Ever Wondered Why Cats Have 9 Lives? The Answer Will Surprise You

Few animals in human folklore have managed to inspire the level of mystique and fascination that surrounds the cat. Quick, stealthy, and always seemingly mysterious, cats have long been equated with an uncanny sort of indomitability which has defied all reason. It is this very indomitability that no doubt spurred on the phrase "a cat has nine lives," which has dwelled within our cultural lexicon for many, many centuries. But where, in fact, did this idea originate? Why nine lives, in particular? And what does this popular myth reveal about our thousands-of-years relationship with cats?

In celebration of National Cat Day, it is just the right time to unravel the origins and interpretations that shroud this fascinating myth.

The Birth of the Nine Lives Myth

The concept of cats having a number of lives can be dated back in history from those ancient cultures who perceived them as beasts of supernatural quality. For instance, in ancient Egypt, cats were associated with the goddess Bastet, who symbolized protection, fertility, and motherhood. Even their accidental killing was punished by death; such was the divine respect the Egyptians held for the animals. Cats were associated with guarding the underworld, and perhaps this closeness to death gave rise to a belief in their resilience and capability to transcend limitations imposed upon mortal creatures.

But this is not the only instance where cats were perceived to be creatures with superpowers. In most ancient times, as in the Norse and Greek mythologies, cats are mystique and protection personified. The number nine is also intrinsically magical for many cultures: Norse mythology had the world tree Yggdrasil having nine realms; nine in ancient China is a homophone of the word for long life, and hence auspicious. Maybe, then nine was thought to be the ideal number of life a singularly adaptable and resilient creature as the cat.

Physics or Folklore?

It goes without saying that, with bodies so well adapted, cats do seem to possess some sort of knack for survival. With highly developed reflexes, flexibility in the spine, and sharpening of senses, cats inherit the ability to take to almost any situation. Perhaps this is due to a combination of agility and instinct that feeds the popular myth of the multiple lives of cats.

Furthermore, cats possess a unique "righting reflex" to allow them to make mid-air turns of their bodies in such a manner so as to always fall on their feet, minimizing injury. The cats also possess lightweight skeletal structures and thickly muscled bodies further cushioning the falls. According to research, cats survived falls from extreme heights that would prove lethal for most animals. Indeed, cats have fallen off skyscrapers onto the hard concrete of urban areas and somehow managed to walk away with only minor injuries. So-called "high-rise syndrome" describes this bizarre phenomenon in which cats survive falls from substantial heights, which goes to support such a hypothesis that they're just built different.

But surely the nine lives story speaks less to physical prowess than to the psychological resilience of these creatures in adapting to a variety of environments and circumstance. The independence and loneliness of their nature allow them to survive independently of those social structures so many other animals rely on. All this self-sufficiency does, of course, is add to their mystique as creatures apparently able to outwit death itself.

This concept of nine lives has evolved across cultures and generations to adapt itself to different societal views on cats. In some regions, cats are said to have fewer lives. Spanish and Arabic cultures claim they have seven, while in Turkish folklore it's six. These might be based on local cultural superstitions and numerology. Yet, whether three or nine, the general principle is retained: cats are considered beings that exist, as it were, along the margins of life, none being subject to the same sort of mortality as other animals.

In medieval Europe, the cat achieved a darker character. Often associated with witchcraft, many were led to believe in the abilities of witches to shape-shift into cats. This gave rise to the belief that a witch's spirit would enter into a cat's body, thus giving them the ability to "live again." Black cats especially became known for being a bearer of both good and bad luck; this ambiguity furthered this belief in feline supernatural survival. One of the ways in which superstition increasingly spread was by explaining the apparent mystic resilience of cats with the attribution of multiple lives to them.

What the Nine Lives Myth Says About Us

This proposition of cats having nine lives is as much about us as it is about the cats themselves. Human beings are great at mystery; we want to attribute reasons to everything that happens which is beyond our comprehension, and cats have always occupied that place in our minds. They're neither fully tame nor entirely wild, hovering somewhere between the domestic and the untouchable. This ambiguity is celebrated-and perhaps dealt with-in the myth of nine lives. It is a recognition of the remarkable nature of cats, regard for the boundary that cats keep, a line which humans may approach but never cross.

In one respect, the saying panders to our most ardent aspirations for endurance, agility, and even resurrection. In attributing nine lives to cats, we extend to them precisely those qualities that we appreciate in human beings: to bear attack after attack, yet emerge apparently none the worse for wear. We covet their resilience, even autonomy, which is the desirable condition for ourselves.

What We Owe Our Cats

So, in celebrating National Cat Day, perhaps it's a fine moment to salute that nine lives myth by reflecting on just what makes cats such great companions in the first place. Whether it be their independent aloofness or their general, quirky nature, cats have a way of reminding us what resilience and mystery mean in a world so predictable and controlled far too often. They do teach us to value adaptability and, yes, even a little bit of magic within the everyday.

But as we give thanks today for our feline friends, let's toast that myth of nine lives-and not just as some ancient piece of folklore, but as an homage to mystique and strength and wonder that makes every cat an enigma wrapped in fur. "Cats are mysterious kind of folk," began the poet Carl Van Vechten. "There's more passing in their minds than we're aware of." That may account for them always landing on their feet after all.