Ideas to celebrate your cat’s birthday

Everyone loves a good birthday party, and our furry friends are no exception. It might seem a bit extra to celebrate your cat’s big day, but hey, even kitties deserve some extra love. Reinforce your special bond and use the occasion as an excuse to spoil them.

Celebrating your cat’s birthday each year can also help you keep track of their age. This comes in handy, as it will help you better care for them and their changing needs throughout their life. So let’s explore a few ways to celebrate your favorite furbaby.

Probably the most important thing about your cat’s birthday party, aside from our furry family member, is the day itself.

• Determine your cat’s actual birthdate – Sometimes we’re lucky and already know the actual date. Maybe the rescue had it in your cat’s file, or maybe you were actually there the day your cat was born!
• Select an “adoptiversary” – If there’s no way to know your cat’s birthday, celebrating their “adoptiversary” is just as good! A veterinarian can help you determine their birth year. Then, celebrate the day you adopted your kitty.

Everyone wants to throw the purr-fect birthday bash for their cat’s big day. As the saying goes, a little planning goes a long way.

Decide on the scale of the party

The first thing you’ll want to decide on is the size of the party you’re going to have. Depending on your kitty’s personality, a large party may not be the best idea. If your kitty loves meeting new people, they may be more excited or willing to have a larger party. You’ll want to decide the budget of your party here as well – more friends and more cats means more money.

Create a festive atmosphere

If you’ve decided to throw a cat’s birthday party, you might as well go all out. Decorations set the stage and make everything festive. One way to make sure everyone knows it’s a cat birthday party is by making the decorations cat-friendly. Put the streamers a little lower on the wall so your cat can play with them or add long strings and puff balls. You can also use pet-safe party hats that everyone can wear.

Invite other cats (or humans)

If you’ve decided to invite others to the party, send out birthday invitations with a picture of your cat. You can do a physical card or electronic invitations. You could also make a Facebook event page. An event page will let others know who is coming.

One thing to keep in mind is if a kitty-friend has RSVPd, you’ll want to add a couple of extra litter boxes to make sure there’s enough space to avoid an accident.

Everyone knows you can’t have a party without having food. Food is what brings everyone together – and it can help take your party to the next level.

Ideas for cat-friendly treats

Having a variety of snacks for your cat’s birthday is a perfect way to spoil them. For the special occasion, give them a small plate with a mixture of some of their favorite treats. These could be crunchy treats or meaty ones – or maybe even a sardine or two. Make sure to leave room for the main course: the cake!

👉 Check with your vet before giving any human food to your cat.

Cat birthday cake recipes

There are a couple of ways to make great cat birthday cakes. A budget-friendly way to make the cake is to get a can of pate-style cat food and then flip it over so the food comes out in the shape of a small cake.

If you’d like a little more hands-on approach, you can make your own with just a few ingredients. Some great choices are sweet potato, tuna, and chicken. Boil them together until tender, then take a cookie cutter and use it as a mold to make patties. You can serve them individually or stack them like a tall birthday cake.

Special foods to avoid for cats

If you make your own treats or cake for your cat’s party, keep in mind cats can’t have most seasonings that we enjoy. Oils and salts can cause tummy issues, while things like onion powder or garlic powder can have life-threatening effects. Always check to make sure a food is cat-safe before using it.

Snacks for the human party guests

Even though the day is all about our furry friend, don’t forget to make snacks for you and your human  friends, too. In honor of your kitty, try getting some cat-shaped cookies or crackers. You may even try your hand a cat-shaped bun recipe!

Just because it’s not a traditional party doesn’t mean you have to leave out the party games! Having games set up for all your guests can really add that extra festivity to the whole event.

Cat party games

Because cats are creatures of comfort, one fun “game” you can set up for them is a homemade kitty tent. Take their favorite blanket or two along with some cushions and t-shirts that they like and give them a fort to explore. You could also play reverse-pin the tail on the donkey. Instead of adding a tail, your kitty tries to swat it off!

Video playlist ideas for cats

Even if your kitty may not want to partake in other games, you can put on some cat-focused videos for them to watch or play with. There are multiple channels on YouTube that focus on videos that are stimulating for cats. A popular one that is very stimulating is a “fishing” game that most cats love to play.

DIY cat enrichment toys

Some cat owners like to take a little extra time and make one or two gifts for their cats. One easy DIY present is making a toy out of stuff you already have at home. You can take an old t-shirt and add some yarn or paper fluff balls. Sprinkle catnip on your homemade toy, and you’ll entertain them for hours!

Giving gifts is a beloved birthday tradition. It’s a great way to spoil your kitty on their big day. But how do you know what they will like best? Let’s take a look.

Understand your cat’s interests

When shopping for a new toy for your kitty, make sure to keep their interests in mind. Some cats prefer certain materials or sounds to others. Some may like to climb while others like to hide. This can help give you direction on what gift is best.

Top-rated toys for cats

Cats love toys such as the traditional feather toy or even a group toy like a ball tower. Giving them new toys is a sure-fire way to have a happy kitty on their birthday. This is also an opportunity to replace any old toys that are broken or just aren’t played with anymore.

Pampering gifts for cats

Cats love lounging in the sun, so giving them a new gift to do just that is a no-brainer. If you have the room, a new cat tower could add a few new nap spots. You could also look into getting a window perch for sun bathing as well.

While most everyone snaps pictures on their phone, sometimes it’s fun to get specialty pictures. One great way to make the birthday memorable is getting a local pet photographer to take professional pictures of your special kitty. You can then take these photos and any you might have snapped and make a photo memory book.

Birthdays are special days and really help you look back on the last year and remember special moments. One thing some cat owners do is celebrate half-year birthdays with their senior cats. Giving them special days is one way pet parents love to spoil their fur babies.