What do we know about cats? This small animal, as long as the history of the world remembers itself, is always next to a person. Cats have been through a lot over the centuries. Some loved them, others hated and even feared them. There were times when the animal was considered sacred, it was idolized, it was worshiped. However, later cats began to be destroyed and executed, along with witches. Why did our furry friends get so much attention? How did they manage to "get out dry" from the water of millennia? How many lives do cats have? Maybe there really are several?
How many lives do cats have? Ancient Egypt
There are few places where cats were lauded as highly as in ancient Egypt. Perhaps it was the most golden time in feline history. For the Egyptians, cats were considered sacred animals, and everything that was connected with them was deified. Luxurious temples were erected in honor of these fluffy creatures, their bodies were mummified after death, and the funeral was held with great honors. The goddess Bastet - the patroness of fertility, love, fun and other blessings - was depicted as a woman with a cat's head.
One of the legends says that the Egyptian sun god Ra, descending to earth, couldtake on the form of a cat. It was he who gave the mustachioed huntress nine lives for the fact that she faithfully served the pharaohs and guarded them.
But the Egyptian legends don't end there. Some associate the cat's 9 lives with the Ennead - a group of the first and most important Egyptian gods, of which there were nine. Apparently, the small predator received one life from each of them.
Cats during the Inquisition
This era has become truly the most terrible page in the history of the relationship between cats and humans. In the eyes of the churchmen, this animal was the best fit for the role of the devil's minion, since it led a nocturnal lifestyle, shone its eyes in the dark and walked by itself. What was there to say about black cats, who were considered the embodiment of Satan himself?
A woman who kept such an animal at home was unambiguously recognized as a witch and was to be burned at the stake along with her pet.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that a witch was able to take the form of a cat. In this form, she could penetrate with malicious intent into the dwellings of righteous people. Dying, the witch again took on her true form. It was believed that in her life she could do such witchcraft 9 times. Is this where our legend began?
Cat and Russian legends
Every person is familiar with the expression "beyond distant lands" and in the "far away kingdom". It is clear that these phrases do not have a specific connotation, but simply mean "very far away." It is quite possible that "nine lives"cats also reflect not the exact number, but the concept of "a lot" or "no count".
In Slavic mythology, a cat is a favorite character in folk tales, proverbs and beliefs. She has always been a pet, she was respected and revered, considered the protector of the house from evil. However, it will not be possible to find out how many lives a cat has from Russian stories, since this is not mentioned anywhere. But in Dahl's dictionary about a pet, you can find the following information: "The ninth death pesters the cat, she is tenacious."
How many lives do cats have? Facts
Of course, a cute mustachioed fluffy, like a person, has only one life. However, his unusual vitality often leads to the opposite idea.
When falling from a great height, cats often get off with only a "slight fright". In general, this animal, due to its physique and unique sense of balance, seems to have been created for falls. When flying from a height, the cat assumes the most suitable position in advance. At first, she tries to slow down the fall as much as possible, building a kind of parachute out of her body, and at the moment of landing she places her paws so that a depreciation effect is obtained. At the same time, the mustachioed beauty will definitely stand on all four limbs, which will give her the opportunity to evenly distribute body weight. It should be noted that the low weight and flexible joints allow this animal to significantly reduce the risk of fractures that can occur when falling from a height.
Perhaps exactlythis ability, inaccessible to other mammals, leads people to the idea that a cat has 9 lives. In addition, the furry creature has many other mysterious talents. Among them, it is worth highlighting the most common.
Self-healing with rumbling. Scientists, having studied the sound emitted by a cat, came to the conclusion that its range has a positive effect on the human body and helps to restore damaged tissues.
High immunity and regeneration. Cats are practically not prone to diseases, and they manage to “lick” many small injuries so that they literally overgrow before our eyes.
Caution and prudence. In most cases, the cat tries to avoid situations that are dangerous for her and others, preferring to retreat or climb higher into a tree to wait it out.
What about other countries?
Interestingly, different nations have allocated different numbers of lives for their cats. So, in Russia and in the USA it is believed that an animal has nine of them (lives), while in Southern Europe and Germany - only seven. The Arab countries have completely reduced their number to six. So how many lives do cats really have? People have been asking this question for centuries.
No matter how many lives a cat has, 7 or 9, the main thing is not to risk your pet to test these myths. After all, be that as it may, the life of our smaller brothers is very valuable, and it completely depends on the actions of a person.
