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The other day, I was talking with a friend of mine about this blog and she asked if I had written anything about cats having 9 lives.  She suggested that would make a good post.  So after some research, here is what I learned.

The actual term, thought, or phrase, “Cats have 9 lives” probably began in ancient Egypt where cats were seen as sacred animals.  Folklore and traditions have kept this saying alive for centuries. 

In Ancient Egypt, it was believed cats possessed multiple lives and symbolized home, fertility, and protection.  Probably most closely associated with the Egyptian Goddess, Baset, they believed cats possessed spiritual powers and had a special connection to the Gods. 

In other cultures at about the same time, cats also carried this same perception.  In ancient Greece, the number 9 was considered magical and somehow associated with the trinity of trinities, symbolizing unity and the cosmic order of things.  Other symbolizations of the number 9 are related to longevity, eternal life, and the ability to overcome death. 

A cat’s ability to be agile and have quick reflexes, along with their incredible survival skills and what appear to us as superpowers allows them to escape dangerous situations, which most likely led to the myth that cats have 9 lives.  We know cats have an incredible ability to escape from dangerous situations.  (I saw a video or reel on one of the social media sites recently that showed a cat falling six stories from a ledge, landing on its feet, and immediately running off.)  Stories like this and videos almost prove that cats seem indestructible until all 9 of their lives run out.  (By the way, a cat’s ability to land on its feet when it falls is actually called the “righting reflex.”  I did not know this)

Over the years or centuries, there have been countless examples of cats surviving what should be deadly situations.  We have all heard stories of cats escaping, unscathed from a burning building or somehow surviving a long-distance journey under the hood of a vehicle.  These stories have helped to reinforce the idea that cats have some sort of supernatural power of endurance. 

So, the saying “cats have 9 lives” has been passed down through generations, and its meaning has evolved over time.  In some cultures, it is believed that cats have 9 lives because they live so cautiously, always calculating their moves to avoid danger.  In others, the 9 lives are seen as a metaphor for the cat’s ability to adapt and thrive in a variety of environments.

Moving centuries forward from the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, the English have interpreted the phrase or idea of a cat having 9 lives as a cat’s ability to cheat death.  Remember, the number 9 just like the number 7 is a “lucky” number in some cultures.  Regardless of where the phrase, saying, or term came from, we all know cats are built differently than almost every other animal and their genetic makeup has allowed them to hone their survival skills over time, giving them the appearance that they do have 9 lives.