Chances are, you’ve heard the myth that cats have 9 lives, but why do they say cats have 9 lives? Surely cats have just one life like all living thing’s?
In this post we have thoroughly researched the subject and have some really interested facts and information for you.
We will answer the question of “do cats have 9 lives?”, and where this myth originated from.
Do Cats Have 9 Lives?
As much as we would like to believe that cats have 9 lives, unfortunately they don’t. So where did this saying come from and why is it believed that cats have 9 lives? Let’s take a look in more detail.
Proof That The Myth Of 9 Lives Isn’t True
It is believed in many culture’s around the world that cats have multiple lives, but the amount of lives being 9 is not universal and not used in all cultures. Here are some examples of this:
- Arabic: Cats are believed to have six lives in Arabic-speaking parts of the world.
- Spanish: Cats are believed to have seven lives in Spanish-speaking parts of the world, as well as Brazil, Greece, and Italy.
This shows that a cat having 9 lives is just folklore and not based upon any facts.
How Many Lives Do Cats Have?
We hate to be the party poopers and ruin a lot of people’s beliefs, but the science is simple. Cats have one life just like humans and other living creatures on the planet. As stated above, a cat having 9 lives is purely folklore.
Why Are Cats Said To Have 9 Lives? Why the Myth Has Persisted
If a cat having 9 lives is just a myth, you may be wondering why this saying continues to be used. This is all down to a cats anatomy and personality. Let’s take a closer look:
- Ability To Withstand Falls: Cats evolved to live in trees. This along with a large surface area in comparison to weight means they have adapted to conquer falls. They also have muscular, springy legs which helps them to absorb a hard landing, and can also jump up to 6x their height.
- Flexibility: Cats are extremely flexible with an elastic spine of 53 vertebrae. This means they have the ability to rotate up to 180 degrees and is the reason why they always seem to land on their feet.
- Cats Are Fast: Cats can run 20-30 mph in short bursts as they have the ability to lengthen their spines which means they have extra-long strides.
- Squeeze Into Tight Spaces: With tiny collarbones, cats have the ability squeeze into incredibly tight spaces.
Why Nine Lives? The Origins of the Myth
Now you have a better understanding of this subject, let’s dive into a little more detail on the origins of the myth and where the idea of cats having 9 lives actually came from.
Cats Rule in Ancient Egypt
Many different animals were worshipped in ancient Egypt, but they especially saw cats as very magical creatures. It was believed that cats would bring tremendous good luck to anybody who owned them.
English Literature And Cats
Another theory is that the idea of cats having 9 lives came from an English proverb.
“A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays.”
The real meaning behind the proverb is describing the life cycle of a cat in three stages (kitten, adult, and senior).
Similar to Chinese whiskers, the information gets passed on and miss-understood as something else. In this case it was believing that cats have 9 lives.
The myth of a cat having 9 lives also comes from Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet.
Tybalt: “What wouldst though have with me?”
Mercutio: “Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives.”
The Magical Number 9
The number 9 is considered a magic number with mystical significance across many different cultures. Let’s take a closer look:
- The number 9 referred to the trinity of all trinities in ancient Greece which is a supernatural number that invokes religion and tradition. There were also nine muses in Greek mythology.
- In Hinduism and Christianity, the number 9 means divine completeness.
- 9 is a lucky number in Chinese culture.
- During the Viking age (c. 790- c.1100 CE) in Norse mythology, the universe is divided into 9 worlds.
Conclusion
As awesome as cats are, unfortunately they only have one life like the rest of us. It’s their athletic ability, flexibility, and speed that gives allows them to evade situations that would would be fatal to us mere humans.
