Why do they say that a cat has 9 lives?

English literature

Some believe that this belief comes from an English proverb that says: “A cat has nine lives. She plays the first three, wanders around for the next three, and stays for the last three.” In fact, this proverb rather describes the life cycle of an animal - childhood, growing up and aging. She has taken root very well among the people. And people really began to believe that cats have nine lives.

This myth also appears in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. In the third act, Mercutio says to Tybalt: “Good king of cats, only one of your nine lives.”

The cat and her nine lives: dismantling an old myth

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Cats are cunning, dexterous, resourceful animals and, admittedly, lucky. They are endowed with the ability to get away with anything, even the most hopeless situation. Ancient people believed that cats were helped by higher powers. Hand on heart, we are inclined to believe it. Even in our high-tech 21st century. The myth has acquired incredible stability - we believe in it, even knowing that cats, like all of us, have only one life. And yet, let's figure it out: where did this belief come from?

That there are nine cat lives. Essentially, we mean, following our distant ancestors, the ability of cats to survive. Or the famous cat reincarnation. Here is a tailed friend traveling along the roof of a house and suddenly falls off - from the ninth floor. Death seems inevitable. But the cat miraculously regroups in flight and lands neatly on its paws. Fantastic, and that's all.

Another question. No one would dare call cats stupid and reckless animals. But, tell me, why are they so scared that they are drawn to jump out onto the roadway under the wheels of cars? And many people turn out. They know that they have several lives at their disposal. Each crossing of a busy highway means minus one life.

Let's figure out why cats have several lives. There are four theories on this matter, and we will take them as a basis.

First theory. Dexterity and resourcefulness. We just talked about this: the ability of tailed animals to survive in hopeless situations inspires admiration. Surely every cat was on the verge of death more than once, but was saved every time. Hence the theory of multiple lives.

Second theory. The deification of cats in some cultures (for example, in Ancient Egypt). The Egyptians seriously believed that cats had supernatural powers. So the theory of “nine lives” fits well with the worldview of the ancient Egyptians. A deity cannot have just one life.

Third theory. An ancient proverb, retold in different ways. The meaning of the proverb is: “A cat has nine lives. The first three she plays, the second three she wanders. And the remaining three remain with her.” There's something about it!

The fourth theory. We open a volume of Shakespeare, the play “Romeo and Juliet”. Act three, scene one. Tybalt asks: “What do you want from me?” Mercutio: “My dear cat king, I just want to take one of your nine lives...”

Choose, friends, which of the four theories is closer to you.

Why exactly nine lives? Modern researchers are inclined to believe that the answer should still be sought in Ancient Egypt. One of the legends says that the sun god Atum-Ra, having visited the underworld, took the form of a Big Cat (Mau) and gave birth to eight other deities. It turns out symbolically: nine lives in one.

Let's say more: the number 9 is iconic in many cultures and religions.

In Christianity and Hinduism, 9 symbolizes divine completeness, the triple triad. In China, 9 is considered a lucky number. In Scandinavian mythology, the Universe is divided into 9 worlds. There are only 9 muses in Greek mythology.

You will be surprised, but not in all corners of the Earth people believe that cats have 9 lives. In Spanish-speaking countries, for example, they are sure that it is “only” seven. Turks and Arabs believe that there are only six.

What is so unusual and unique about cats? Firstly, cats are excellent sprinters: when running away from pursuit, these animals can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h. True, cats are not capable of running for a long time at this pace. Secondly, cats have an incredibly flexible spine, consisting of 53 vertebrae - it allows its owners to take unimaginable poses and twist like snakes. Thirdly, cats have incredibly springy and muscular paws, allowing them to jump to a height that exceeds their own height by nine (!) times. Cats are also capable of flattening their body so much that they can squeeze through even the narrowest gap.

Myths dismantled. But what really? Alas, practice shows that cats have one life. The tailed friends break when they fall, get stuck in cracks, and die in batches under the wheels of cars. And yet cats are actually lucky. And to some extent they even have supernatural abilities. For example, what are your chances of surviving a fall from the seventh floor? But cats have them, and quite a lot of them. They will dust themselves off and move on with their business. Isn't this a miracle? All that remains is to wish our mustachioed friends less trouble and always soft landings.

