Cats are the great protagonists of the Internet and have coexisted with humans for thousands of years. These mysterious animals have been the object of adoration in different cultures and a symbol of bad omen for others.
In this article we are going to tell you what is the meaning associated with the cat, its appearance in mythology and what is the meaning of dreaming about these felines.
Spiritual meaning of the cat
The cat symbolizes grace, intelligence, cunning and independence. The cat is a fascinating animal that cultures around the world have long revered.
They are agile and swift, able to move silently and stealthily. At the same time, they are fiercely independent and choose to live their own way. This independence is one of the most compelling aspects of cat symbolism. Not content to be controlled or domesticated, they prefer to live on their own terms.
The cat also symbolizes ingenuity and persistence. They are creatures that are not easily daunted, able to adapt to any situation and thrive. This determination is something we can all aspire to in our lives.
Spiritual meaning of the cat by color
Black Cat
Black cats often get a bad reputation for bringing bad luck or bad omens.
But in reality, the black cat has long symbolized good luck in many cultures.
Its negative symbolism is often rooted in traditional healing and herbalism, as herbalists used to keep black cats to aid them in their craft.
These herbalists were often depicted as witches, hence the popular archetype of the witch with the black cat.
In reality, black cats symbolize health and medicine, which often means that they appear around people who are very ill to help guide them in the transition to their next life.
White Cat
Another color that symbolizes good fortune is white, and the white cat brings good fortune.
Many people believe that spirit guides can manifest in the form of a white cat in times of need.
Psychics and mediums have a special affinity for the white cat, as these beautiful felines are attracted to spiritual energy.
Gray Cat
The gray cat has strong symbolism for those going through difficult or transitional times.
They instill hope in us, helping us to understand our spiritual problems so we can work to overcome them.
Theirs is a spirit of overcoming and changing with the journey.
Gray cats also symbolize the difficult decisions we must make as human beings and help us come to the right conclusion when it is unclear exactly what the right choice is.
Orange Cat
Orange cats are a much more exuberant breed, thriving on change and excitement.
They reinforce our leadership instincts, urging us to take the helm and embark on a new journey or a fresh start.
Orange cats gravitate toward those who are making waves, trying to bring about meaningful change in the world.
Brown Cat
The brown cat sits at the other end of the spectrum, representing a down-to-earth attitude that prefers to do things at a steady pace.
Some people find that when they get too attached to big thoughts and dream of what could be, a brown cat brings them back to reality and helps them attend to their needs before pursuing their desires.
Three-colored cat
Cats with three colors represent a cat that possesses the characteristics of all three colors plus something extra.
These cats are said to be self-assured and confident, curious and able to adapt quickly to new situations.
They are also said to be charming and good with people and other animals.
These cats, more than any other, can have a wide variety of personality traits that reflect the people they are most attached to and spend the most time with.
Their personalities often change as their owners’ moods and attitudes change.
Siamese Cat
These cats represent wealth, prosperity and good luck.
They have been portrayed in painting and literature as the Cat of Kings, the Cat of Money, the Cat of Happiness, the Cat of Love or the Cat of Miracles.
Siamese cats represent luxury items that will lead to a life full of love and happiness if you are lucky enough to find one.
They also symbolize powerful and wise leadership.
Persian Cat
The Persian Cat represents an air of mystery, culture and elegance.
While some cultures believe that this type of cat brings good luck, others discourage owning one because they consider them to bring bad luck.
These cats are said to be feline familiars that can bring comfort, luck and prosperity if properly cared for.
For this reason, many people choose to have a Persian Cat at home or in their business.
Tortoiseshell and Calico Cat
These cats symbolize a cat family member or a cat spirit guide.
These types of cats are also known as protector cats and bring good luck, prosperity and joy to those who love them.
Oranges and white spots represent purity, while black kittens are said to be seer cats that have the ability to see the future.
These cats symbolize strength, independence, self-reliance and good luck.
They also represent good fortune in the medical field for those who care for them.
