Happy National Cat Lovers’ Month: 10 Ways to Celebrate Your Love of Cats

December 7, 2023

As cat parents, we strive to give our cats the most enriching lives. But what about you – in what ways do you enrich your own cat-loving life? How do you immerse yourself in your passion for cats? In honor of December being National Cat Lovers’ Month, here are 10 ways to celebrate your love of cats!

Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Visit a Cat Cafe

Visiting a cat cafe should be on every cat lover’s bucket list. Who wouldn’t want to snuggle a cat while enjoying a latte or a cup of tea? Some cat cafes offer a nice assortment of food, too.

Most cat cafes in the U.S. have cats and kittens available for adoption. Some pull from local shelters or partner with rescue groups for their adoptions. Either way, you’re supporting these rescue organizations by visiting the cat cafe.

I’m fortunate to live near several cat cafes, and I’ve also made it a point to visit others in areas that I’m traveling to. Have you been to a cat cafe or lounge before?

Related article: 7 Reasons to Visit a Cat Cafe

Attend a Cat Convention

Cat conventions and festivals allow you to mingle with celebricats and their humans. You can also learn about and shop for the latest cat products – everything from toys and treats to litter solutions and new high-tech gadgets. These events also host smaller artists and crafters who sell cat-themed goods.

One such event is CatCon. It’s an annual pop culture cat convention held in the Los Angeles area every year. Starting as a small event in 2015, it has since grown to thousands of cat lovers from all over traveling to the annual convention now held in Pasadena, California. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend every year except once.

There are other cat events throughout the U.S. – and even the world! Here’s a list of just a few. What cat events and festivals am I missing? Let me know!

• PopCats – Twin Cities, Chicago, Seattle, Austin, Portland (I was sad to see they no longer are in San Diego)
• MeowFest – Toronto and Vancouver (Canada’s largest feline festival)
• Cat Fest Colorado – Colorado Springs
• CatFest – London
• CatCon – Pasadena
• Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp – Unfortunately, I haven’t heard if this one is returning yet.

Related article: CatCon 2019

Attend a Cat Show

Another great place to meet up with fellow cat enthusiasts and see some adorable felines is a cat show. Not only do cat shows offer a chance to see some beautiful breeds, but you can also see regular household cats being judged (although we know that every cat is actually a winner).

Cat shows often have a section for rescue groups and may even host adoption events. And just like with conventions and festivals, there’s often a section for shopping.

There are many local cat shows across the U.S., but two that I know of that host shows all throughout the U.S. are Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) and Loving Cats Worldwide (LCWW). Check them out to see if they have a show in your area! You can also check out TICA, which is “the world’s largest genetic registry of pedigreed and domestic cats” to see if they have any shows or events in your area.

Watch a Cat Movie or Documentary

Who loves cuddling up on the sofa with your cat and watching a good movie? *raises hand* While you can do that anytime at home, you might also look for a local cat film festival! They seem to be gaining in popularity. Here are just a few.

• The NY Cat Film Festival is an annual event that takes place throughout U.S. movie theaters, premiering first in NY. Their 7th annual festival begins in October 2024.
• CatVideoFest 2023 took place all over the U.S. this year.
• The Twin Cities hosted their Cat Video Festival in August this year.

If you can’t make it to a cat film festival, consider streaming a cat documentary at home – like Inside the Mind of a Cat or Cat People.

For a non-documentary, a favorite cat movie of mine (and probably of many) is The Aristocats!

Get Lost in a Cat Book

There’s nothing more comforting than curling up with a good book and a cat on your lap. And if you’re anything like me, your shelves likely hold a cat book or two…or three…or four.

Whether a cat cozy, a true cat story, a cat comic, or a book of cat facts – I love them all. I even have a cookbook centered around cat-themed recipes!

What are some of your favorite cat reads?

Check out my cat book list on Amazon.

Do a Cat Puzzle

My husband jokes that I’m like an old lady because I like doing jigsaw puzzles. But I own it. You like what you like, right? Puzzles can be relaxing (unless you’re looking for that one piece your cat snagged!). Most of the puzzles I do are of course cat ones, and they range from ones with cute cartoon cats to beautiful artwork scenes.

Here are my latest cat puzzles waiting to be completed.

With cats, getting through a puzzle without a piece being snagged can be challenging. I use this Jigsaw Puzzle Board to keep the puzzle and pieces safe while I’m not working on it. I highly recommend it!

I’ve done 240 puzzles (yes, I keep track), and many have been cat-themed. Here are a few cute cat puzzles I’ve picked out on Amazon, most of which I’ve done.

Play a Board Game

We’re big fans of games in our house – board games, card games, trivia games, etc. So you know that if I see a cat-themed game, I’m going to buy it.

Our latest board game addition is called The Isle of Cats. It’s 1-4 players (yes, you can play it by yourself in solo mode!), and the game’s goal is to “Save as many cats as possible before the evil Lord Vesh arrives!” If that sounds like your kind of board game, you can check it out on Amazon.

Games in the Series:
The Isle of Cats (original game)
The Isle of Cats: Kittens + Beasts Expansion (needs the original game)
The Isle of Cats: Explore & Draw – Boardgame

If you have a lot of cat-loving friends, maybe host a get-together in person or virtually and have a cat trivia night! How fun would that be? Anyone want to join me?

Okay, I take it back. I don’t buy every cat game I see. I did pass up on this weird looking one. Yes, you legit wear cat masks while playing.

Check out my list of cat board and card games on Amazon (Like Herding Cats, not included).

Start a Collection…

…of things, not cats! I mean, I suppose you could collect cats, too.

One way to show off your love of cats is by putting it on display. You could collect cat stuffed animals, shirts, figurines, ornaments, books, stamps – even salt and pepper shakers.

While I have a lot of cat things, I’d say my biggest collection of items (minus shirts) is cat mugs. I can never pass up a fun cat mug. After all, it’s cute and useful! Here are some in my collection. What cat collection do you have?

Volunteer at a Shelter or Rescue

Have you reached your cat limit at home? (As if that’s a thing.) Or, can you not have a cat because your roommate is allergic? If you need your fill of felines, why not volunteer with a shelter or rescue? Not only are you giving back, but you also get to pet, play and cuddle with adorable cats and kittens!

Maybe take it one step further and foster a cat or kitten. Speaking from experience, it’s always hard returning them, but it’s oh so rewarding seeing them adopted. And you may be lucky enough to know the adopter and get updates, like with my two former fosters below!

Wear That Cat Shirt Proudly

Be proud of your cat lover status and wear your cat shirts out and about, even if they’re covered in cat hair! It’s a quick way for a cat lover to easily recognize a fellow feline aficionado. While wearing a cat shirt, I’ve been stopped a few times to chat about cats.

One such occasion of being stopped was when I was wearing the below jacket. Here’s a photo of me proudly displaying that I’m a cat lady…while taking a photo of a Disneyland cat (by the tree). This tortie cat is Snickers, sometimes called Francisco. Why, I don’t know.

(Did you know that Disneyland cares for the cats that live on their property?)

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