It is widely believed that cats have nine lives.Quick to react, it is said that cats always land on their feet. They are able to twist and turn their way out of dangerous situations and have been observed to survive falls from great heights!So, what is the secret behind a cat’s durability? Do they really have multiple lives, disposing of one every time they find themselves in a sticky situation? Many of us have heard the popular proverb ‘A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three, he stays’, but is this fact or fiction? To learn if your feline friend actually has secret supernatural powers, read on!If you enjoy this article, do check out our other pages on how long do cats live and how long do rabbits live.Do cats really have nine lives?No, like all other living creatures on Earth, cats only have one life, at the end of which they die. Though they only have one life, cats have a knack for surviving in very precarious situations and almost always land on their feet, even after falling from great heights.Extensive studies have been done on this phenomenon, and it was theorized that cats have very quick reflexes, which help them to twist themselves in the air in order to land on all fours when dropped from high places. Landing on all four feet helps them to evenly distribute the force of impact from high falls, leading to minimal damage.They also have more vertebrae, making them incredibly flexible. This tends to help them out in a tight spot, quite literally, as they can bend and twist their bodies when caught in small spaces or wiggle through openings very easily, making them more likely to survive in situations where humans can’t.They are also very intelligent creatures and are able to determine how to get out of fixes easily. However, though they are very durable creatures, it is important to remember that they are not exactly immortal! Cats can still sustain serious injuries to their bodies if they are not able to react in time, which is why we must treat any cat with love and care.If you are wondering how many lives dogs have, the answer is one as well. Like every other creature on Earth, dogs also have only one life.Facts Behind Nine Lives of CatsIt is assumed that the theory behind cats having nine lives actually comes from an old English proverb: ‘A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays’. This proverb was mostly likely made up to describe the various stages of a cat’s life cycle, from kittenhood to old age. However, people may have heard this and misunderstood it as cats actually having nine lives!Cats were also revered greatly in ancient Egypt, where they were likened to gods. Ancient Egyptians worshipped the cat goddess Bastet, who they believed granted them protection and good fortune. This love and respect for cats most likely carried through the generations, which added to the theory that cats have many lives like gods do.This theory was made more popular as it was alluded to by Shakespeare in his romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, in which the character Mercutio says to Tybalt, ‘Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives,’ which further drove home the misconception among people that this concept is true.It is also believed that the significance of the number nine in different cultures can be related to cats. Cats have been seen as incredibly mysterious and magical creatures in many cultures. They are either seen as harbingers of good or bad luck, associated with dark magic, seen as feline deities, or even likened to death! Similarly, many cultures believe that the number nine is also quite mysterious, and it has been feared throughout the ages, which is where the origin of this idea could have come from.The mystical number nine is also very lucky in many cultures, which is most probably the reason why it is believed that a cat has nine lives. Nine is very lucky in some aspects of Chinese culture, as the word for nine in Mandarin sounds like the word for ’long lasting’. Some Christians also believe it to be quite significant, as it is three times three (referring to the holy trinity). It is also special in other cultures, with some Hindus celebrating the nine-day festival of Navratri to honor goddess Durga and her nine forms, and some Greeks having nine magical muses.In other cultures, however, cats have been said to have slightly different numbers of lives. In Turkish and Arabic-speaking countries, it is sometimes believed that cats have six lives. Many people in Italy, Greece, and Brazil, as well as in many Spanish-speaking regions, say that they have seven lives! Though the number of lives a cat is believed to have may differ from culture to culture, one thing is clear; cats are thought to be quite durable indeed!How many lives do cats really have?Contrary to popular belief, cats only have one life. Though they are quite long-lived compared to some other pets (many cats make it over the ripe old age of 20), the unfortunate truth is that cats do lead finite lives which end eventually, just like those of humans and every other creature on Earth.The average cat lives for around 15 years. The number one cause of death in cats has been observed to be kidney failure, which usually happens at this age. Though cats can live for over 20 years if taken good care of, they still only have one life and do not ‘use up’ any of their nine lives when they die, as is widely believed.Nine lives of cats. Myth or truth?Where exactly does the origin of the nine lives myth come from? Though it is unclear, an interesting myth behind the saying that cats have nine lives can be credited to the ancient Egyptians. As we know, these ancient folk loved cats and linked them to gods. Cats were given a lot of respect in Egypt, and many people even worshipped them!Ancient Egyptians saw the number nine as a holy number and associated it with the sun god Atum-Ra. Along with his many other forms, Ra often took a feline form as well. Ra gave birth to eight other major deities: Shu, Tefnut, Hathor, Sekhmet, Bastet, Satet, Anhur, and Ma’at. When counted along with these eight gods, it added up to the number nine, which the Egyptians then saw as a sacred, powerful number.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘How many lives do cats have?’ then why not take a look at ‘How long do pugs live?’ or ‘Ragdoll facts’.
It is widely believed that cats have nine lives.
