(compiled by Glenda Moore)
This article may not be copied or redistributed.
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(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
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- In the 1500's, houses had thatched roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was 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.
- 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
- 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
