What national day is today? It's International Cat Day. Celebrate these famous felines

It's International Cat Day.

Don't tell your cat, it will offend her (or him). Cats are of the belief that they should be celebrated every day, but today is a day they actually deserve it. OK, some deserve it. Cats are pretty cool little guys and girls. They deserve some celebrating and more!

Since it's a day to honor cats, we're going to take a look at some of the cats who deserve extra Temptations and chin rubs on International Cat Day. Whether they're famous for their looks, memes, shows or actions, these cats of the world are the reason we should honor these critters not just today but every day!

Mr. Bigglesworth, from 'Austin Powers'

Cards on the table, he wasn’t going to make this list until I started doing research. The hairless cat from Austin Powers was memorable, but since he wasn’t cute and cuddly, he didn’t make my top 10. Then I read that shooting of the movie was actually delayed because he kept falling asleep on Mike Myers’ lap during shooting and loved the actor, so he played himself into the list. Nice work, dude!

Mr. Jinx, from 'Meet the Parents'

This cat actually wasn’t a good guy. In fact, he made life very difficult for Gaylord Focker in "Meet the Parents." But he ended up being OK, I guess, after returning home from running away. Also, how cool would it be to have a cat that doesn’t need its litter box changed?

MC Skat Kat, 1980's cartoon

The '80s were a wild time, man. This cat was dating one of the hottest acts of the decade, yet he stayed up late, smoked, was always shouting, was always broke and stole the covers. Why Paula Abdul stayed with him remains a mystery. I guess, "Opposites Attract."

I’ll say this, I’m shocked he didn’t do much after releasing this song. I think he deserved the judging job on "American Idol" more than Paula.

Toonces, from 'SNL'

I could make an argument that Toonces is the most underrated "Saturday Night Live" character. His skits always stole the show. But the actor who played Toonces offered such value to his owner.

I have three cats. They do very little other than eat and demand we take care of their every need. Can you imagine having a cat that could drive? That would be life-changing. One way, I probably would go out drinking a lot more because I bet Toonces would complain a lot less than my wife does when she has to pick me up. Actually, looking at the way they judge me, I think I'll stick with my wife. But I would still love a cat who would get in a car without having to be thrown in a carrier. Just that would be fantastic!

Lucky, from 'ALF'

I really don't know much about the Tanner's cat, but he lived under incredibly adverse conditions. Imagine living with a creature, Alf, that wanted to make a BLT — bacon, Lucky and tomato.

I was always amazed that he stayed on the show. You’d think he would have made a run for it. But at least the Tanners didn’t put him in a shelter. Despite having a cat-eating alien living in their home, they made it work. You hear that, people who move and put their pets in a shelter! They’re forever pets!

Casper the Commuting Cat

Casper the Commuting Cat was a real cat who was hanging around a bus station in Devon, England. This was such an adorable story, Casper became a star after he would ride a bus and get head rubs from commuters. Sadly, about a year after he went viral, he was struck and killed by a taxi. Still, his legacy lives on. He was famous for just being a cat and making people happy.

Heathcliff

Growing up, you had to make a decision. Did you like Garfield or Heathcliff? I liked Heathcliff. They were both spoiled fat orange cats with attitudes, but Heathcliff had a way better song.

To do this project, I watched an old school cartoon, and he was kind of a bully and mean, so maybe I should have supported the lasagna-loving Garfield, but Heathcliff was my boy, and I'm sticking with him. All episodes are available on Pluto if you'd like to learn more.

Grumpy Cat

Her name was Tarter, and she was incredibly sweet. But her face showed great disgust, and she earned the moniker "Grumpy Cat."

Her memes were the best, she enjoyed a Hallmark Christmas special, was the host of "Monday Night Raw," and I spent a fortune on Grumpy Cat stickers at Dollar Tree.

But Grumpy Cat was actually quite pleasant. She lived a great, but way too short, life. Grump in peace, little girl.

Sir Toby of the Grannies

I love all animal rescues, and there are some great ones in the area. One of my favorites was The Grannies. They’re a rescue based out of suburban Philadelphia that rescues older guys when they see them in the shelter or in need of help. It’s a super place, and their spokescat for years was Sir Toby.

He was sophisticated, acted like a Royal and was a typical cat who thought he was the best. He had a legit right to that claim. A lot of the Grannies’ thousands of followers supported the rescue and helped cats who needed it because of his huge personality. Nice work, Toby, and great work by your rescue! There's nothing better than seeing an older cat find love.

Scarlett, the cat who rescued her kittens from a fire

This is a story that sounds fake, but it's 1,000 percent true. It's the story of a great mom, Scarlett, a pregnant cat who was living in an abandoned building in New York. Shortly after she gave birth, the building caught fire. She carried all of her babies out of the building, saving them all.

Scarlett had a rough start to her life, she was just a baby herself when she proved to be a hero. Her life changed and for the better. Karen Wellen was picked out of 7,000 potential adopters to care for Scarlett.

Scarlett actually helped select her new home when she chose the envelope Wellen sent. She made a good choice, Scarlett lived the life any cat would have wanted. She was just as sweet a forever cat as she was a young mom on her own.

Her legacy lives on through "The Scarlett Award for Animal Heroism," given out by North Shore Animal League.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: International Cat Day 2023: Cats deserve extra Temptations treats