Why Do Cats Believe They Have Nine Lives

One dark and cold night in December 1964, the Dutch ship "Thioba" was sailing down the Rhine River. Suddenly the ship was struck by a terrible shock, it tilted and immediately began to sink. In a few minutes the ship was already at the bottom, and her crew were struggling for life in the icy water. All of them survived, but one unfortunate thing happened: Jacob, a six-year old ship's cat, did not make it off the lower deck and went down with the ship. It was not until eight days later that floating cranes arrived at the scene of the disaster. The divers reeled in the ropes, the winches began to work and the ship slowly began to rise out of the mud.

Why do they say cats have nine lives?

The nine in itself is sacred, consisting of the "trinity of threes" and signifying the completion of a cycle. This number symbolizes the nine kingdoms of Atlantis, the nine ancient Greek Muses, the nine celestial spheres of Paradise, the nine circles of Hell and the nine planets of the Solar System. According to Christian tradition, a memorial service on the 9th day after death marks the appearance of the soul of the deceased before the throne of heaven.

Cats, according to legends, have exactly nine lives. But how can such a statement be explained?

Nine and cats.

Cats since ancient times have been considered mystical animals, and the magical nine is associated with the cat's life in many peoples.

So, ancient Egypt was known as the place of domestication and the primary breeding of cats, and its pantheon numbered 27 gods – 9 per element of heaven, earth and water. The goddess Bastet, pictured as a cat or a woman with a cat's head, was revered as the patroness of these animals and was among the nine supreme gods, along with the sun god Ra, who could transform into a fiery red cat. It was believed that all earthly cats were able to resurrect themselves nine times after death, carrying a part of Bastet in them.

In Turkey's Antalya, where burials of cats next to people 10,000 years old have been discovered, it is still believed that each cat has nine souls and dies only after using them all up.

In India, the legend of the old lazy cat with whom the god Shiva appeared on earth spoke. The old lazy cat arrogantly called himself a "scientist who can count to infinity", but when he got to a number 9, he snored soundly. Great Shiva smiled and graciously gave nine lives to the cat. And since then, the whole cat tribe lives nine incarnations.

The ancient Scandinavians had known beautiful and dangerous Freya – the goddess of love and guardian of the Valkyries, who rode between the nine worlds of the universe in a chariot drawn by two giant cats.

In medieval Europe, there was a belief that a witch could turn a black cat and infiltrate the homes of good Christians to sow evil. The change into a cat's skin could only take place 9 times, and if the werewolf was killed, the spell would fall, and the cat would turn into a woman. Accordingly, only the ninth cat's death could interrupt the witch's life.

English mystics also point to the connection with the sacred number, believing that the cat was destined to live nine lives. Three of them she plays, three she wanders, and three she is tied to the same place. In the last, ninth, life murka is endowed with a special power and protects the home from evil forces.

Why cats are said to have nine lives: here's an understandable explanation for cat owners

Why is it said that cats have nine lives? Turns out it's all for a reason! Experts told – where did such an opinion spread from, and how it is explained through "science". Where did such an opinion spread from?

The myth of the nine lives came from ancient Egypt. In those days, people worshipped a mythical goddess, Bastet. According to the history of the myth, this Goddess passes from life and comes to life – nine times, in her divine and earthly guise.

The goddess Bastet was presented to the people in the form of a cat. In those days, cats were considered to be very mythical and sacred. People gave cats a special meaning, and they believed that cats also have nine lives and worshipped them.

Despite the fact that so many years have passed, this myth of nine lives of cats still exists. Why? It's simple! Cats – tenacious creatures, they have a special healing effect and amazing – abilities.

But most often, the ability of cats to land on his feet and survive – falling from a great height has served to the fact that cats were assigned nine lives. Cats are very twitchy – with a "developed" instinct of the "highest" – self-preservation.

Thus, in today's world, the phrase 9 lives in cats has mixed mythical and "scientific" abilities and opinions about tailed cats. Cats are so mysterious that they are still poorly understood, even by modern science.

Why is a cat considered a resilient animal?

Of course, a cat, like any other living creature, has its exhaustible resource. However, it is worth paying attention to the amazing ability of the animal's body endurance under a variety of circumstances.

The striped friend has a good level of balance, agility, flexibility and an ideal ratio of muscle tissue to body weight. In addition, when falling, the cat turns around its axis and is able to quickly assume such a body position that it is on the ground on all four paws, curving its back in an arc. However, this does not happen at any height. For such a maneuver, the animal needs time to have time to give the body the right position. Therefore, it is easier for them to make an easy landing from a farther altitude. This explains the statistics: of the 132 U.S. cats who had fallen through the windows of apartment buildings above 30 floors due to negligence of their owners, 87% survived with minor injuries.

In addition, cats have a peculiar sense of disaster. That is why animals are in advance looking for a safe place to hide. There are many examples of when the pets ran away from warm cozy homes and apartments before the earthquake, fire or a gas leak. And if the place was locked, the cats would meow anxiously and run around the apartment alerting the owner of the danger.

Why is it said that cats have nine lives?)

