Contrary to what we might think, cats are not nine-living and do not land on all fours no matter where they fall. It is undeniable that they have the agility and intelligence to get out of trouble easily, but they have one soul that needs to be taken care of.
First, after explaining how cats land on all fours, let’s look at why they are called nine living things and how this phrase came about.
Sorcerers who defy gravity.
Do they have magical paws that make them superior to the law of gravity? Of course not. Of course, scientists have explanations on this subject. It is a fact that the innate ability they call the righting reflex enables them to move rapidly from the bottom up during the fall and bring their bodies to the position of landing on all fours.
A cat uses the balance system in its ear to determine which direction is up when it falls. Not only do they have an incredible sense of balance, but their extremely flexible spine allows them to quickly rotate their upper body to face downwards. Their lower bodies also allow them to land on all fours.
Also, their small bodies can spin quickly in mid-air, and their light bone structure and thick fur help soften the impact of a fall. Unfortunately, cats don’t always land on all fours. Falling from a high piece of furniture or glass can cause serious problems for them.
Where does this myth of “nine lives” come from?
Although the origin of the legend is not known exactly, there are some guesses on the subject. The fact that the number nine has an important place in many cultures, “Why nine instead of eight or ten?” somewhat answers the question.
For example, in both Christianity and Hinduism the number nine symbolizes divine unity; Nine is a lucky number in Chinese culture; In Norse mythology, the universe is divided into nine worlds, and in Greek mythology, there are nine muses.
It’s even featured in Shakespeare’s play.
The first written text about cats having nine lives was created by Shakespeare. In the 16th century play Romeo and Juliet:
“What do you want from me?”
“Good king of cats, only one of your nine lives.” there is a dialog.
Again, an old English proverb gives place to the nine lives of cats: “A cat has nine lives. He plays with the three, walks around with the three, and stops with the last three.”
According to another belief, the history of the rumor goes back to Ancient Egypt.
It is said that the sun god Atum-Ra took the form of a cat in order to visit the underworld. Also, Atum-Ra was rumored to have given birth to eight more gods.
As a result, some people have associated this myth with the spread of the nine-lived cat myth. Taking the form of eight gods and cats, Atum-Ra is equal to nine souls.
It is not referred to as “nine souls” in every culture.
Along with the beliefs that different cultures attribute to different numbers, the number of lives attributed to cats can also vary. For example, Arab countries say that cats have six lives. In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, cats are said to have seven lives.
The idea that this is related to numbers considered good luck is another source of myth. Given that cats are one of the luckiest animals to avoid danger, it should come as no surprise that this breed was given a “magic number”.
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