Cat symbolism is a diverse topic. The cat is a domestic furry animal which is loved by many people. There are more than 70 cat breeds that are known to date.
People pet them and keep them as a special member of their families. Since ancient Egypt, cats had been domesticated, but there is some evidence that the domestication had started around 9,500 years ago in the Neolithic era. Formerly, people petted them because of their hunting abilities.
Cat Symbolism:
The cat, as a symbol, carries double meanings mostly. It balances two opposite things always – for instance, light and dark, rest and action, outer and inner, up and down, good or bad, etc.
Overall, the cat is the symbol of patience, independence, curiosity, and courage. The cat is a very spiritual animal; it is known for its ability to wait and act only when the time is right.
Generally, the cat symbolism depends mostly on where and how you encounter a cat. Seeing a cat in your dream has a different meaning than encountering a cat in person. The cat could be your totem also.
Cat Symbolism: Encountering Cat in Real Life
The cat is a mysterious animal and suggests you to embrace your independence and curious nature.
When you encounter a cat in real life, there could be three important meanings that could help you to know more about your life. The cat spirit is trying to tell you about:
#1: A Deep Secret:
Cats are known to keep the secret to their deaths. Encountering a cat could mean that you are hiding something, or someone who is close to you is keeping a secret from you.
The secret could be good or bad, and you need to trust your instincts to know the truth before it harms you. It might be an alert signal for you.
#2: A Go-Go Signal:
If you are facing some kind of change in your life and you are resisting it, then you shouldn’t.
Encountering a cat is a go-go signal that you should accept that change.
It is the sign that you are going to get something good from that change. Negatively responding to that change could create problems in your life.
#3: Lacking Risk-Taking Behavior
Cats have 9 lives – this makes them the risk taker. Sometimes, risks are an essential part of life and they are important to move forward. If you encounter a cat, it might mean that you can go for the risk you are thinking about. You shouldn’t fear of failing because this risk could take you to success, and if not, it would make you learn a very valuable lesson.
Cat As Your Spirit Animal: The Cat Totem
Cats are considered highly magical creatures in the spiritual world. Their presence around humans can directly affect them. Many people have the cat as their spirit animal or totem.
Let’s see how the symbol cat influences their life:
Having Nine Lives:
When you are having a cat totem, it means that you could learn from the nine lives of the cat. Each life represents a risk that you could take, but it is important that you evaluate the result first.
It doesn’t mean that you could blindly jump in the well. Have you ever seen a cat hunting its food? It remains still and shows quite agility when the time is right to attack.
It stays and calculates its chances to catch the prey. You should learn from this tactic and take the shot when the time is right. It should not be just in your head; you must do your homework and learn when it is right to take the risk.
Seeing in the Dark:
Cats can see in the dark; their retinas can catch movements even in very low light.
When you have the cat as the spirit animal, it means that you should also have sharp sight to look into the things that are not vividly visible.
You should keep an eye on the minute details that remain hidden normally from your eyes. You must see the things that are around the corner and might harm you in any way.
Enjoying Their Sleep:
Mostly cat owners claim that their pet is lazy most of the time. Cats really enjoy their sleep and don’t want to get disturbed at all. It is the thing that you could also learn if you are pushing yourself too hard.
Sleep and rest time recharge the body and uplift it to its full potential. When you want to work at your best, you should take necessary rest as well. Take some quiet time and enjoy your sleep.
Don’t think much about the work in your quiet hours so your brain can rest.
Major Traits of the Cat Totem:
The major traits of the cat totem are as follow:
- Intelligent – know when and how to take the correct decision
- Protective – give protection to not only themselves but to loved ones as well
- Independent – but enjoy their social connections more than anyone
- Highly Confident – as they have deep connection with inner self
- Sensitive – because they feel the real meaning behind words
- Agile – quick in actions but work with care
- Curious – want to know everything and love to explore
The people who have the cat totem want to seek enlightenment. They are the people who have a dutiful attitude.
They are famous in their circle because of their softer side; people are able to see their best side. Although, they are kind hearted and care for others, but still they don’t bother to correct them and show them the right path.
As they are sensual, people are drawn towards them automatically. People love them because they know how to make others happy. They are sharp minded people who know how to use their gifts.
Strength and Weaknesses of Cat Totem:
Cat totem people have unique strengths and weaknesses that make them different from others.
Their Strengths:
Intelligent: It is impossible to omit the word intelligent whenever the word “cat” is being used. Cat totem people are often smart and know how to make good decisions.
Independent: Cat totem people are most independent and don’t require the help of the other animal spirit people.
They are self-sufficient and know how to deal with their lives and their problems.
Self-Assured: As they are confident, the cat spirit people don’t need your assurance.
They know what they are doing and remain satisfied with that. They are the people who enjoy their own company and don’t need much help from others.
Vigilant: The cat spirit people don’t talk much. They are the people who sit back and enjoy the show silently.
They observe their surroundings and notice minimal changes that are often neglected by the other animal spirit people.
Their Weaknesses:
Alone: As the cat spirit people are highly independent and make decisions on their own, they often neglect the world.
Sometimes, this habit leads them into trouble because working as a team player is far more beneficial in many scenarios than working alone.
Also, seeing a thing from other peoples’ perspective could entirely change the picture, but cat totem people wouldn’t enjoy it as they like working alone.
Overconfident: Confidence and overconfidence are only a few millimetres apart, and cat people don’t know when they cross the line.
As they are highly confident in their decision making, sometimes, they even hurt others in the process and don’t want to change what they think. Even though when they are wrong, they don’t want to accept it.
Manipulative: Cat totem people know how to use their powers to manipulate others and change the game for themselves.
