Cat Day in Japan

The national event, which is also known as "Nyan Nyan Nyan Day," began in 1978 after a poll of cat lovers conducted by the Executive Cat Day Committee decided that Feb. 22 should be a holiday designated to all things cat, according to the BBC. "Nyan" also means "meow" in Japanese. More than 35 years ago, in 1987, the Executive Cat Day Committee in Japan chose February 22 after a poll of over 9,000 cat lovers. The date 2-22 can be pronounced ni-ni-ni, which sounds close the Japanese equivalent of a cat's meow, nyan-nyan-nyan.

Cat fanciers believe that the Japanese Bobtail is an ancient breed. According to popular belief, Buddhist monks originally owned the kitties. In the 1600s, rodents infested silkworm barns and threatened the country’s lucrative silk trade. Authorities ordered people to set their cats loose on the streets to take out the vermin. Over time, the Japanese Bobtail became the country’s de facto street cat.

While dogs are also popular in Japan, many pet lovers here, perhaps due to the small size of homes, choose a cat for their animal companionship fix.