International Cat Day is a full 24 hours of recognition and veneration of one of humanity’s oldest and most beloved pets. The festivities were put together for the first time in 2002 by IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, among other animal rights groups, to celebrate the most popular pet on the planet.

An estimated 500 million cats are thought to be frolicking in neighbors’ gardens across the world, which means that almost every extended family is bound to have an aunt with more kittens than former husbands, whatever the country or climate. And that’s great because owning a cat has been shown to improve mental health and to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.