cats

1. (compiled by Glenda Moore)
This article may not be copied or redistributed.
Folklore: the traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people,
transmitted orally.
Superstition:an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear.
Proverb: old and popular saying that illustrates something such as a basic truth
or a practical precept.
See also Cat-related Phrases (Idioms) and Taglines and Quotes
Idioms: a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a
language.
Tagline: an ending line that makes a point.
The Cat as a Soothsayer
Harming a Cat
Cats and Luck
Cats and the Sick, Dying, and Dead
Cats and the Afterlife
Cats as Sacred Beings
Dreaming of a Cat
Cats and Witches
Miscellaneous
Proverbs
The Cat as a Soothsayer
Cats can forecast the weather: they predict the wind by clawing at carpets and curtains; rain is highly
likely when a cat busily washes its ears.
In mythology, the cat was believed to have great influence on the weather. Witches who rode on
storms took the form of cats. The dog, an attendant of the storm king Odin, was a symbol of wind.
Cats came to symbolize down-pouring rain, and dogs to symbolize strong gusts of wind. This may be
where the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" originated (see also "Miscellaneous" section below).
Some people believed that if a cat washes its face and paws in the parlor, company's coming.
If a cat continually looks out a window on any day, rain is on the way.
A black cat seen from behind fortells a bad omen.
A stray tortoise shell cat fortells bad omen
Some cats can predict earthquakes (actually, there is some truth in this "folklore").
When a girl living in the Ozark Mountains received a proposal of marriage and was uncertain whether
to accept, she folded and placed 3 hairs from a cat's tail into a paper under her doorstep. The next
morning, she would unfold the paper to see if the hairs had formed themselves into a Y or N before
answering her suitor.
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
1 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

2. Sailors used cats to predict the voyages they were about to embark upon. Loudly mewing cats meant
that it would be a difficult voyage. A playful cat meant that it would be a voyage with good and gusty
winds.
Some people believe that cats are able to see the human aura, the energy field that surrounds each
of us.
If early American cats sat with their backs to the fire, the owners knew it foretold a cold snap.
A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means bad weather is coming.
Some people believe that cats may be able to see the spectre of death.
If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain (no doubt this superstition began in some very rainy
country!)
A cat sneezing once means there will be rain.
If a cat sneezes three times, the family will catch a cold
A sneezing cat is a sign of future wealth.
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
Early Americans believed if a cat washes her face in front of several people, the first person she
looks at will be the first to get married.
If there is a cat washing on the doorstep, the clergy will visit - American folklore
When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh superstition
If you find a white hair on a black cat, you will have good luck.
One Roman dream interpretation was that dreaming of being badly scratched by a cat foretold
sickness and trouble.
French peasants thought that black cats could find buried treasure, if they followed a specific ritual:
find an intersection where 5 roads connected, then turn the cat loose and follow him.
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition
Tortoiseshell cats were believed to be able to see into the future and could give the gift to a lucky
child in the household.
Sailors believed that if a cat licked its fur against the grain it meant a hailstorm was coming; if it
sneezed, rain was on the way; and if it was frisky, the wind would soon blow.
When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh supersition
A bride will have a happy married life if a black cat sneezes near her on her wedding day.
Sacred cats kept in a sanctuary in ancient Egypt were carefully tended by priests who watched them
day and night. The priests interpreted the cat's movements - twitch of a whisker, yawn, or stretch -
into a prediction of an event that would happen in the future.
The Pennsylvania Dutch place a cat in an empty cradle of a newlywed couple. The cat was supposed
to grant their wish for children.
In Scandinavia, the cat stood for fertility.
It was a popular belief that cats could start storms through magic stored in their tails - so sailors
always made sure that they were well-fed and contented.
When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a
wish. The wish will come true. - American superstition
A black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. - Irish superstition
The Hindu believed the cat was the symbol for childbirth.
King Charles I of England owned a black cat, whom he valued very much. He treasured the cat so
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
2 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

