The saint usually named as the patron saint of cats is St. Gertrude of Nivelles (626–659), a Frankish abbess in what is now Belgium, who was invoked for centuries against plagues of mice and rats and is often pictured with mice running up her staff; because cats keep mice away, cat lovers adopted her as their patron. St. Francis of Assisi, patron of all animals, is also invoked for cats. Below are St. Gertrude’s story, prayers for a sick cat, a lost cat and a cat that has died, and Scripture on God’s care for every creature.
A short prayer for a cat, written for this page:
St. Gertrude, patron of cats, pray for my cat, (name).
Lord, you care for every creature you have made.
Keep my cat healthy and safe, and thank you for the joy and comfort it brings to our home. Amen.
St. Gertrude of Nivelles
Gertrude was born in 626, the daughter of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of the Frankish kingdom, and of St. Itta. As a girl she refused a marriage arranged for her and chose to give her life to God. After her father’s death, her mother founded a double monastery at Nivelles, in present-day Belgium, and made Gertrude its abbess when she was about twenty. She cared for the poor, welcomed pilgrims and Irish missionary monks, and loved the Scriptures. She died on March 17, 659, at about thirty-three.
In the Middle Ages, people prayed to St. Gertrude for protection from mice and rats that destroyed crops and spread disease, and for travelers and the souls of the recently dead. She is often shown with mice at her feet or climbing her abbess’s staff. In modern times, cat lovers have taken her as the patron saint of cats. Her feast day is March 17, the same day as St. Patrick. She is a different person from St. Gertrude the Great, the German mystic. See the St. Gertrude prayer for the prayer for the souls in purgatory.
Prayers for cats
Written for this page.
For a sick cat
Lord, my cat (name) is sick.
Ease its pain, guide the hands of the vet, and, if it is your will, restore it to health.
St. Gertrude and St. Francis, pray for us. Amen.
For a lost cat
St. Anthony, finder of lost things, help me find my cat (name).
Lord, keep it safe wherever it is, and bring it home. Amen.
When a cat dies
Lord, thank you for the years we shared with (name), for its company, its play and its quiet presence.
Comfort us in our sadness, and help us remember with gratitude. Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 35:7 (Douay-Rheims):
Thy justice is as the mountains of God, thy judgments are a great deep. Men and beasts thou wilt preserve, O Lord:
Luke 12:6–7 (Douay-Rheims):
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of cats?
St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the 7th-century abbess invoked against mice and rats. St. Francis of Assisi is patron of all animals.
When is St. Gertrude of Nivelles’s feast day?
March 17.
Is it all right to pray for my cat?
Yes. God made all creatures and cares for them; we can pray for our pets’ health and thank him for them.
More prayers for pets
- Patron saint of dogs
- Patron saint of animals
- Catholic prayers for pets
- Prayer for a dying dog
- Patron saint of rabbits
- Patron saint of veterinarians
- Feast of St. Francis
Texts and sources
- Psalm 35:7 and Luke 12:6–7 (Douay-Rheims).