National Kitten Day is celebrated every year on July 10. It is a feel-good awareness day that honors the joy, playfulness, and companionship kittens bring, while also drawing attention to the many kittens still waiting in shelters and rescues for loving homes. The day pairs an obvious crowd-pleaser, the internet’s endless love of kittens, with a genuine purpose, encouraging people to channel that affection into adoption, fostering, and support for the shelters working hardest during the busiest time of year.
When is National Kitten Day?
National Kitten Day is a fixed observance that now always falls on July 10. Interestingly, the date has not always been the same. For its first two years the day was marked in December, and it settled on July 10 in 2014, where it has remained ever since. Today it lands on the same summer date every year.
History and origin of National Kitten Day
National Kitten Day was created in 2012 by Colleen Paige, a pet and family lifestyle expert and animal advocate. Paige is well known for founding several animal-related awareness days, including National Dog Day and National Cat Day, and she established National Kitten Day with a dual purpose: to celebrate the happiness kittens add to people’s lives and to spotlight the plight of kittens in shelters. As noted above, the observance was initially held in December before moving to its current July 10 date in 2014. Paige’s broader mission across her awareness days has consistently emphasized responsible pet ownership and adoption over buying from breeders or pet stores. Placing National Kitten Day in July is fitting, because it lands squarely within kitten season, the stretch of warmer months when shelters are most overwhelmed with newborn litters and most in need of public help.
Why National Kitten Day matters
The day matters because shelters routinely fill with kittens, especially during “kitten season” in the warmer months when unspayed cats give birth in large numbers. Many of these kittens need fosters and adopters to survive and thrive, and shelters often struggle to keep up with the sheer volume of young animals requiring round-the-clock care. National Kitten Day uses the universal appeal of kittens to encourage adoption, fostering, donations, and spaying and neutering, all of which reduce the number of homeless animals over time. It also serves as a gentle reminder that a kitten is a long-term commitment that can span 15 years or more, prompting prospective owners to think ahead about veterinary care, supplies, and time. By pairing something irresistibly cute with a serious welfare message, the day turns affection for kittens into real, practical support for animals in need.
How to celebrate National Kitten Day
The best ways to mark the day support kittens and the shelters that care for them. Here are a few meaningful options.
- Adopt a kitten from a local shelter or rescue if you are ready for the commitment.
- Foster kittens to help shelters manage the seasonal surge.
- Donate money, food, litter, or supplies to an animal shelter.
- Volunteer your time at a shelter or rescue organization.
- Spend extra playtime with your own cat and provide enrichment toys.
- Support spay and neuter programs that curb kitten overpopulation.
- Share adoptable kittens from local shelters online with the day’s hashtag.
Related days and observances
National Kitten Day connects with other animal observances, including National Cat Day, International Cat Day, National Dog Day, National Pet Day, and Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. Several of these share the same goal of promoting adoption and responsible pet care, and animal shelters often coordinate campaigns across them, making the calendar a steady drumbeat of reminders to help pets in need.
Fun facts
Kittens sleep a great deal, often much of the day, which supports their rapid growth. They begin to develop the ability to purr very early in life. And “kitten season,” the spring-to-fall stretch when litters peak, is exactly why a summer awareness day is so useful for shelters. Kittens are typically ready for adoption once they are weaned and old enough, usually around eight weeks, and spaying or neutering a single cat can prevent dozens of unplanned kittens over its lifetime. Founder Colleen Paige is also behind National Dog Day and National Cat Day, part of a broader calendar of awareness days she created to promote animal welfare.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Kitten Day?
It is celebrated on a fixed date, July 10, every year.
Who started National Kitten Day?
Pet and family lifestyle expert Colleen Paige founded it in 2012.
Why do we celebrate National Kitten Day?
To celebrate the joy kittens bring and to raise awareness of the many kittens waiting for homes in shelters.
How do you celebrate National Kitten Day?
Adopt a kitten, donate to a shelter, foster, or spend quality time with your own cat.
Is National Kitten Day a public holiday?
No. It is an unofficial awareness day, not a public or federal holiday.
What is the hashtag for National Kitten Day?
Common tags include #NationalKittenDay and #KittenDay.