3. much that he had his guards watch over it 24 hours a day. As luck would have it, the day after the cat
died from an illness, the king was arrested.
Some believed that black cats carried demons.
Harming a Cat
If you kick a cat, you will develop rheumatism in that leg.
If you are a farmer and kill a cat, you can expect your cattle to die
mysteriously.
If you drown a cat, you will fall victim to a drowning.
If you kill a cat, you are sacrificing your soul to the Devil
Sailors believed that the worst possible cat-related act, guaranteed to raise a
storm and bring bad luck of all sorts, was to throw the cat overboard.
Some people who wanted to get rid of a cat but were afraid of the consequences went so far as to
hire professional feline "hit men."
If a cat was thrown overboard, a storm would rise and very bad luck would follow.
To end even one of a cat's 9 lives was to risk being haunted by that particular cat for the rest of the
murderer's life.
To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck -Irish superstition
The French believed that if a girl tread on a cat's tail, she would not find a husband before a year is
out.
Cats and Luck
English schoolchildren believed seeing a white cat on the way to school was sure to bring
trouble. To prevent the bad luck, they were to spit or turn around completely and make the
sign of the cross.
Charles I, king of England, owned a black cat that he felt brought him luck. He was so afraid
of losing it that he had it guarded day and night. As it happened, the day after the cat died,
he was arrested.
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
Dreaming of a cat is sometimes regarded as a sign of bad luck in the future. On the other hand,
American folklore has it that dreaming of a white cat is good luck.
In England, it was believed that if a black cat lived in the house, the young lass would have plenty of
suitors.
In France, it is believed that if you find one white hair on a black cat, Lady Luck will smile upon you.
In Yorkshire, England, while it is lucky to own a black cat, it is extremely unlucky to come across one
accidentally.
In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat to bring good
luck.
In the Dark Ages, a cat was mortared, while still alive, into the foundation of a building to ensure good
luck to the inhabitants.
If a black cat crosses your path while your driving, turn your hat around backwards and mark an X on
your windshield to prevent bad luck.
It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. - French superstition
Fishermen's wives kept a black cat at home to prevent disaster at sea.
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. - American superstition
To see a white cat on the road is lucky. - American supersition
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
3 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

4. Fisherman's wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea. They believed that the
black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. These black cats were
considered so valuable that they were often stolen.
It is considered bad luck to pass a black cat after 9 pm
In North America, it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a white cat crosses
your path. In Britain and Ireland, it's the opposite.
If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with
it.
Meeting a Cat
If a cat ran ahead of a sailor to the pier, it was believed that would bring good luck; if the cat crossed
his path, it would bring bad luck.
If a sailor was approached by the ship's cat it meant good luck, but if the cat only came halfway, it
meant bad luck would befall the sailor.
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night.
In Ireland, having your moonlit path crossed by a black cat was thought to foretell death in an
epidemic.
In France, there is a superstition that it is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat.
When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the middle of your palm, and make a
wish. The wish will come true.
In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell cat foretold death by accident.
English schoolchildren believed seeing a white cat on the way to school is sure to bring trouble. To
avert bad luck, they must either spit, or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.
Cats and the Sick, Dying, and Dead
At one time, people believed that fur and blood drawn from various parts of the
cat's anatomy cured all ailments.
Early American colonists believed that a broth made from boiling a black cat
would cure tuberculosis, but no one wanted to risk the bad luck that would befall
them if they killed the cat.
A common folk cure for a stye on the eyelid was to rub it with the tail of a black
cat.
In Transylvania, if a cat jumps over a corpse, the corpse will become a vampire.
In 16th century Italy, people believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick
man, he would die. However, they also believed that a cat will not remain in the house where
someone is about to die - if the family cat refused to stay indoors, this was a bad omen.
Immigrants from Scotland believed that if a cat entered a room where a dead body was in state, the
next person to touch the cat would be blinded. Therefore, the cat in such situations was immediately
killed.
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
4 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