Material used: Does a cat really have nine lives? Source: wamiz.co.uk Photo: pixabay.com

Cultural meaning of the number 9

The number nine has special meaning in many cultures. In China, it is consonant with the word “durability”. There are 9 muses in Greek mythology. In early Christian culture, the number nine was considered lucky, as it represents a certain variation of the trinity (three times three).

Is there even a grain of truth in this myth?

Although cats have been deified in the past, and the number nine has special meaning in many cultures, these animals, of course, only have one life.

Mystical interpretations of the “survivability” of cats

Medieval beliefs said that witches, sorcerers or fortune tellers always had in their arsenal an assistant cat, which was a guide to the world of ghosts. Demons could easily inhabit cats, helping their owners do sinister things. People believed that the witch herself could reincarnate into a cat (but only a certain number of times in her entire life). Therefore, when an unfamiliar cat appeared near the house, they tried to immediately drive it away.

Cats easily communicate with incorporeal entities. They sense the presence of spirits or other psychic phenomena. The most common legend, which remains relevant today, is the friendship between a cat and a brownie.

The Middle Ages as an era became famous for the genocide of cats due to their connection with witches and the devil himself. They were exterminated en masse, regardless of the color of their coat. People who somehow showed favor towards cats or gave the slightest reason to suspect them of this also fell into the hands of the Inquisition. It must be said that the cats showed miracles of vitality here too. They survived this terrible time, and moreover, they again achieved the favor of the inhabitants of Western Europe.

A black cat is widely associated with the presence of evil spirits.

Debunking the myth

Not all cultures believed that cats have nine lives. The number nine does not have any special meaning in all countries, so the number of mythical lives may vary from country to country. For example, in Arabic-speaking countries it is believed that these animals have six lives. In Spanish-speaking countries, as well as Italy, Brazil and Greece, they are believed to have seven lives. So this fact is not generally accepted, and therefore there is a high probability that it came from folklore.

In addition, there remains science, which has proven that cats, like other living creatures, have only one life. In October 2016, a study was published that found that the most common cause of death in cats is kidney failure. Animals over 15 years of age often suffer from kidney failure.

Interesting Facts

People love their pets so much that they dedicate works of art to them:

In recent years, cats have become cinematic heroes, helping people understand and believe in themselves. Thus, in 2016, the film “Nine Lives” was released about a workaholic billionaire who finds himself in the body of a cat bought for his daughter.
Many in childhood read the fairy tale by Charles Perrault about the smart Puss in Boots who helped his owner. Now it delights audiences of different ages as an animated film.

The lives of these graceful animals and people have been connected for centuries, but even now cats continue to live nearby and protect us.
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Scientific facts that make the myth still exist

And yet, many people continue to believe in this myth, because even if a cat falls from a great height, it can remain unharmed. Scientists have explained why this happens.

Cats have a special reflex that allows them to roll over in the air. During the fall, the body bends and twists, and the animal lands not on its back, but on its paws. This makes the landing softer.

In addition, cats have more vertebrae than humans. This makes them more flexible and therefore able to react instantly to dangerous situations.

And they are also very smart. Practicing veterinarian Cullen Dauchy shared that he has treated dogs for snakebites many times in his career, but has never seen a cat with this problem. They are too smart and neat.

Scientific lifespan of a cat

Modern biologists do not deny that cats, as representatives of the animal world, are very healthy and recover from the most severe injuries. A scientific basis has been found for this. Nature already has a self-healing mechanism inside the cat’s body, which gives rise to various legends around these animals.

Rumbling

Among biologists and felinologists, there is a widespread hypothesis about purring, which they use to explain the endurance and vitality of representatives of the cat world. The ability to produce sounds tuned to a certain range contributes to a beneficial effect on the body. Sound vibrations lead to self-massage and self-soothing. The results are experienced not only by cats, but also by the people around them. It has been scientifically proven that the purring of cats can restore damage to bone tissue, relieve inflammation, and increase resistance to stress. But the workings of the cat's purring mechanism itself remain a mystery.

