National Kitten Day
July 10th is celebrated as National Kitten Day to celebrate the cute, furry and cuddly little balls of energy and love. However, there is an issue of cat overpopulation, and many kittens never find loving homes and end up in shelters or on the streets.
National Kitten Day raises awareness about the benefits of having kittens and encourages people to adopt them. Like look at that face, how could you not?
Who Started National Kitten Day
Like many other pet holidays in the United States, National Kitten Day was founded by pet and family lifestyle expert and animal advocate, Colleen Paige.
Colleen's goal with this day is to show people that kittens can bring magic and joy to people's lives.
How to Tell How Old a Kitten Is
1 Week Old
If the eyes of the kitten are closed, and ears folded still, they are probably about a week old.
2 Weeks Old
When a kitten is about two weeks old, their eyes open. Mostly, all kittens have blue eyes in the beginning but they gradually begin to change.
3 Weeks Old
At three weeks old, a kitten's teeth begin to appear. Thus, you will be able to notice the incisors or tiny teeth in the front. On an average, a 3 week old kitten weighs 350 to 450 grams.
4 Weeks
At four weeks, a kitten's canine teeth or the ones next to incisors begin to appear. They love to walk, run and explore at this age
5 Weeks
When a kitten is 5 weeks old, their premolars begin to grow. This means you can feed them wet food now! They should ideally weight around 550 to 650 grams at this age.
6 Weeks
At 6 weeks, their molars will start to come in and their vision and hearing will be completely developed. They should weigh around 650 to 750 grams at this age. By the way, this is the proper age to get your kittens their first vaccination!
7 Weeks
At this age, the kittens should have a full set of developed teeth. Also, their eye colors begin to change from blue. A seven-week kitten should weigh around 750 to 850 grams.
8 Weeks
When kittens finally reach 8 weeks, their eye color will completely change and should weigh around 850 to 950 grams.
The Benefits of Having a Kitten
There are few people in the world who don't like looking at pictures of kittens (and frankly there must be something wrong with them!). They are cute and instantly make us feel better. Studies actually show that people who take a break from work to look at pictures of kittens are more productive!
So the benefits of having a kitten are even bigger! They not only help with your mental health, but they also improve your overall health by reducing stress and improving your mood, which reduces blood pressure and the risks of heart attack, for example.
Owning a kitten is also great for children, as it instills them with a sense of responsibility, and helps them be more empathetic. Children who grow up with pets are also less likely to have allergies.
Why Adopting a Kitten is the Way to Go
It is estimated that 4 million cats enter shelters every day in America, and unfortunately, not all of those are no-kill shelters, which means that a big percentage of those cats are euthanized. At the same time, many cat breeders are only looking to make a profit and practice unethical breeding techniques.
If you are able to, consider adopting a cat on National Kitten Day, or if you can't own a long-term cat, you can register as a foster family with a local shelter, which means that you give cats a temporary home and help shelters with being overfilled.
By adopting a kitten, you are giving a pet a home, and all the love that they need and deserve. In return, you have a friend for life. Shelters have a huge variety of kittens that need a new home, so you are sure to find your future best friend there.
What to do on National Kitten Day
The best thing to do on this holiday is to adopt or foster a kitten. However, if you're not able to do so, you can always volunteer at your local shelter and helpx the kittens that arrive there every day.
If you already have cats, this day is the perfect reminder to make sure that their vaccines and check-ups are all up to date and to spay and neuter your cats if you haven't yet.
Colleen Paige
Colleen Paige is an animal rights activist and environmentalist known for inventing several important awareness days. Her passion for animal advocacy and her commitment to creating a better world for animals and humans alike have been the driving forces behind her work. These efforts have made a significant impact on the welfare of animals, for example reducing pet homelessness and bringing awareness to the plight of countless animals. Not only passionate about animals, she also has created national holidays that encourage us to care for the environment.
Dates attributed to her include:
