10.26.06
Why Do Cats Have Nine Lives?
There are very many wonderful (and some not so wonderful) euphemisms, anecdotes and sayings in the English language about cats. Ever wonder why people say cats have nine lives? We did! And here’s what we found out:
One reason, which is fairly obvious, is that cats are very resilient and crafty, and can survive falls from great distances with their ability to absorb shock (although many stupid people overestimate this and don’t protect cats from falling to their deaths from high windows). Cats, being their tenacious selves, gracefully skirt near-death situations, making them seem like they have multiple lives. But why the number nine?
The number nine was a lucky, mystical, or magic number because it is the Trinity of Trinities (3 x 3). As cats seem able to escape injury time and time again, this lucky number seemed suited to the cat. While in most countries the cat is said to have nine lives, in Arab and Turkish proverbs poor puss has a mere seven lucky lives and in Russia, is said to-survive nine deaths.(source: Paws For Proverbs)
The Egyptian Goddess Bast, or Bastet
Another possible origin is Ancient Egyptian mythology, when cats were worshipped as gods in Ancient Egypt (ahhh, those were the days!). Justine Hankins claims that the number nine is associated with various Egyptian gods and cats, but we haven’t been able to fact-check these statements. Any Egyptolo-cats out there who have any insights?
During the Dark Ages, cats were killed as demonic beings (unfathomable!). The most possible origin of the nine lives saying could be Beware the Cat, which is the earliest original piece of long prose literature in English, published in 1533.
Beware the Cat : The First English Novel
The author William Baldwin wrote, “it is permitted for a witch to take her cat’s body nine times.” (source: Cat Facts) If you want to read about the number nine, check out the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight, which also gives Beware the Cat credit for the 9 lives myth.
As a bonus, here’s a related term which is a bit more nasty, but hey, it’s Halloween time!
Cat O’ Nine Tails:
In olden days, people were flogged by a nasty device made up of three separate knottings of three stands attached to the whip’s handle. While the strands may have been made from the hide of cats, the multiple of 9 had already been associated with cats; presumably if a person being flogged survived, they were as lucky as a cat with 9 lives. Yeeeeowch! (source: Cat-ch phrases)
Wow, all that research made me want to take a nap with Pinky, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
- Bambi
Pamela said,
October 26, 2006 at 3:20 pm
Cats also get “short-changed” down to only seven lives in Spain, which makes sense with former Arab rule and influence on the culture.
pawpathblog said,
October 26, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Interesting! Thanks, Pamela!
Cecilia said,
October 27, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Very interesting. We love the picture of you and pinky. It is too adorable.
Mackenzie said,
February 28, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I think that is really cool! THANKS!!!!
Jen said,
April 12, 2007 at 2:23 am
I have had 2 cats attacked by dogs (seperate times) and when I got to them i trully thought they were dead. Their eyes glazed over and made no movement, their body was limp and they felt eerily cool to the touch. I laid them down inside and was calling my vet (weekend) and in about 15 to 20 minutes when it was time to leave they were in a sort of sleeping state. A day more of this sleeping and they were back to their active selves. Since then i have wondered if this is where people have gotten that cats have multiple lives. These cats were dead to us.
cesare rizzo said,
July 17, 2007 at 8:43 pm
It is scientific fact that a cat is not guaranteed to land on its feet!!!!!!!!!!!!
The reason cats are deemed to have nine live is because cats are unique creatures in that they are only able to be killed my crutially damaging one or a few vital organs and these organs are well protected by there bone structure. for example a cat could but shot with a arrow or gun and if the bullet or arrow does not damage one of these organs they are able to be saved this does not mean that they would not bleed to death if not treated in good time. Please do not think that i am a cat killer i adore these animals and i think they should be worshiped as they were in the egiptian era. My information comes from growing up in africa and learning about wild animals and how the native of africa survived the brutal attacks in the wild.
karl avenido said,
November 8, 2007 at 9:35 am
ohhh!!! gosh!!! i love cats!!! waaaaaa!!!! hahahaha
they’re just soooo cute…
Hayley said,
March 17, 2008 at 5:00 pm
My 4 cats were outside playing at night while they were playing a fox snuck up and the fox ate two kitties.The fox lived in the woods near by my house. I was trying to kick the fox when he got my kitties, but I was scared then I called my brother and he grabbed a fly swapper and hit the fox the fox ran away with the two kitties in his mouth.At least I have two more left ,but I will always remember Plucky and Joe (my two kitties that were eaten up).They were sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!
Mysty Johnosn said,
March 29, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I can not belivie that cats have nine lives. I have a cat named Sasha and she is like thirty-six years old. Cats are so beautiful and I wish cats had more lives cause are funny and cute. There was this one day were i wasn’t home and my mom’s bedroom window was open or sonething an my cat got out. Are upstairs neighbor,son,and her sister had to bend down to get her out from under the car. Then they put her back inside.
missy bryant said,
April 22, 2008 at 12:10 pm
this is so cute!!!!!!`11
MARINA said,
July 16, 2008 at 12:16 am
WOW CATS ARE AMAZING
MARINA said,
July 16, 2008 at 12:19 am
WELL I HAVE A VERY FUNNY CAT NAMED SIMION AND I LOVE IT ONE TIME IT FELL VERY HARD AND COUGHT ITS SELF
cj said,
May 11, 2009 at 1:18 pm
cool
cj said,
May 11, 2009 at 1:18 pm
cats rule
Czards said,
September 25, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I had it a cat and we buried my kitten when it got hit by a car like two inches under the ground and a vulture or something ate it cause we saw it ’s fur was right by the grave we gave it. It was toattly weirrrrrrrd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!