Introduction to Father’s Day (aka. Cat Dad Day)
While Father’s Day is associated with fatherhood and family celebrations, it can also be celebrated by participating cat owners as Happy Cat Dad Day. This day acknowledges and celebrates with love the relationship between the owner and the cat.
In this blog post, I celebrate Cat Dad Day with my Ragdoll cat Lilli, and the warmth and happiness she brings into my life! 😺
What is Father’s Day?
In the traditional setting, Father’s Day is a celebration for appreciating one’s father. Father’s Day is celebrated at different times of the year and in different ways across the world. (Wikipedia contributors, 2025).
For Middle Eastern families, Father’s Day is celebrated on the 21st of June and involves the whole family gathering together, with younger members of the family giving presents to their father. These gifts range from sweets to attire. Oftentimes, handwritten letters are given to show the mutual love, appreciation and friendship the offspring have for their father (Corina, 2024).
In Australia, Father’s Day is always held on the first Sunday of September unlike the United States, where the event is held on the third Sunday of June.
Where did Father’s Day come from?
Father’s Day is much older than you think! While most of us think that Father’s Day is a modern holiday, Father’s Day actually traces its roots back to the the Middle Ages in Europe during the early 1500s. During this time, Father’s Day was originally part of the Catholic Church’s European calendar, being celebrated on March 19th as part of Saint Joseph’s Day ceremonies. During this holiday, European Catholics would partake in delightful celebrations to show gratitude to their fathers.
In some parts of Europe such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, the celebration of Father’s Day still occurs on the 19th of March. Father’s Day is still celebrated in 110 countries, more than 500 years from when it was first recorded.
The dates in which Father’s Day is celebrated vary across Europe. Many Scandinavian countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway celebrate the event on the second Sunday of November. This timing of Father’s Day in these countries aims to stimulate economic growth, as November is a time when consumer spending drops to its lowest point. In contrast to the Scandinavian countries, Germany celebrates it’s Father’s Day in tandem with Ascension Day, which occurs on the 40th day of Easter.
Unlike most other countries, Bulgaria celebrates Father’s Day on the 26th of December, which also happens to coincide with Boxing Day in Australia. The reason why Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church chose this date is because it occurs on the same day as St. Joseph’s Day. In Taiwan, Father’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of August because 8 is pronounced as “bā” in the Chinese language. This means the 8th day of August is pronounced as “bā-bā”, which translates to a small joke for “father” or “grandfather” in Chinese. (Stephenson, 2023).
How Father’s Day originated in America
It is widely believed that Father’s Day came from an event associated with a religious gathering, first celebrated on the 5th of July 1908 to pay respect to 362 gentlemen who tragically passed away in the Monongah quarry incident in America. This incident was the worst mining tragedy in the United States history. Many of these gentlemen were fathers.
Father’s Day was not formally recognised or established in the United States until Sonora Smart Dodd, who was the daughter of a widowed father and one of his 14 children, was inspired by Mother’s Day celebrations to create a similar counterpart for celebrating fatherhood.
To raise awareness about the new Father’s Day event, she shared her idea about Father’s Day with her community and government officials, increasing momentum to her movement. The outcome was that the U.S state of Washington celebrated it’s first Father’s Day on the 19th of June, 1910. The United States then later officially recognised Father’s Day in 1972 (“The origins of Father’s Day,” n.d).
How Father’s Day originated in Britain
In contrast to the United States, it is believed that Father’s Day in Britain started after the Second World War. This was primarily driven by two main factors, the first being that celebrating Father’s Day was originally seen in the United States as a popular way to show support for the father’s serving in the military during the war, thus making Father’s Day a symbol of loyalty for fathers at that time (Stephenson, 2023).
The second reason was that after the war, Britain slowly began to adopt traditions that were more aligned with the United States. This included American clothing, songs and various forms of mainstream culture that gained popularity in Britain.
While Father’s Day gradually gained traction in Britain throughout the late 20th century after the Second World War, it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day was recognised and celebrated in Britain (Stephenson, 2023).
Why do we celebrate Father’s Day?
Father’s Day is a time where we celebrate dads and the people who play a fatherly role in our lives. Its a time to show appreciation for the labour, love and care that these men and those who assume the role contribute to the lives of families. Initially, this occasion was not always accepted like it is today. Over time, people began to accept the idea of celebrating the positive effects that most fathers have in their families. (Chase Oaks Church, 2025).
What is a cat dad?
When it comes to people who own cats, Father’s Day can be likened to celebrating the traditional fatherhood model as seen in families, except with cats rather than children. These individuals are known as “cat dads” and usually have various ways to honour their pet cats on Father’s Day.
To celebrate Father’s Day with my cat Lilli, I receive a card and a gift from her (my carer goes shopping on Lilli’s behalf) and I reminisce on our journey together, and to celebrate being a father to Lilli whom I care for her.
How Cat Dad Day relates to my autism
The celebration of Cat Dad Day includes honouring Lilli by celebrating the therapeutic benefits that she brings to me as an individual with autism. We also celebrate our friendship, love, joy and appreciation that we have had over the years.
When it comes to sensory issues, her warm, silky fur is great for keeping me calm from anxiety, as I perceive it to be much softer due to my tactile hypersensitivity. This also extends to her rubbing on my legs, which she does when I am anxious. This aforementioned rubbing also helps to keep me calm.
Lilli also provides additional therapeutic benefits for me through her loud oscillating purr, which promotes healing and relaxation, especially when she is cuddled.
Lilli loves to snuggle under the bedcovers, which is an affectionate thing that we love to do, especially on Cat Dad Day. This snuggling behaviour also helps lower the chances of a meltdown occurring. This helps promote friendship and relaxation as well as keeping us warm when its cold, which helps to lower my anxiety. Lilli often “goes undercover” in this context when hiding from young kids and vacuum cleaners.
Giving cuddles to Lilli is also part of our routine, especially on Cat Dad Day. The Ragdoll’s floppy nature means that Lilli will “melt” into my lap and naturally curl up when cuddled, occasionally grooming herself briefly. Cuddling also helps promote relaxation and relief from anxiety and stress. Her purring adds to providing comfort and emotional healing.
Conclusion
While Father’s Day is mostly centered around the appreciation of fathers and the role they have in families, it also can be extended to cat owners, like myself. As a cat dad, I view Lilli as a member of my family and we share a very deep friendship that will never expire. 💜
References
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, August 27). Father’s Day. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:17, September 6, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Father%27s_Day&oldid=1308081702
Rogers, J. (2025, June 6). Reasons why we celebrate Father’s Day. https://www.chaseoaks.org/articles/reasons-why-we-celebrate-fathers-day
Corina, G. (2024, June 16). Middle Eastern Father’s Day. https://star-cat.co.uk/blog/middle-eastern-fathers-day/
The origins of Father’s Day. (n.d.). Dadshop. https://www.dadshop.com.au/the-origins-of-fathers-day/
Stephenson, G. (2023, June 21). Father’s Day in the UK. Create Gift Love. Available at: https://www.creategiftlove.co.uk/blogs/fathers-day/fathers-day-in-the-uk; https://www.creategiftlove.co.uk/blogs/fathers-day/the-history-of-fathers-day; https://www.creategiftlove.co.uk/blogs/fathers-day/fathers-day-around-the-world