The amazing survivability of the feline family, it turns out, comes from the fact that these graceful animals regularly … . rumble. The common house cat's purr occurs at a frequency between 22 and 44 hertz. Scientists at the Institute for Fauna Research in North Carolina have concluded that it is vibrations at this frequency that speed up the cell regeneration process. Therefore, when injured cats rumble, they are merely self-medicating
Remarkably, this frequency also improves human bone health. Therefore, close companionship with purring house cats can actually improve human health.
In light of this research, the claim that a cat has nine lives does not seem so implausible. Nature has simply endowed these animals with the unique ability to regenerate their bodies on their own.

The number nine completes a sequence of numbers, which is then repeated again, albeit at a higher level.

In this regard, 9 is associated with such notions as completion, arrival, and home.

Viewed as the number of accomplishment, 9 stands as if at the end of a journey, and gives the traveler a sense of purpose, a sense of direction.

To go to 9, qualities such as calmness, patience, endurance and perseverance are required.

To achieve 9 means to find a sense of peace, to be able to relax at the end.

The desire to reach 9, however, can manifest itself through irritability, impatience, and dissatisfaction. This occurs if one is too focused on the end goal and pays too little attention to the journey itself at each of its stages.

At the same time, if there is no awareness of the number 9 and the end of the journey, the individual's energy begins to be lost and dissipates in all eight directions. In contrast to number 1, which is absolutely focused and concentrated, the quality of number 9 is more dispersion and lack of concentration; it can also be expressed as uncertainty and doubt.

where did the expression that cats have nine lives come from?

The expression comes from the Middle Ages, when cats (especially black cats) were called the devil's accomplices. It was believed that a witch was capable of turning into a black cat nine times, hence the belief about the multiplicity of cats' lives.
Some specialists in mythology have correlated the popular belief that a cat has nine lives, that is, is unusually tenacious, with the pantheon of Egyptian gods, in which there were three groups, nine gods in each. Perhaps because of their patronizing love for the cat, the idea of nine cat lives arose. After all, cats enjoyed a special position in ancient Egypt and even the sacred white bull Apis was not so revered. The Greek Artemis is also associated with the cat and the number "nine" . And the Nordic Freya with her mysterious feline harness, who received power over the nine worlds from Odin.
In Egyptian mythology, when the god Ra came down to earth, his assistant came down with him from heaven. He took the form of a cat . Pharaohs were guarded by cats and for good service Ra gave the cat nine lives

Some experts of mythology correlate the popular belief that the cat has nine lives, that is, it is unusually vital, with the pantheon of Egyptian gods, in which there were three groups, nine gods in each. Perhaps because of their patronizing love for the cat, the idea of nine cat lives arose. after all, cats enjoyed a special position in ancient Egypt, and even the sacred white bull Apis was not so revered. The Greek Artemis is also associated with the cat and the number "nine" . and the Nordic Freyja with her mysterious feline harness, who received power over the nine worlds from the Odin.

The cat's fecundity, its ability to see at night, its brilliant round eyes, and its ability to change the shape of its pupil have turned it into a mysterious beast in popular beliefs, one that is aware of secret powers. In the Middle Ages, when witch hunts began, the cat was reminded that it was a pagan god, that it walked at night with secret intentions, that it had glowing eyes in the dark (for all this it was prized in Egypt). The cat has become the enemy of the people, the devil's fiend, the incarnation of unclean powers, an accomplice of the devil.

Why do they say that cats have nine lives?

Cats are some of the most mysterious animals on the planet. They are intelligent, incredibly charismatic and at the same time independent. But the most amazing feature of cats – their "nine lives. But where did this saying come from?

There are several theories. One of them is associated with the ancient Egyptians, who considered cats to be sacred animals.

Mummified cat of ancient Egypt (photo: Daniel Simon/Contributor/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Image)

Ancient Egyptians believed that cats had magical powers and could survive death.

They mummified countless cats and even created the world's first pet cemetery, a burial ground nearly 2,000 years old in which cats are buried in iron, beaded collars.

But why were cats so highly prized in ancient Egypt? Why, according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, did the Egyptians shave their eyebrows as they mourned the loss of the family cat?

A wall painting from the tomb of Ipui in Deir el-Medina. Ipui has a small kitten sitting on his lap and a cat sitting under his wife's chair

Much of this reverence is due to the fact that the ancient Egyptians endowed their gods and rulers with feline qualities. They believed that cats had an unusual duality of temperament: on the one hand, they could be loyal and caring, but on the other, they were pugnacious, independent, and ferocious.

For the ancient Egyptians, cats seemed to be unique creatures deserving special attention: they were depicted on papyruses and architectural monuments were dedicated to them.

The Great Sphinx of Giza, a monument 73 meters long with a human face and the body of a lion, is perhaps the most famous example of such a monument.

Like the powerful goddess Sekhmet, who was depicted with the head of a lion and the body of a woman. She was known as a guardian deity, especially in transitional moments including dawn and dusk.

Another goddess, Bastet, was often depicted as a lion or a cat, and the ancient Egyptians believed that all cats were her subjects.

Where did the legend that a cat has nine lives come from?

