The day your cat came into your life is one of the best of the year, so why not celebrate your cat with a birthday or “gotcha day” party? Cat parties are a great way to get your friends together and treat your cat to fun games, toys, and snacks. Check out these five tips to create the best birthday party “pawssible.”
1. Enrichment Games for Your Cat’s Birthday Party
Humans love party games, and your cats do, too! Create a game for your cat to play during the birthday celebration. These games can range from simple toys that dangle from the table to the deluxe cat ball pit we made a few years back.
Or just a room full of boxes!
https://youtu.be/EXS_sMYdqco
2. Avoid Decorations That Will Scare or Harm Your Cats
You want your cat to feel comfortable while you’re celebrating their birthday, but strange decorations could send them into hiding. Make sure the party favors and decor you choose don’t scare off your kitty right away.
Many cats are afraid of balloons and noisemakers. They also might eat ribbon used to wrap gifts. Keep an eye on how your cat behaves to make sure they are safe and comfortable throughout the party.
3. Invite Your Cat’s Favorite People
You might be tempted to invite everyone you know to celebrate your cat’s birthday, but this could cause your kitty to run and hide. Loud people and large crowds scare off even the bravest cats, so try to limit the guest list to a few of your cat’s top humans. If your cat has a negative reaction to someone or can smell other cats on the person, that guest might be better off missing this party and catching the next one.
4. Create Human and Kitty Treats
Cats can’t digest human food, and chocolate is toxic to them, so you don’t want to give them a cake meant for humans. Unfortunately, your human guests might not be as excited about eating tuna and chicken bits as your cats are. When planning the menu, look for human-friendly food, but also make celebratory treats to let your cats know that it’s a big day.
Check out the tuna cakes we made for Marmalade’s first birthday. The cats were crazy about them! We had fun watching them eat while we enjoyed our own human food for the event.
5. Use the Party to Support a Good Cause!
Your cats might not care for presents, other than playing with paper and jumping in boxes, so use their birthdays to raise money for a great feline-friendly cause. You can support a national nonprofit like Big Cat Rescue, look up cat sanctuaries, or support local rescue groups and shelters in your area.
When Marmalade celebrated his second birthday, we went big with an EPIC birthday celebration for Cats vs Cancer. Marm himself is a cancer survivor, so we used his birthday to raise awareness of the disease that affects cats, too.
Even if your friends only give a few dollars, you can help out less fortunate cats in need.
By following these tips, you’ll throw the best cat birthday party on the block! All the cool cats will wish they had the treats, games, and guest list that you created.
