When is Cat Day? Dates by country, and writing to a pen pal about your cat
Cat Day depends on where you are: February 22 in Japan, August 8 worldwide, October 29 in the US, March 1 in Russia. "Cat" and "meow" in 15 languages, cats vs dogs in 1,099 Lettie letters, and an example letter.
Cat Day depends on where you are: International Cat Day is August 8, Japan celebrates February 22, the US has National Cat Day on October 29, and Russia marks March 1. Lettie's Cat Day stamp follows Japan's date: send one letter between Feb 19, 12:00 UTC and Feb 23, 12:00 UTC and a free stamp (a tabby cat asleep on a windowsill) arrives.
Cat Day by country
| Date | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| February 22 | Japan | 2 (ni) sounds like a cat's "nyan", so 2/22 is "nyan nyan nyan"; set in 1987 |
| March 1 | Russia | March, the start of spring, is thought of as the cats' month |
| August 8 | Worldwide | Started in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) |
| October 29 | United States | Started in 2005 to encourage adopting shelter cats |
"Cat" and "meow" in 15 languages
| Language | Cat | Meow |
|---|---|---|
| Korean | 고양이 (goyangi) | 야옹 (yaong) |
| English | cat | meow |
| Japanese | 猫 (neko) | ニャー (nyā) |
| Chinese | 猫 (māo) | 喵 (miāo) |
| Spanish | gato | miau |
| French | chat | miaou |
| German | Katze | miau |
| Italian | gatto | miao |
| Russian | кошка (koshka) | мяу (myau) |
| Turkish | kedi | miyav |
| Vietnamese | mèo | meo meo |
| Indonesian | kucing | meong |
| Thai | แมว (maeo) | เหมียว (miao) |
| Hindi | बिल्ली (billi) | म्याऊँ (myaun) |
| Arabic | قطة (qitta) | مواء (muwa') — the word for a meow |
Cats vs dogs in Lettie letters
Counting words in several languages across 1,099 human-written Lettie letters (October 20, 2026), 35 letters mentioned a cat and 10 mentioned a dog. In letters, cats come up 3.5 times as often. It's a rough word count.
How to introduce your cat in a letter
- Their name, and why — "she's called Cheese because she's cheese-coloured".
- Their favourite spot — the windowsill, your laptop, under the blanket.
- Enclose one photo — Lettie letters can carry one photo (up to 5MB). Keep the view from your window and your address out of the shot.
- Ask them back — "Are there many street cats where you live?" "Cat person or dog person?"
It's Cat Day, so let me introduce my cat! Her name is Cheese, because she's cheese-coloured. She sleeps on the windowsill most of the day, which is where I took the photo. In Japan today is "nyan nyan nyan" day. How does a cat meow in your language? Are you a cat person or a dog person?
After Cat Day comes the White Day stamp. See also a Valentine's letter to a friend and the full holiday stamp calendar.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Cat Day?
- It depends on the country: International Cat Day is August 8, Japan celebrates February 22, the US has National Cat Day on October 29, and Russia marks March 1.
- Why is Japan’s Cat Day February 22?
- In Japanese, 2 (ni) sounds like a cat’s “nyan”, so 2/22 reads as “nyan nyan nyan”. The day was set in 1987.
- How do I get the Lettie Cat Day stamp?
- Send one letter between Feb 19, 12:00 UTC and Feb 23, 12:00 UTC and a free stamp arrives.