I’ve written about how much I loved celebrating my cat’s birthday before, but I always look for excuses to spoil my cats. It should surprise no one, then, that one of the days I loved celebrating most when Zoloft was around was his Gotcha Day. Why wouldn’t I? It was the day my best friend came into my life.
If you’re looking for tips on what to do to celebrate your cat’s Gotcha Day, you’re in the right place. Let me share a few ideas to get you started, but don’t limit yourself to what’s here. Your cat is unique and special so the day should be centered around them.
What Is A Gotcha Day?
For those not familiar, a Gotcha Day is the anniversary of the day your cat came into your life or the day you adopted them. If you don’t know your cat’s exact date of birth, it can serve as substitute for their birthday. I look at Gotcha Days as being a bit different, though, as they not only celebrate your cat, but the bond you share with your cat. They’re about both of you.
March 27th, 2018 (seven years ago today) was the day Zoloft came into my life so every March 27th while he was alive I’d celebrate him. His successors, Poutine and Prozac, have only had one Gotcha Day each so far, but man did we have fun!
Make A Day Of Fun For Your Cat
The most basic way to celebrate your cat’s Gotcha Day is to make the day filled with fun for them. Play with their favorite toys, give them some strong cat drugs, or give them some of their favorite treats. Make the day one filled with purrs!
Gotcha Days are also a great way to try something new with your cat. Consider busting out a food puzzle or trying a new enrichment activity for them. Better yet, try a unique food puzzle and enrichment activity. A casserole dish filled with water and ping pong balls can be a great way to amuse your cat for a bit, but you can easily turn it into a food puzzle, too.
Grab the clean tops of a some milk jugs and flip them upside down. Put a treat or two in them and float them in the water. You can do this with or without the ping pong balls, but maybe start without them to not overwhelm your cat.
Make Memories Together
Your cat’s Gotcha Day is about your bond with them so take the opportunity to do something fun together. Most cats don’t like costumes so skip forcing them into something uncomfortable, but do a quick photoshoot with them. You can set up a fun back drop or just photograph your day to day together instead.
If you’re a bit craftier, Gotcha Days are great days to get a paw print or turn your cat into an artist. Even just watching them do a new enrichment activity like chewing on cat grass or playing with some ice cubes tossed in a glass casserole dish can create lasting memories.
Carve Out Time To Relax
Sometimes the simplest things are the most memorable and important. You can bond with your cat by simply curling out together while reading a good book or watching a favorite TV show. Giving your cat some pets or brushing them can help you build that bond and get a few purrs.
Speaking of purrs, why not plan on taking a nap together? They do call them catnaps for a reason! Some of my favorite memories of Z come from when he would snuggle up on my chest and we’d doze off together.
Cook For Your Cat
Feeling really dedicated? Why not become your cat’s personal chef and make them a tasty treat? One of my favorite memories from one of Zoloft’s special days was making him catnip infused chicken. Yes, you read that correctly: catnip infused chicken.
It was pretty easy to make: I boiled some water and let some dried catnip infuse into it to create a tea. After letting it cool, I took a small, unseasoned chicken breast in a glass container and poured the tea over it. I let it soak (covered) for an hour or two in the fridge before baking it in the oven. Z thoroughly enjoyed his special tasty snack!
As silly as it seems, this isn’t something I did every day and it’s a fun memory for me years later. Chances are you’ll look back on it for a long time and smile. Your cat? They’ll appreciate the catnip infused snack regardless.
Get Your Cat A Gift
If you’d rather do something a bit lower effort, you can always get your cat a fun gift. It could be something big like a nice, tall cat tree or some of their favorite treats. If you’re on a budget, the Cat Dancer is a hit with my current dudes and was a favorite of Z’s while he was here. It’s usually pretty inexpensive and is a hit among many cats. Splurge on something you think your cat would love or go for something unusual.
For his final Gotcha Day, I knew Zoloft was sick and that it may end up being his last. I wanted to get him something creative so I bought him a whack a mole style toy because I figured we could play it together. When I’d tap one of the levers on it, a toy mouse would pop out. He was a little unsure what to do with it so we did some clicker training together to teach him how to paw at the mice as they appeared.
Keeping The Connection Alive
I kept the whack a mouse toy out near my TV even after Zoloft had passed as I figured eventually I’d want to use it with one of his brothers. Last year, after Poutine had been with me for a few months, I noticed him pawing at one of the levels curiously. I decided to go over and play with him with it. Poutine was a big fan!
While getting a gift for your cat’s Gotcha Day obviously benefits them directly, it also can have a lasting benefit for you: it keeps the connection with your cat alive. I was so happy to see Poutine playing with the toy I had gotten Z just over a year prior. It brought back fun memories of that day, our prior Gotcha Days, and all the fun times Z and I had together. I’m very glad his brothers can enjoy the fun toy, too.
Celebrate Your Love For Your Cat
Ultimately, there isn’t a wrong way to celebrate a Gotcha Day as long as both you and your cat have fun. You only have so much time with them so rather than waiting until they pass to celebrate your cat, take the time to do so now. Your cat will enjoy the day and you’ll become even closer. I hope you got some fun ideas for what to do as I enjoyed sharing fun memories from Gotcha Days past.
Wishing your and your cat a happy Gotcha Day! May you celebrate many more together.
