Every year, Ginger Cat Appreciation Day celebrates the orange-furred cats who brighten our lives. Let’s look at this cat holiday – and some famous ginger cats!
When is Ginger Cat Appreciation Day?
Ginger Cat Appreciation Day, also known as Ginger Cat Day, is celebrated annually on September 1. This holiday was created by software developer Chris Roy in honor of his beloved ginger cat.
Famous Ginger Cats
To mark this special day, let’s take a look at some famous orange cats who have left their pawprints on our hearts with their fiery fur and vibrant personalities:
- Orangey: This feline star shared the screen with legends like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Ray Milland in Rhubarb. Orangey’s acting talent earned him a PATSY (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) Award.
- Jock: Winston Churchill, known for his love of cats, received Jock, a ginger cat, as a gift for his 88th birthday. Jock remained Churchill’s loyal companion during the final years of his life. After Jock’s passing in 1975, the Churchill family requested that there always be a ginger cat named Jock with a white chest and paws residing at their home, Chartwell. In 2015, Jock VI, a rescue kitten from Croydon Animal Samaritans, took up residence at Chartwell.
- Morris: Perhaps the first celebrity cat, Morris became famous as “the world’s most finicky cat” in a series of cat food commercials. Over the years, three rescue cats have played the role of Morris, highlighting the importance of pet adoption.
- Morris the Cat from “America’s Most Haunted Hotel”: This orange tabby was a long-time resident of The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa in Arkansas, where he passed away at the age of 21. Some say his ghost still roams the hotel, but even if guests don’t see him, his memory is preserved in a portrait and poem displayed in the hotel lobby.
- Garfield: Since 1978, Garfield has been making readers laugh with his comic strip antics. In Grant County, Indiana, the hometown of Garfield creator Jim Davis, the Garfield Trail features 11 statues of the lasagna-loving tabby.
- Heathcliff: Created by George Gately, this comic strip cat has been charming fans since 1973.
- Thomas O’Malley: The roguish yet lovable hero of Disney’s The Aristocats, Abraham de Lacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O’Malley is a ginger cat with a heart of gold.
- Buttercup: In The Hunger Games series, Primrose Everdeen’s cat, Buttercup, was famously portrayed by a tuxedo cat in the first film, much to the dismay of fans. By the second movie, the character was restored to his proper ginger hue.
- Oliver: Disney’s 1988 film Oliver & Company reimagines the classic tale Oliver Twist with an orange kitten in the title role.
- Tonto: Two orange tabbies portrayed Art Carney’s feline companion in the 1974 road trip movie Harry & Tonto.
- Crookshanks: In the Harry Potter films, Hermione Granger’s pet, Crookshanks, was brought to life by two red Persians, Crackerjack and Pumpkin.
- Milo: This curious orange tabby befriends a pug in the 1986 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis.
- Goose: In Captain Marvel (2019), a rescue cat named Reggie played the role of Goose, an alien creature known as a Flerken.
- Puss in Boots: This dashing, sword-wielding feline from the 17th-century fairy tale was brought to life in Shrek 2 and his own film, Puss in Boots.
- Danny: Actor Scott Bakula voiced this orange tabby with Hollywood dreams in the 1997 animated musical Cats Don’t Dance.
- Tiger: Dom DeLuise lent his voice to this kind-hearted street cat in the 1986 animated film An American Tail.
- Ulysses: In the Coen brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis, three rescue tabbies—Tigger, Daryl, and Jerry—portrayed the cool cat Ulysses.
Celebrate Ginger Cat Appreciation Day and show some love to the fiery-furred felines in your life!