National Garfield the Cat Day
June 20, Father’s Day
June 21–25, Take Your Pet to Work Week
June 21, First Day of Summer
June 21, Take Your Cat to Work Day
June 25, Cat World Domination Day
July 2021
National Lost Pet Prevention Month (Learn how to keep your pets from becoming lost in this month-long observance launched by PetHub)
National Pet Hydration Awareness Month
July 1, ID Your Pet Day
July 4, Independence Day
July 5, Pet Remembrance Day
July 6, International Kissing Day
July 11, All-American Pet Photo Day
July 15, National Pet Fire Safety Day (sponsored by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), ADT Security Services and the American Kennel Club (AKC)
July 21, National Craft for your Local Shelters Day
July 25, National Parents Day
July 31, National Mutt Day
August 2021
National Immunization Awareness Month
National Wellness Month
Rawgust (celebrating raw feeding for pets)
August 8, International Cat Day
August 10, National Lazy Day
August 15, National Check the Chip Day (AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create Check the Chip Day)
August 17, National Black Cat Appreciation Day
August 21, International Homeless Animals Day
August 22, National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
August 26, National Dog Day
August 28, Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
August 30, National Holistic Pet Day
September 2021
Happy Cat Month (established by the CATalyst Council)
National Disaster Preparedness Month (lead by FEMA’s Ready Campaign, Citizen Corps and The Advertising Council, this effort encourages individuals, families, businesses and communities to work together and take action to prepare for emergencies. Visit Ready.gov and CitizenCorps.gov. for more info)
Animal Pain Awareness Month
National Pet Insurance Month
Pet Sitter Education Month
September 1, Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
September 6, Labor Day
September 6, Rosh Hashanah begins
September 11, Patriot Day
September 12, National Pet Memorial Day (established by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries (IAPC) – second Sunday in September)
September 13, Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day (a day dedicated to the issue of pet birth defects including information on identification, prevention and treatment)
September 15, Yom Kippur begins
September 19, National Meow Like a Pirate Day
September 19-25, Adopt a Less-Adoptable Pet Week (third week in September)
September 19-25, National Deaf Pet Awareness Week
September 22, First Day of Fall
September 25, World’s Largest Pet Walk
September 23, Remember Me Thursday
September 28, World Rabies Day (sponsored by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control)
October 2021
National Animal Safety and Protection Month
National Book Month
National Pet Wellness Month
October 3-9, Animal Welfare Week (AVMA – first Full Week of October)
October 4, World Animal Day & World Pet Day
October 4, Feast of St Francis of Assisi (The feast commemorates the life of St Francis, who was born in the 12th century and is the Catholic Church’s patron saint of animals and the environment. It is a popular day for pets to be blessed)
October 12, National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
October 17-23, National Veterinary Technician Week (sponsored by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America)
October 16, National Feral Cat Day
October 16, Global Cat Day (previously Feral Cat Day, Alley Cat Allies)
October. 21, National Pets for Veterans Day
October 21, Cure4Cats Day (Winn Feline Foundation)
October 27, National Black Cat Day in the UK
October. 28, Plush Animal Lovers’ Day (perfect day to buy your pet a new squeaky toy)
October 29, National Cat Day
October 31, Halloween
November 2021
Senior Adopt a Senior Pet Month
National Pet Awareness Month
National Senior Pet Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Pet Diabetes Month
November 1, National Cook for Your Pets Day
November 2, Election Day
November 7-13, National Animal Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Week (sponsored by the Humane Society of the US – first full week of November)
November 7, Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 11, Veterans Day
November 17, National Take a Hike Day
November 17, National Black Cat Day
November 20, National Adoption Day
November 25, Thanksgiving
November 26, Black Friday
November 28, Hanukkah begins
November 29, Cyber Monday
November 30, Giving Tuesday
December 2021
National Cat Lovers’ Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
December 5, Volunteer Day
December 6, Hanukkah ends
December 9, International Day of Veterinary Medicine
December 15, National Cat Herder’s Day
December 21, First Day of Winter
December 25, Christmas
December 26, Kwanzaa begins
December 31, New Year’s Eve
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