National Cat Day 2026: Celebrate Your Cat on Oct. 29

Mark your calendar: this Thursday, October 29, is National Cat Day. It's the one day a year when cat people get to say out loud what we're all thinking the other 364 days: our cats run the house, and honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way.

At Boxie, cats are the whole reason we exist. Our founder, Josh, started Boxie in 2009 with a little help (and a lot of supervision) from his cat, Goldie. So yes, we take this holiday seriously. Here's a quick look at where National Cat Day came from, plus some easy ways to make Thursday special for the feline in your life.

Where National Cat Day came from

National Cat Day was founded in 2005 by Colleen Paige, a pet lifestyle expert and animal welfare advocate (she's also behind National Dog Day and National Pet Day). She had two goals: get people to recognize how many cats need rescuing every year, and encourage cat lovers to celebrate the cats who already share their lives.

Twenty-one years later, both goals still hold up. Shelters across the country are full of cats waiting for a home, and the rest of us are still finding new ways to thank our cats for the purrs, the headbutts, and the 5 a.m. wake-up calls.

Quick note for our readers abroad: International Cat Day falls on August 8, so you get two chances a year to spoil your cat. We won't tell.

7 ways to celebrate with your cat

1. Schedule a real play session. Ten to fifteen minutes with a wand toy taps into your cat's hunting instincts and burns off that late-night zoomie energy.

2. Build a box fort. It's free, it's cardboard, and your cat will love it more than anything you've ever bought them. (We're a little biased about boxes.)

3. Upgrade a favorite spot. A new window perch, a heated bed, or simply a clear sunny shelf can become their new throne.

4. Serve a special treat. A few freeze-dried bites or a spoonful of their favorite wet food makes the day feel like a holiday. Keep portions small.

5. Book a check-up. If it's been more than a year since your cat saw the vet, Thursday is a great day to schedule one.

6. Help a shelter cat. Adopt, foster, or drop off donations at your local rescue. Shelters always need food, toys, blankets, and litter.

7. Show them off. Post your cat's best photo with #NationalCatDay and tag us. We want to meet the boss of your house.

The gift your cat actually wants: a cleaner litter box

Toys come and go. But the one thing your cat uses every single day is their litter box, and cats are famously picky about it. A clean, comfortable box is one of the simplest ways to keep your cat happy and healthy, and your home smelling fresh.

A quick National Cat Day litter box refresh:

• Start fresh. Empty the box, wash it with mild unscented soap and warm water, and dry it completely.

• Fill to about 3 inches. That's deep enough for digging without making a mess.

• Scoop daily. Boxie's Flat Top clumps form right on the surface, so they lift out whole without crumbling.

• Count your boxes. The general rule is one box per cat, plus one extra.

• Pick the right formula. Boxie Unscented is our original low-dust clay. BoxiePro uses probiotics for deeper odor control, and Boxie Glo uses natural attractants that help with training and reducing accidents.

Your cat may never say thank you. But they'll show it, probably by sitting on your keyboard.

Happy National Cat Day from all of us at Boxie

However you celebrate on Thursday, the best part is the simplest: time with your cat. So give them an extra chin scratch, let them win the next staring contest, and maybe let them have a good spot on the couch. Just this once.

Shop Boxie’s Section of Probiotic Cat Litters