Some specialists of mythology correlate the popular belief that a cat has nine lives, that is, it is unusually vital, with the pantheon of Egyptian gods, in which there were three groups, nine gods in each. perhaps because of their patronizing love for the cat the idea of nine cat lives arose. after all, in ancient egypt cats enjoyed a special position and even the sacred white bull apis was not so revered. the Greek artemis is also associated with the cat and the number "nine". and the nordic freya with the mysterious cat harness, who received the power over the nine worlds from the odin.

Cats' fecundity, their ability to see at night, their brilliant round eyes, and their ability to change the shape of their pupil turned them into a mysterious beast of mysterious powers in popular beliefs. In the Middle Ages, when witch hunts began, the cat was reminded that it was a pagan god, that it walked at night with secret intentions, that it had glowing eyes in the darkness (for all this it was valued in Egypt). the cat became an enemy of the people, an abomination of hell, an incarnation of unclean powers, an accomplice of the devil.

It was believed that a witch could turn into a black cat only nine times in her life. nine is the number of the completed cycle. hence the belief that cats have many lives… and the expression: "a cat has nine lives".

Cats are also said to have nine senses: sense of touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing, sense of temperature, sense of balance, sense of place and time

Cats have a number of unique qualities and virtues, many of which modern science is still unable to explain. the unique health that nature has endowed the cat, its ability to withstand terrible falls and to land on its feet – these are the main facts on which the belief is based nowadays that cats have nine lives. that they have a special "sixth sense". that a man – death, a cat – another life. A cat has an exceptionally efficient vestibular apparatus, which allows it to quickly orient itself in space when it falls.

Why is it believed that cats have nine lives?

We've all heard the saying more than once that cats have nine lives. But why exactly nine, where did they come from and where did this conversation come from in the first place? Let's get to the bottom of this phenomenon:

Our beloved pets, cats, even in everyday life, prove to be remarkably resilient and lucky. Cats even survive falls from high floors, can climb into unthinkable places and crawl into almost any crevice, not for nothing do some people joke that cats are the new liquid species. And they're also very flexible and dodgy and can easily dodge a passing car or dog. This is achieved thanks to the 53 vertebrae and muscular paws that help cats when they fall.

Why cats have nine lives, historical facts. Ancient Egypt

The first theory, of course, has its origins in ancient Egypt, where cats were worshipped as deities. The Egyptians believed that cats were guides to the netherworld, symbols of fertility and good luck. The main deity was the goddess Bastet, a woman with the head of a sacred animal. It was believed that for good service, the sun god Ra gave the cats their 9 lives. These animals lived in the court of the Pharaoh, in rich houses and temples, and in case of fire, cats were the first to be taken out of the fire. It is interesting to note that cats were called mew; perhaps the name came from the notorious meow.

In medieval Europe, cats were treated very contrary, with fear and hatred, because in those times it was believed that cats are the faithful companions of evil spirits and witches. In the treatise "The Hammer of Witches" (Lat. Malleus Maleficārum), who described the methodology of fighting demons and dark forces, talked about the ability of witches to turn into black cats 9 times in their entire lives.

In general, the number 9 is unusual in most world cultures. In China, it is considered a lucky number, in Christianity it symbolizes the divine fullness. One way or another, but for cats, this number is firmly entrenched.

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Who and when came up with the idea that cats have nine lives?

Have you heard that cats have nine lives? Where did this expression come from?

The beginning of the myth laid the ancient Egyptians. Who was in that country knows that in the streets of local cities, like privileged ladies of the court, roam crowds of fluffy, fat cats, and in all the souvenir shops sold figurines of these animals. This is because cats have been sacred in this country since ancient times. Their origins are in pagan beliefs. One of the goddesses worshipped by the ancestors of modern Egyptians was Bastet. She was the daughter of the sun god, the main god in the pantheon. Bastet brought people joy and love, and her avatar was a cat. In the sublunar world, the goddess was reborn exactly nine times. This is the origin of the popular aphorism.

However, the nine lives cats were awarded not only in Egypt, but also in ancient Greece. According to Hellenic mythology, the cat and the nine are associated with Artemis. This resulted in an association that has survived to this day. Also, the cat's nine lives are a tribute to the beliefs of the Vikings. They had the goddess Freya in their pantheon. She rode around the world on a cart pulled by nine cats. And in the Middle Ages, when it came to Christianity, priests everywhere were looking for witches and evil spirits. They believed that, at night, women associated with the devil turned into cats with glowing eyes. In addition, the holy fathers, being men of learning, knew that the nine was the symbol of the end of the cycle. Tying one to the other, the witch hunters began to spread the rumor that exactly nine times it is possible to change from a cat to a man. No more and no less.

Another belief comes from the European Middle Ages. According to it, cats live seven times. The origin of the tale in the poem "The novel of the fox Reineke," which loved to sing minstrels, dressed in animal costumes. Its hero, Tybalt, was a blue-blooded cat, had a cocky temper and was much liked by the public. He also had seven lives. Today when westerners don't hunt for witches for a long time they have forgotten about nine cats' lives but they remember seven of them very well.