If this type of cat appears in your life, you should be looking for a new job.
The type of work this cat leads to would be very rewarding and fulfilling.
The Cat in Mythology and Folklore
Egypt
Cats, known in ancient Egypt as mau, played an important role in Egyptian society. They were associated with the goddesses Isis and Isis Bastet. Cats were sacred animals and the goddess Bastet was often depicted in the form of a cat, sometimes taking on the warrior aspect of a cat lioness.
Killing a cat was absolutely forbidden and the Greek historian Herodotus recounts that, whenever a domestic cat died, the whole family mourned it and shaved off their eyebrows. Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of Bubastis, where they were embalmed and buried in sacred deposits.
Greece and Rome
Domestic cats were probably first introduced to Greece and southern Italy in the 5th century BC by the Phoenicians.
The first unequivocal evidence that the Greeks had domestic cats comes from two Magna Graecia coins of the mid-5th century BC showing Iokastos and Phalanthos, the legendary founders of Rhegion and Taras respectively, playing with their domestic cats.
Domestic cats seem to have been extremely rare among the ancient Greeks and Romans; the Greek historian Herodotus expressed his amazement at domestic cats in Egypt, having seen only wild cats. Even in later times, weasels were much more common as pets, and weasels, not cats, were seen as ideal rodent killers.
The usual ancient Greek word for “cat” was ailouros, meaning “thing with a waving tail,” but this word could also be applied to any of the “various long-tailed carnivores that were kept for hunting mice.”
Cats are rarely mentioned in ancient Greek literature, but Aristotle does comment in his History of Animals that “cats are naturally lascivious. ” The Greek essayist Plutarch linked cats with cleanliness, noting that unnatural odors could drive them mad; Pliny linked them with lust, and Aesop with deviousness and cunning.
Later, the Greeks syncretized their own goddess Artemis with the Egyptian goddess Bastet, adopting Bastet’s associations with cats and attributing them to Artemis.
In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, when the gods flee to Egypt and take animal forms, the goddess Diana (the Roman equivalent of Artemis) becomes a cat. In time, cats displaced ferrets as pest control, as they were more pleasant to have in the house and hunted mice with more enthusiasm.
Europe
The kingdom of Cat was a legendary Pictish kingdom during the early Middle Ages, centered in what is now Caithness in northern Scotland. The place name Caithness derives from Cait, which is also preserved in the Gaelic name for Sutherland (Cataibh), in several names specific to that county, and in the first recorded name of Shetland (Inse Catt, meaning “islands of the cat people”).
In Norse mythology, the goddess Freyja was associated with cats. Farmers sought protection for their crops by leaving pans of milk in their fields for Freya’s special feline companions, the two gray cats that fought with her and pulled her chariot.
Folk tradition, dating back to 1607, tells of a cat smothering a newborn baby by holding its nose to its mouth and sucking its breath.
In the United States and Western Europe, black cats are considered to bring bad luck, while in the United Kingdom they portend good luck. In the latter country, the entry of a black cat into a house or ship is a good omen, and a sailor’s wife should have a black cat for her husband’s safety at sea.
Elsewhere, it is considered bad luck for a black cat to cross someone’s path; black cats have been associated with death and darkness. [Conversely, in the United Kingdom, white cats, which have the color of ghosts, are considered to bring bad luck, while tortoiseshell cats bring luck. Cats are said to have nine lives, in homage to their durability, their apparent lack of self-preservation instinct, and their ability to survive falls that would be fatal to other animals.
Actors viewed cats as lucky charms, and they often helped cure actors’ stage fright.
Russia
Unlike in Western countries, cats have been considered good luck in Russia for centuries. It is said that owning a cat, and especially letting it into a new house before humans move in, brings good fortune.
In Orthodox Christianity, cats are the only animals allowed to enter temples. In addition, cats are an integral attribute of Russian Orthodox monasteries. According to Russian law, a huge fine was imposed for killing a cat, the same as for killing a horse or an ox.