5. If a funeral procession encountered a black cat, they believed another member of the family would
soon die.
The folklore that a cat has 9 lives possibly came about because #9 is the "trinity of trinities" and was
considered lucky.
If cats desert a house, illness will always reign there. - English supersition
In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell fortells death by accident.
In ancient Japan, it was thought that somewhere on the tail of a cat there was a single hair that would
restore life to a dying person.
A cat on top of a tombstone meant certainly that the soul of the departed buried was possessed by
the devil. Two cats seen fighting near a dying person, or on the grave shortly after a funeral, are
really the Devil and an Angel fighting for possesion of the soul.- old English superstitions
Cats and the Afterlife
In Japan, there is a myth that cats turn into super spirits when they die.
According to the Buddhist religion, the body of the cat is the temporary
resting place of the soul of very spiritual people.
Some people believe that cats engage in astral travel even in life. They
also believe that if a cat adopts you, it will stay with you forever, even after death.
Back in ancient days, the Druids thought black cats were human beings. These humans in cat form
were being punished for evil deeds.
Cats as Sacred Beings
King Osorkon, of the twenty-second dynasty, placed a white cat in the center of a magnificent temple
and ritually endowed it with supreme power.
During excavations in the ruins of Tell-Basta (the former Bubastis), a graveyard with 300,000
mummified holy cats was discovered. Though many were sent to England and sold as fertilizer, a few
were sent to museums.
Mohammed cut off the sleeve of his robe rather than disturb his cat from resting on it.
A Thai legend tells of cats that guarded a temple from Burmese invaders. They saved the temple
treasure, a golden goblet belonging to the Buddha, by hooking their tails around it and not letting go.
This accounts for the kink at the end of the tail of almost all Thai cats. Anther story is that when a
certain princess went to bathe and gave her rings to a cat to guard, it kinked its tail so they wouldn't
fall off.
For information about the feline-headed goddess Bast, please visit Per-Bast.org.
Dreaming about a cat
If you dream of a tortoiseshell cat, you will be lucky in love.
If you dream of a ginger cat, you will be lucky in money and business.
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
5 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

6. If you dream of a black and white cat, you'll have luck with children; may also mean the birth of a
child.
If you dream of a tabby, you will have luck for your home and all who live there.
If you dream of a multicolored cat, you will have luck making friends.
Dreaming of white cat means good luck.
To dream of a white cat means luck in creativity, spiritual matters, divination and spellcraft.
A dream of two cats fighting means illness or a quarrel.
Seeing a black cat in your dream indicates that you are experiencing some fear in using your psychic
abilities and believing in your intuition.
To dream of a gray cat means to be guided by your dreams.
If you dream about a cat with no tail, then it means lost independence.
If you dream of an aggressive cat, it suggests that you are having problems with the feminine aspect
of yourself.
To dream of being badly scratched by a cat means sickness and trouble.
To dream of a black cat is lucky.
If you heard the noise of alley cats in your dream, it is a warning to avoid an indiscreet acquaintance
in your immediate circle.
If you hear the scream or the mewing of a cat, a false friend is trying to do you harm.
To dream of seeing a cat and snake on friendly terms signifies the beginning of an angry struggle.
Dreaming of a cat is sometimes regarded as a sign of bad luck in the future.
American folklore has it that dreaming of a white cat is good luck.
Cats and Witches
Norse legend tells of Freya, goddess of love and fertility, whose chariot was pulled by two black cats.
Some versions of the tale claim they became swift black horses, possessed by the Devil. After
serving Freya for 7 years, the cats were rewarded by being turned into witches, disguised as black
cats.
Traits associated with cats include cleverness, unpredictability, healing and witchcraft, since in
ancient times it was believed that witches took the form of their cats at night.
Folklore has it that if a witch becomes human, her black cat will no longer reside in her house.
It was largely in the Middle Ages that the black cat became affiliated with evil.
Because cats are nocturnal and roam at night, they were believed to be
supernatural servants of witches, or even witches themselves. Partly because of
the cat's sleek movements and eyes that 'glow' at night, they became the
embodiment of darkness, mystery, and evil, possessing frightening powers. If a
black cat walked into the room of an ill person, and the person later died, it was
blamed on the cat's supernatural powers. If a black cat crossed a person's path without harming
them, this indicated that the person was then protected by the devil. Often times, a cat would find
shelter with older women who were living in solitude. The cat became a source of comfort and
companionship, and the old woman would curse anyone who mistreated it. If one of these tormentors
became ill, the witch and her familiar were blamed.
A kitten born in May will be a witches cat.
Some believe black cats are witches in disguise.
Others believe black cats are witches familiars (beings that aid witches in performing their craft).
Miscellaneous
In the 1500's, houses had thatched roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
6 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

