National Cat DNA Day 2025: When It Is & How to Celebrate
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When you welcome a new cat into your home, they become a part of your family tree forever. But have you ever wondered what breeds exist in your cat’s family tree? National Cat DNA Day is a special holiday dedicated to raising awareness of the fast-growing field of feline genetics. It is celebrated annually on September 19th.
Read on to learn more about National Cat DNA Day, including ideas on how to commemorate it this year.
The History of National Cat DNA Day
National Cat DNA Day is a relatively new holiday, having first been established in 2020. Basepaws, a pet care genetics company founded in 2017, created the holiday to raise awareness about the growing field of feline genetics and to celebrate the progress being made in this area. Cat genetics is a notoriously understudied and underfunded field, so the creation of National Cat DNA Day hopes to help pioneer change in this area. September 19th was chosen as the celebration day to represent a cat’s nine lives (September is the ninth month) and the 19 pairs of chromosomes that each cat has.
Basepaws provides cat (and dog) owners with screening tools that allow them to recognize their pets’ disease risk.
How Should National Cat DNA Day Be Celebrated?
1. Test Your Cat’s DNA
The best way to observe and celebrate National Cat DNA Day is to have your kitty’s DNA tested. Basepaws is just one of several genetics companies out there that can do this for you, providing you with valuable insight into your cat’s heritage as well as their disease risk. Using Basepaws as an example, their tests check for 64 different genetic markers, providing information about your cat’s mutation carrier status and predisposition to over 40 various feline diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease.
While a DNA test won’t replace getting a diagnosis from your vet, knowing what’s in your kitty’s genes can provide valuable insight into their health and even allow you to look for signs of the diseases they’re predisposed to more effectively.
2. Expand Your Knowledge
Another easy (and free!) way to acknowledge National Cat DNA Day is to learn more about the different cat breeds. The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes over 70 standardized breeds; how many can you name?
We have countless articles on our website that delve deep into cat breeds, so stick around for a bit to see what you can learn.
3. Donate to Shelters
Your local animal shelters and pet rescues are always in dire need of donations, so commemorate National Cat DNA Day by making the lives of the shelter pets a little bit better with a generous donation. If you don’t have the funds available to make a monetary donation, you can also consider donating food, blankets, or toys if your shelters require them.
Final Thoughts
Everything that makes your cats special is coded into their DNA. Be sure to mark your calendar for September 19th so you can commemorate the progress made in the field of feline genetics next year and all the years to come.
Featured Image Credit: Impact Photography, Shutterstock
