International Cat Day Celebrated By Arlington Cat Lovers

ARLINGTON, VA — Although ancient Egyptians loved their cats and even included drawings of domesticated felines in their hieroglyphs, there's no indication they celebrated International Cat Day.

That's too bad.

Any cat owner will tell you that their cat is the center of their attention — what choice do they have?

In honor of International Cat Day on Sunday, Patch asked the cat lovers in Arlington to share photos of their cats via Neighbor and Facebook posts.

My cat’s is named is Oliver and we live in Arlington. — Karen Marchese

Phantom has made a high rise condominium in Arlington her home for the past nine years.

But her earliest known existence was at the Prince George's County animal shelter. She was acquired by Tails High, a cat rescue group in Alexandria, because a nursing mother cat was needed to help raise a litter of kittens that had been found on a boat.

After the kittens were ready for new homes, Phantom (who had been named "Ribbon") was spayed and made available for adoption. Her new mom had just lost a cat to heart disease and needed a new roommate as soon as possible. When asked what she was looking for, the answer was "a multi-colored, long haired cat," which was met by the surprising response, "we have one of those."

Phantom, who was renamed because of her resemblance to the lead character in the Broadway musical, and her mom have been inseparable ever since. — Melissa Pollak, Arlington

Belle, a former feral who chose to come in from the cold. — Caryn Leslie, Arlington

This is Lila! She enjoys belly rubs, drinking out of water glasses, and sleeping with her tongue out! — Hope Wilder, Arlington

Baby Girl is a stylish black beauty who loves CatTV, making biscuits and evening cuddles. She is available for adoption from Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. More photos can be seen on Instagram.

Houdini likes to supervise my teleworking. She's a hard taskmaster. I recently adopted her from Lost Dog & Cat Rescue. — Jackie Rivas, Arlington

Our beloved Voodoo, adopted from AWLA

Happy International Cat Day from Viola and Silvia — Martina Meyer, Arlington

Do you have a cat that you are celebrating International Cat Day with? Share their photos in the comments to this story.