7. the only place for animals to get warm, so all the pets... dogs, cats and other small animals, mice,
rats, bugs lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip
and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." Note: This is contemporary
"folklore" distributed in a hoax email as noted in an article at Snopes.com.
In ancent times, a criminal's punishment sometimes included have his tonque cut out; the tonque was
fed to the King's pets. Hence, there is some historical truth to the phrase "cat got your tongue?".
To keep a cat off your car, put a hat on your hood.
In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat.
A cat on top of a tombstone meant certainly that the soul of the departed buried was possessed by
the devil.
According to legend, the 'M' marking on the forehead of the tabby cat was created by the prophet
Mahomet as he rested his hand lightly on the brow of his favorite cat.
An American superstition: When moving to a new home, put the cat in through the window, not the
door, so that it will not leave.
According to legend, cats were created when Noah's ark became infested with rats. Noah
commanded the lion to sneeze and out came a cat!
In Egypt, it was once believed that the life-giving rays of the sun were kept in a cat's eyes at night for
safekeeping.
In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on.
The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town.
To reverse the bad luck curse of a black cat crossing your path, first walk in a circle, then go
backward across the spot where it happened and count to 13.
The Cat is not in the Chinese Zodiac. One folktale explanation is that heard Buddha saw Cat playing
with mice for fun and did not allow that kind of sin into the zodiac. Another folk story tells that Cat
and Rat were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Although they were poor swimmers, they
were both quite intelligent. To get to the meeting called by the Jade Emperor, they had to cross a river
to reach the meeting place. The Jade Emperor had also decreed that the years on the calendar
would be named for each animal as they arrived to the meeting. Cat and Rat decided that the best
and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of Ox. Ox, being naive and good-natured,
agreed to carry them both across. Midway across the river, Rat pushed Cat into the water. Then as
Ox neared the other side of the river, Rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first. So he claimed
first place in the competition and the zodiac.
Proverbs
A cat bitten once by a snake dreads even rope - Arab proverb
A cat goes to a monastery, but she still remains a cat. -- Congolese proverb
A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays. - English
proverb
A cat may look at a king. - English proverb
A cat will teach her young ones all the tricks, except how to jump backwards. -- Netherlands Antillean
proverb
A cat with a straw tail keeps away from fire. -- English proverb
A house without either a cat or a dog is the house of a scoundrel. -- Portuguese proverb
After dark all cats are leopards. -- Zuni proverb
All cats are bad in May. -- French proverb
An old cat will not learn how to dance. -- Moroccan proverb
Beware of people who dislike cats. -- Irish proverb
Books and cats and fair-haired little girls make the best furnishings for a room. -- French proverb
Cats don't catch mice to please God. -- Afghan proverb
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
7 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM

8. Cats, flies and women are ever at their toilets - French proverb
Curiosity killed the cat, Satisfaction brought it back! - English proverb
Handsome cats and fat dung heaps are the sign of a good farmer. -- French proverb
Happy is the home with at least one cat - Italian proverb
Happy owner, happy cat. Indifferent owner, reclusive cat. - Chinese proverb
I gave an order to a cat, and the cat gave it to its tail - Chinese proverb
If stretching were wealth, the cat would be rich. -- African proverb
If you play with a cat, you must not mind her scratch. -- Yiddish proverb
In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats. -- English proverb
One should not send a cat to deliver cream -- Yiddish proverb
The cat's a saint when there are no mice about. -- Japanese proverb
The cat is nature's Beauty. - French proverb
The cat was created when the lion sneezed - Arabian proverb
The cat who frightens the mice away is as good as the cat who eats them - German proverb
The dog for the man, the cat for the woman - English proverb
Those who dislike cats will be carried to the cemetery in the rain. -- Dutch proverb
To live long, eat like a cat, drink like a dog. -- German proverb
When the cat's away, the mice will play. -- Western Europe proverb
When the mouse laughs at the cat there's a hole nearby. -- Nigerian proverb
When rats infest the Palace a lame cat is better than the swiftest horse. - Chinese proverb
Wherever the mice laugh at the cat, there you will find a hole. -- Portuguese proverb
Who cares well for cats will marry as happily as he or she could ever wish. -- French proverb
You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats. -- Colonial American
proverb
You come with a cat and call it a rabbit. -- Cameroonian proverb
CatStuff: Folklore and Superstitions https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
8 of 8 8/29/2015 1:14 AM