The purring of cats is sound and ultrasonic waves of a certain frequency that have a healing and calming effect on the human body.

Cats can treat not only themselves, but also the person they like. This could be not only the owner, but also one of the guests or relatives.

Purring is actually healing and calming. And both the animal itself and the person. My cat broke her leg. I only found out about the fracture at the clinic, when she was given an x-ray. But on the way there the cat purred. The doctor explained to me that she did not do this out of pleasure, as we usually explain these vibrating sounds. In this way the animal relieved its pain. From time to time I suffer from insomnia. The best remedy for it is to drag the cat under the blanket and hold it close to you. I must say, he himself is a fan of sleeping in this position. So, to the sound of his purring you fall asleep very quickly, and even sleep until the alarm goes off without waking up.

Mysterious sense of balance

The cat always lands on all its paws, regardless of the height of the fall, while remaining unharmed or with minimal damage to health. This phenomenon falls under the definition of a miracle. This is possible thanks to the excellent vestibular apparatus, which allows the cat to group itself during a free fall, thereby taking the desired position. Here, the construction of the body plays a big role, allowing you to perform planning, taking a spread-eagled position in the air. The cat's tail acts as a rudder. It is worth noting that the greater the height, the more opportunities the animal has to take the correct position before it collides with the ground.

During the fall, the cat manages to group itself so as to land on its paws

Adaptive abilities

Our furry pets or their yard relatives adapt perfectly to all situations in which they find themselves. Cats are comfortable not only on the couch, but also in the wild. They can always find food and a place to rest. Instincts lead cats to survival, even if a domestic cat suddenly finds itself on the street. Often an animal, left without human protection by the will of fate, does not want to return to care.

Healing ourselves

The most complex cat bone fractures heal within a few weeks. In humans, for example, this process takes many months and even years. Here again the unique ability to purr plays a role. The frequency of sound regenerates cells, which helps speed up the healing process of fractures, heal bruises, and speedy recovery from various infections.

They say that a cat absorbs damage brought upon its owner. Often the animal dies, taking with it the owner’s illness.

Video: the cat has wasted many lives, but not all

Norse mythology

The most beautiful goddess of the Scandinavian pantheon, Freya, had a chariot drawn by two huge wild cats, which Thor himself gave her.

Freya was the goddess of love and passion, spring and fertility, she embodied the strength of a warrior and feminine grace.

Cats were considered Freya's messengers, so farmers left them milk as a gift so that the gods would bless the harvest. If the weather was good on the wedding day, they said: “The bride fed the cats well.”

The goddess Freya had power over the nine worlds, which may be why the cat has 9 lives.

Cats are healers

Another common myth: there is no need to treat a cat - it will heal itself of all illnesses. If there is a rational grain in this statement, then it is very, very small. Cats often get sick and have a difficult time recovering—especially purebred pets with complex heredity and weakened immune systems. If you don’t treat and rely on the mystical forces of nature, you will simply lose your pet.

Self-healing of cats from serious illnesses

The amazing vitality of cats is not a myth, but a reality. They are able to go without food or even drink for a long time and survive in situations that are fatal to other animals.

The most important know-how of healing cats is purring at certain frequencies - thanks to these sound vibrations, normal functioning of the body is quickly restored and wounds heal. There are many stories of miraculous self-healing of cats and even their resurrection from the dead. How they do this, we will probably never understand. Here are some surprising facts:

The bandits emptied the clip of an air pistol into the head of the shelter cat Leo; he survived after a complex operation.
The British People's Veterinary Clinic awarded the prize to Robbie the cat, who survived despite severe burns.
In Australia, 18-year-old cat Manas survived after being washed in a machine for 45 minutes.
Bart the cat, hit by a car, returned home five days after his burial.
In Boston, the cat Sugar remained safe and sound after falling from the 19th floor.
The cat Romashka escaped from a fire on the AN-24 plane flight Tomsk - Surgut.
Mu-Mu the cat was hit in the head by a crossbow arrow - he remained alive and well.
In Britain, the cat Cupcake survived after eight days of confinement in a parcel.
Rosie the cat was shot with a shotgun - 20 pellets were removed, another 30 remained in her body, this did not stop her from continuing her life.

