International Cat Day takes place on 8 August every year.
As custodians of this important day, we’re encouraging cat owners to take five minutes a day to play with their cats to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.
Just like dogs need walking every day, cats need daily play to keep them active and happy. Wand toy play provides cats with a safe outlet to perform natural behaviours and has many benefits.
Scroll down to discover more about Purrfect Play with your cat!
Cats of all ages love to play – from kittens to super seniors! Just like dogs, cats need daily physical and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy.
Take five minutes a day to play with your cats to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing. Find out how here! (Your cat will thank you!)
Top tips to make sure everyone, from cats to kids, has a fun and safe time playing together!
Should we be encouraging our older cats to play every day? The answer is yes! But we need to make sure we take their unique needs into account.
Learn more about how play can benefit your cat’s physical and mental wellbeing in our latest article for Your Cat magazine! Read it now here.
Download this fantastic FREE poster created by International Cat Care Feline Wellbeing Panel member Dr Mikel Delgado and illustrated by Lili Chin (creator of our ambassador cats Domino and McTatters), which shares her tops tips for cat play!
Available in ELEVEN languages:
Read more about cat play from the iCatCare experts!
To find our Cat Friendly Resources from International Cat Day 2022, click here.
Henning JSL, Nielsen T, et al. Cats just want to have fun: Associations between play and welfare in domestic cats, Animal Welfare, 2023; Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2023.2
Henning JSL, Fernandez EJ, et al. Play and welfare in domestic cats: Current knowledge and future directions, Animal Welfare, 2023; 31 (4): 407-421. Available from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/animal-welfare/article/play-and-welfare-in-domestic-cats-current-knowledge-and-future-directions/6266B8053099D0BB3F8D441F1ADF5CDA
Bouma EMC, Reijgwart ML, et al. Family Member, Best Friend, Child or ‘Just’ a Pet, Owners’ Relationship Perceptions and Consequences for Their Cats. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022; 19(1): 193. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010193
Slingerhand LI, Hazewinkel HAW, et al. Cross-sectional study of the prevalence and clinical features of osteoarthritis in 100 cats, Vet J., 2011; 187(3): 304-309. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.12.014
Henning JSL, Nielsen T, et al. Factors associated with play behaviour in human-cat dyads, Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, 2022. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2022.05.007
Ellis SLH, Rodan I, et al. AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2013. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X13477537
Delgado M, Hecht J, A review of the development and functions of cat play, with future research considerations, Applied Animal Behaviour Science; 214: 1-17. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.03.004
Cecchetti M, Crowley SL, et al. Provision of High Meat Content Food and Object Play Reduce Predation of Wild Animals by Domestic Cats Felis catus, Current Biology, 2021; 31(5): 1107-1111. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.044