September 2, 2026
By: Sarah A. Neikam, SPCA Albrecht Center Marketing Director

September is Happy Cat Month, which sounds like an easy celebration. Give your cat a few extra treats, open a fresh cardboard box, sprinkle some catnip around and call it a month, right?

Celebrate Happy Cat Month by Visiting or Adopting Umami at the SPCA Albrecht Center.

Our cats would probably approve. But Happy Cat Month is really an opportunity to think more broadly about feline well-being – what cats need to be healthy, comfortable, stimulated and able to do the things that come naturally to them.

And happiness looks a little different depending on the cat. For a house cat, it might mean a sunny window perch and tuna for dinner. For a shelter cat, it may be a quiet visitor with a wand toy. For a community or stray cat, happiness might simply mean a safe outdoor home, regular meals and a caregiver who makes sure they’re healthy.

For the cats sharing our homes, good health is the foundation. Cats are notoriously skilled at hiding pain and illness, which means subtle changes in appetite, activity, grooming, litter box habits or social behavior can be important clues. Regular veterinary exams give your veterinarian an opportunity to identify problems we may not be able to see. The American Animal Hospital Association recommends routine veterinary care at least annually, along with attention to healthy weight, dental care and parasite prevention.

Then there’s enrichment, which basically means providing cats with appropriate outlets for being cats.

Cats naturally want to climb, scratch, hide, stalk, hunt, chase and investigate. Fortunately, entertaining them doesn’t require a lot of expensive toys – in fact, cats usually prefer the boxes and paper that those expensive toys arrive in. A cardboard box can become a hideout. Paper bags can become caves. Treats hidden around the house encourage hunting. Puzzle feeders make cats work a little for dinner. A window perch offers hours of “cat TV,” and rotating toys can make an old favorite seem new again. Feather wands, toy mice and other interactive toys provide both exercise and an opportunity to practice natural hunting behaviors.

Celebrate Happy Cat Month by Visiting or Adopting Elizabee at the SPCA Albrecht Center.

That same need doesn’t disappear when a cat enters an animal shelter. In fact, it may become even more important. Shelters are full of unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, people and animals, and cats may spend much of their time in spaces far smaller than a home. Enrichment gives shelter cats opportunities to play, explore, scratch, climb and investigate, while positive interactions with people can alleviate boredom, reduce stress and build confidence.

You can help simply by spending time with them. Become a volunteer, foster kittens or scared adult cats, play with an outgoing cat who wants attention or quietly sit near a shy one who needs time to learn that people can be trusted. Those seemingly small interactions make shelter life a little better, and can help cats become comfortable enough to show potential adopters their true personalities.

And then there are the cats whose best lives are lived outdoors. Some community cats are perfectly content living outside with minimal human interaction. For these cats, responsible care means access to food, fresh water and safe shelter. It also means spaying or neutering them through Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR.

Spaying and neutering prevents unwanted litters, eliminates or greatly reduces the risk of certain infections and cancers, and can reduce roaming, fighting and urine marking. All while allowing them to remain in the outdoor home they know, healthier and happier.

Whether they spend their days on our couches, in shelter enclosures, or underneath the neighbor’s porch, cats deserve more than simply having their basic needs met. They deserve to feel safe, and to have opportunities to play, engage their minds and enjoy the world around them.

This Happy Cat Month, take a few minutes to look at life from your cat’s perspective and give them some extra happy moments – they’ll make you happier, too. 🐾

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Sarah Neikam is the Marketing Director for the SPCA Albrecht Center in Aiken, SC. She has been with the organization since 2012, holding various roles including Volunteer Coordinator and Director of Operations & HR. A Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA), Sarah is a passionate advocate for animal welfare. She resides in Aiken with her husband and several beloved cats.