They are cunning – they could easily trick people. Many times, they selfishly use their intelligence to fool others.
Different Colours of Cat Showing Different Meanings:
Cats are present in different colours and every colour symbolises some different meaning.
Every cat colour has specific meaning and holds particular message.
Even the living or dead cat symbolism are different from each other. Here are some most common cat colour symbolism:
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Orange Cat Symbolism: Depicts Big Change
Orange cats encourage new beginning – they symbolise significant change. They are environmentalists and predict global change as well. Like other cats, they also help in energy healing.
Orange cats are the sign of leadership, boldness, and confidence. They appear as the sign for you to accept the new beginning and be on your way.
Grey Cat Symbolism: Harmony and Childhood
Grey or silver is associated with mystery; you must have seen that spirits and mystical creatures often appear in the silver colour.
Grey cats are linked with harmony, mystery and silence. They are the childhood partner of most owners because they like to guide the new bodies about with their old souls.
These cats bring good luck, emotional stability, peace and love.
In Thai weddings, there is a ritual in which a grey cat is given to brides because it would bring good fortune and love for the couple.
Mainly, grey cats connect people with the present by making them remember their past experiences.
They bring the best out of them. They lead humans towards their actual spiritual needs when they neglect it and become too busy in life.
Grey cats are the great supporters and the reminder that bad times will pass and good times will come.
White Cat Symbolism: Symbol of Purity
White is the spiritual colour for cats. You might have noticed that animal communicators and psychics usually have white cats with them.
White cats are the supporter of human beings; they help us to raise our own powers because of their connection with the spirit and nature. They possess special healing gifts.
White cats are considered as a good luck charm in many parts of the world.
White cat spiritual meaning is purity and positivity. When they are deaf, it is believed that they willingly do that so that they could communicate with humans telepathically.
If you treat white cat nicely, it is said that it would bring money and a higher level of spirituality.
On the contrary to all these beliefs, in some parts of the world, white cats are the sign of bad luck as well especially when they cross your path.
Black Cat Symbolism: Leads to Physical Healing
It might surprise you that black cat symbolism is physical healing because, in most parts of the world, it is considered as the bad omen.
Traditional herbalists and witches often had black cats – this has connected them to bad luck but people forget that both of these owners have special healing powers.
The Puritans connected black cats with bad luck when they were coming from Europe to America.
They believed that an executed witch could return in the form of black cat after waiting for seven long years.
In Europe and Australia mostly, black cats are the sign of good luck.
Spirituality highly respects the power of black cats as their medical instincts are amazing. They can scan the human body and know the right plant to use for the particular condition.
For thousands of years, they have been the helpers of the herbalists. Through telepathic means, they send healthy messages to their loved ones; for instance, it’s time to take your medicine, or drink a glass of water, etc.
Not only that, but they are also the right companion for artists and writers because of the creative powers.
Cat Symbolism in Literature:
In arts and literature, cats have been used widely during different ages.
Remember the Puss in the Boots? It is renowned all over the world with different versions, but the main story remains the same – it is a highly clever partner to a human.
Another cunning cat character is from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – the Cheshire Cat. It is a very mysterious character and its appearance and disappearance at different times had confused not only Alice but the readers as well.
Crookshanks from Harry Potter and Garfield are other two most famous cats in literature and they both symbolize cleverness and intelligence.
But Japanese ‘Hello Kitty’ is the symbol of innocence and purity.
Dreaming About Cats:
Dreams are a highly powerful mode of communication. They are the message of our subconscious to our soul.
The mind uses the language of symbol and seeing the cat in your dreams means something.
According to some traditions around the world, seeing a cat in your dream is a bad omen; but day by day, this concept has been changing.
Cat Symbolism in Dreams
Seeing a cat in the dream mostly symbolises sensuality and feminine essence.
When you continuously see a cat in your dream, it is a message that you are being mischievous, and you need to do something about it.
In ancient Egypt, it was believed that cats have the power to travel between dimensions. For that reason, many people think that when a cat appears in your dreams, it brings a message from another dimension.
Well, how you see the cat in the dream tells the real story.
Here are some dreams and their interpretations:
- A Cat Biting You: When you see a cat biting your foot, it means that you are losing your balance in real life; and in achieving your goals, you are neglecting what is important. If a cat bites your hands, it means that you are dropping your feminine characteristics.
- Two Cats Fighting: Cats are the symbol of feminism; this dream could mean that two female figures in your real life are having trouble.
- Cat Fighting with the Dog: It means that you will escape someone who is cheating on you.
- When A Cat is Crying: Whether in real life or dream, it always means sorrow or death of your loved one.
- A Cat Eating Bird: It means you are going get success in romance.
- A Cat Chasing a Mouse: That means good fortune is present near you, and you are going to get what you desire.
- Running after a Cat: When you see you are running after a cat, it means that you are going through a bad situation and you are unable to handle it.
- When a Cat is Following you: Someone admires you secretly.
- A Cat Giving Birth: Means soon you are going to get responsibilities of life.
- A Cat Drowning in Water: It represents that you are going to see a hard time in the future.
- Eating a Cat: If you see that you are eating a cat, it means that you have someone who is unfaithful to you and going to hurt you.
- Feeding a Cat: It might seem beautiful, but its meaning is opposite. It shows that people who are around you are not happy with you.
Final Verdict:
Cat symbolises independence, purity and guardianship. They had been considered Gods and Goddesses by our ancestors.
They are the powerful creatures, and their presence in your life could entirely change you.
Whether you see them in real life, or in your dream, they are giving you a unique message that you must decipher.
Because they are the guardians and want to warn you of anything bad comes your way, but it is up to you how you take the message.