Video: your own psychic

Can cats heal people?

Many cat owners are aware of their healing abilities. These animals know how to relieve fatigue and irritation, calm, and heal depression. Scientists have come to the conclusion that bioenergetic contact with a cat has a beneficial effect not only on the human nervous system, but also significantly helps with mental disorders, heart disease, brain disorders, and even contributes to complete recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction.

Contact with a cat has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system

"Purring" Aoshima Island

The small Japanese island of Aoshima has become very attractive to tourists due to the fact that a myriad of cats live here - many times more of them than the actual islanders. Aoshima is a fishing island, and once upon a time there were hordes of impudent rats that spoiled the nets. Fishermen, tired of patching holes in their tools, brought several cats and cats to the island. The new settlers quickly dealt with the rodents and soon began to reign over this small piece of land, rightfully recognizing it as their territory.

Choral cat “singing” and the opportunity to pet many affectionate animals have a powerful relaxing and healing effect on people. In any case, tourists themselves equate a trip to the island to a psychotherapy session - and return here again and again.

How to extend the life of a pet?

The owners have the power to extend the life of their four-legged pet. Many factors influence life expectancy:

Balanced diet. The animal must receive a sufficient amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements, and nutrients. Premium and super-premium ready-made food copes best with this.

Particular attention should be paid to the nutrition of cats with allergies and animals with chronic diseases.

Timely vaccination. There are vaccinations against many diseases, including deadly ones.

Some need to be done once in a lifetime, in the first months of a kitten’s life, others – annually. The vaccination schedule can be obtained from your veterinarian.

Protection from parasites. Deworming is carried out once every 3 months, treatment for fleas, ticks and other ectoparasites - from spring to autumn and according to indications.

Regular visits to the veterinarian. Of course, if your cat develops symptoms of illness, behavior changes, or loss of appetite, then you should immediately visit a doctor. However, regular preventive visits to the veterinarian, especially in old age, will help detect diseases whose signs are not yet noticeable.
No stress. Rough treatment of the animal, frequent changes of environment, unfavorable atmosphere in the house - all this serves as a source of stress. Anxiety can worsen a cat's health and even lead to death.

Do not forget that one of the factors that allows you to prolong a pet’s life is the love of its owners. Affectionate and attentive handling will reduce stress levels and provide your cat with a high quality of life.

Muslims who revere the number five have come up with a legend about cats with different characteristics.

According to their beliefs, the cat Muetz was the favorite of the Prophet Muhammad. Once she saved her master, in gratitude he awarded her the ability to be reborn. Due to the fact that the cat did not have a soul and was not equal to a person, the prophet gave it six lives.

A cat definitely has more than one life. She always knows when it is better for her to run away and when to attack. A cold-blooded assessment of the situation allows her to either attack the enemy, or the owner will remove her from a tree or cabinet. Cats almost never fight with each other; they are attracted by psychological struggle - yelling, hissing, staring.

Such actions continue for hours, without even moving into the stage of aggression, including claws or teeth. A small scratch leads to infection, infection, and death. The cat, being an animal, may not understand this, but its instincts protect it - it hisses, runs away or fights.

A cat, possessing a highly developed intellect, manages to subjugate the person himself to his whims. For a long time, despite people's prejudices, cats survived. Despite the extermination of the witches, to our delight, these beautiful creatures remained. It makes no difference how many lives a pet actually has, the main thing is not to take risks and leave the old legends alone. Enjoy communicating with your cat, a gentle creation of nature, here and now.

Thief

A funny story was written by one man. He told about his cat, who did not sit at home with his paws folded, but helped his owners replenish supplies. We took our pet with us to the dacha. During the season, when the harvest was already beginning to appear and could be harvested, household members began to find vegetables in the morning at the front door: cucumbers, unripe tomatoes. For a long time they could not understand what virtue was feeding them, because their harvest was in place. One day, a man noticed that a cat, having jumped over the fence into a neighbor’s garden, went straight to the greenhouse. The thief returned back with a small cucumber in his teeth. Of course, the neighbors were not told about this incident, but the grandmother decided to punish the bandit by spanking him with a slipper for hooliganism. The cat did not appreciate such a gesture, and to this day no one can find grandma’s slippers. Only one cat knows where they can be!