Many cats have guarded the Hermitage Museum/Winter Palace continuously since the reign of Empress Elizabeth, when the city of Kazan in Tatarstan gave her five of its best hunting cats to control the palace’s rodent problem. They lived pampered and even had special servants until the October Revolution, after which they were cared for by volunteers. Now, they are once again cared for by employees.
In today’s Russia there is a group of cats at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. They have their own press secretary and some 74 cats of both sexes roam the museum.
China
During the Song dynasty, the preferred cats were the long-haired rat-hunting cats and those with yellow and white fur, called “lion cats,” which were valued simply as pets. Cats could be pampered with items purchased at the market, such as “cat nests,” and were often fed fish that were advertised in the market specifically for cats.
Japan
In Japanese folklore, cats are often depicted as supernatural entities, or kaibyō (“strange cat”).
Japan’s maneki-neko is a statuette that is often believed to bring good luck to its owner. Literally the beckoning cat, it is often referred to in English as the“good fortune” or “good luck” cat. It is usually a sitting cat with one of its paws raised and bent, the left. Japanese legend has it that a cat waved one paw towards a Japanese landowner, who, intrigued by this gesture, moved towards it. A few seconds later, lightning struck the landlord, who attributed his good luck to the cat’s fortuitous action. A symbol of good luck, it is used especially in business to attract money.
In Japan, the flapping of the hand is a “come here” gesture, so the cat is beckoning customers.
There is also a small cat sanctuary (neko jinja) built in the middle of the island of Tashirojima. In the past, islanders raised silkworms for silk, and cats were raised to keep the mouse population down (because mice are a natural predator of silkworms). Fixed-net fishing was very popular on the island after the Edo Period, and fishermen from other areas would come to spend the night on the island.
The cats would go to the inns where the fishermen stayed and beg for scraps. Over time, the fishermen became fond of the cats and watched them closely, interpreting their actions as predictions of the weather and fishing. One day, when the fishermen were collecting stones for use with the fixed nets, a stray stone fell and killed one of the cats. The fishermen, grieving for the loss of the cat, buried it and enshrined it in this spot on the island.
However, this is not the only cat sanctuary in Japan. Others are Nambujinja, in Niigata Prefecture, and one at the entrance to Kyotango City in Kyoto.
Another Japanese cat legend is the nekomata: when a cat lives to a certain age, it grows another tail and can stand up and speak in human language.
Hello Kitty, created by Yuko Yamaguchi, is a contemporary feline icon. The character debuted in 1974 and has since become a staple of Japanese culture; her products are available worldwide. According to Sanrio, Hello Kitty’s official licensor, designer and producer, the character is the animated version of a little girl. In her fictional life, she is from the outskirts of London and is part of the Sanrio universe.
what does it mean to dream of a cat?
When you dream of a cat, it means that you are aware of your surroundings. You know what’s going on in your life and you’re ready to start trying new things. Dreaming of a cat can also suggest that you feel independent and self-confident. It may also mean that you are about to have good luck.
The meaning of your dream of a cat will also depend on the specific context and action taking place in the dream. For example, if you dream that a cat scratches you, it may represent a situation in which you feel threatened or exposed. On the other hand, if you dream that you care for a kitten, it could symbolize your caring nature or suggest that you are going through a time of vulnerability.
Cat as a Totem and Power Animal
As its name suggests, a power animal can empower you with its more dynamic traits. So, if you want to transform an area of your life, meditate on the attributes that the power animal represents. For example, you can invoke the cat power animal when:
- You want more independence in your life, whether in a relationship, financial matters, career or creative activity.
- You feel the need to ward off bad energies or negative vibrations.
- You need psychic and spiritual protection.
- You hope for good luck and a positive outcome in a given situation.
An animal totem is a useful symbol that represents the protective powers of the animal it represents. Therefore, a cat totem is a useful symbol to manifest more protection, good luck and magic in your life. The cat totem is also a useful symbol for attracting companions who will give you the comfort and support you need to reach your potential in a given area.