God's gift

This funny story spread all over the Internet, and the heroes who participated in it even took part in Malakhov’s program! So, the characters are: a cat, his owner a priest, a little girl and her mother.

The action took place in a small village, and events developed as follows. The priest was lonely and lived with his devoted cat, who always slept in his bed, next to his owner. Not finding the pet in the house in the evening, the old man went in search of him and saw him sitting on the top of a small tree. Hoping to remove his pet, the priest decided to act like this: he tied one end of the rope to a tree, and the other to the car, and drove away so that the tree leaned over. The plan was to remove the cat from the plant that was bent closer to the ground, but something went wrong. The rope, unable to bear it, burst, and precisely at that moment when the tree had already tilted considerably. In general, it turned out to be a good slingshot! The animal “went into orbit,” and the priest could only pray to God for his salvation and only guess where the projectile would land!

Not far from the priest lived a family: a mother and her little daughter. The girl kept asking her parent to get a kitten. But mom already had enough trouble, and she, deciding to quickly get rid of the constant “whining” of the child, told her to ask God to give her a cat, and if He decides that it is possible, then he will definitely bring the pet into the house. It was while the girl was telling the Lord about her desire and saying how good she was that a frightened animal flew into the open window. In general, the mother fainted, and the girl squealed with happiness!

As a result, the cat was returned to the owner, because everyone knew the priest and his pet, and the girl was given a kitten. Mom was quick to share this story.

Now we find out why they say a cat has seven lives

In the Middle Ages, a Jewish tale arose that describes a conversation between God and a girl who rejected all suitors. Her name was Hannah, she loved her parents, giving them all her tenderness and care. The suitors hovered around her, and her mother and father grieved, thinking that the girl would soon leave her father’s house.

Hannah believed that no one was worthy of her, she wanted to stay with her parents. This happened, but decades later the mother and father died. Hannah, left alone, mourned them every day. God decided to talk to her about why she rejected all his gifts from fate.

As punishment, he turned Hannah into a cat, who will live seven lives, each of which is the length of the earthly life of her parents. After which Hannah could reunite with them. It was believed that by killing a cat, it would begin a new cycle, but woe to the one who takes its life for the seventh time.

The poem “The Romance of the Fox Reineck” tells about seven lives. It was very popular at one time, its main character Tybalt was a cat, had the same number of lives, a bad and quarrelsome disposition and bore the royal title.

At the same time, the era of persecution of cats began in European countries. There was no mention anywhere that they were not godly. The demonization of the feminine essence, the absence of ordinary life, and religious fanaticism gave rise to the idea of the cat as a satanic instrument. The personification of female deities - a cat, especially a black one - became an object for barbaric destruction in bonfires, ponds, and torture. Zealously opposed to witches, Europe was overwhelmed by a flood of rodents, which simultaneously spread the plague. This is how retribution for the destruction of cats took place. But here, too, a miracle occurred regarding the survival of cats. They not only survived, but also regained the favor of the inhabitants of the entire region.

Who is guilty?

This is a story about a cat, or rather a cat, who harasses a poor woman. This dirty little guy constantly misbehaves, but always gets away with it, and his owner gets the worst of it. One day this happened: a cat caught a sparrow on the balcony and, in order to enjoy it comfortably, dragged it onto the closet. The bird, not wanting to be eaten, struggled, screamed, and flew down, the cat following it! The owner of the living space and the cat intervened in this nightmare, caught the bird, which immediately, out of fright, “hit” her in the palm of her hand, grabbed the angry hunter and dragged the entire household to the balcony. The cat scratched, struggled, and finally grabbed the woman by the chin. She released the bird and released the animal. The result is this: the sparrow is safe, the predator is offendedly lapping up milk in the kitchen, and the woman is pecked, bitten and scratched, and even the house is a mess!

What kind of pranks cats are capable of! With such animals, life will become more varied and fun! Get a cat, you won't get bored!

Magic nine

Nine is considered sacred among many peoples, and even mathematical operations with it are not without a mystical connotation. Mathematical operations are sometimes called the “magic of numbers,” and science itself in ancient times was inextricably linked with numerology. Using simple calculations, you can verify that the number “nine”:

closes the number row “1-9”;
returns to itself when multiplied by any number (for example, 9x5=45, 4+5=9);
reproduces itself when adding numbers that are multiples of 9 (72+54=126, 1+2+6=9).

Christianity.

Nine is considered “thrice sacred” because it is composed of a trinity of trinities.

Many Christian traditions are tied to the symbolism of this number:

the nine-pointed star is an ancient symbol of the Holy Spirit, and on each of its rays is a symbol of one of the nine gifts;
a 9-day commemoration is timed to coincide with the appearance of the deceased before the Heavenly Throne on the 9th day after death;
The 9 celestial spheres of Paradise correspond to Dante’s 9 circles of Hell;
The hierarchy of angelic ranks consists of 9 steps.

Other crops. The magic of the number 9 covers almost all ancient kingdoms and religions. One only needs to delve a little into the supernatural to encounter the omnipresent mysticism of the Nine:

according to ancient Greek chronicles, Atlantis consisted of 9 kingdoms;
the Hellenes had 9 muses who ruled the arts;
the prophecies of the Gauls mention 9 high priestesses;
a Buddhist monk can only possess 9 things or objects;
the Chinese emperor was greeted with 9 bows;
The 9th and last planet of the solar system is Neptune, the most distant from the center.

Mysterious vitality

Nature has given them several unique survival and recovery mechanisms:

The ability to purr is an important property that helps relieve stress and launch healing mechanisms.
An ideal sense of balance, thanks to the special properties of the vestibular apparatus, allows you to change the position of the body in space and fall on 4 paws when falling.
Thanks to its ability to adapt, the cat quickly gets used to any situation and finds resources for life.
Vibrissae are a unique mechanism that allows you to navigate the terrain. Thanks to him, the cat finds a home, being at any distance from it.
The tissues of the cat's body are able to actively regenerate, which allows you to quickly cure an injury or fracture.

Modern scientists associate the endowment of animals with multiple lives in mythology with their ability to survive difficult situations, recover and recover from illness and injury.

How can we answer the question: how many lives does a cat have? Modern people understand: no matter how many lives are spoken of in ancient myths, in reality they are destined to live only one life. Therefore, cats need our attention, love and care no less than we do. But in return they bestow warm affection for many years, give joy and consolation in difficult moments of life.

How many lives do you think a cat has? Maybe you know the legends associated with them? We welcome feedback, questions and comments from our readers.

“Cat first aid kit”

Are all cats endowed with the gift of healing? Scientists say that everyone, but their abilities depend on the breed and size. We suggest you familiarize yourself with what the most common and popular individuals can treat.

The larger the cat, the more energy it has, and therefore it can treat almost all ailments.
For a cat to be therapeutic, it must be friendly, outgoing, and mature.
Long-haired pets, such as Persians, Burmese, Angoras, Siberians and the like, cope well with depression and treat neuroses.
“Persians” relieve joint pain and treat osteochondrosis.
Angoras are excellent at diagnosing disease and accurately determining the source of the disease.
Hairless and short-haired cats heal diseases of the heart, liver and kidneys.
The European Shorthair will relieve hypertension and minimize the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Siamese representatives are somehow able to destroy bacteria in the house and are thus useful for the whole family. However, diseases will only be treated by their beloved owner.
Cats with “plush” coats, such as British cats, cope well with heart ailments.

Experts note that cats are better at relieving joint pain and treating them. Cats help with neuroses and depression, and fight diseases of internal organs. Scientifically proven fact: people who have such animals live 4-5 years longer than those who do not have this pet!

Perhaps cats can heal with their warmth, because their body temperature is 2-3 degrees higher than the temperature of people. But this remains a mystery of nature and the mystery of the cat itself!