If you’ve ever watched a cat leap from a crazy height, land perfectly, and stroll away nonchalantly like nothing happened, you’ve probably wondered where the phrase “cats have nine lives” comes from. It turns out, this idea isn’t just hyperbole, but rooted in a mix of observation, mythology, and some fascinating science.
Allow Chairman Meow’s Feline Ministry of Information to explain why cats are said to have 9 lives.
Origin of the Cat “9 Lives” Myths
“A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays” – old English proverb
The belief that cats have multiple lives has been around for centuries. One of the earliest written references appears in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1597), where Tybalt jokes about a cat’s nine lives.
“Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives…”
That tells us the idea was already well-known in England at that time. But the number itself, nine, isn’t random. Across different cultures, nine has long been considered a powerful or symbolic number. In Norse mythology, there are nine worlds. In Greek mythology, there are nine Muses. In Ancient Egypt and numerology, the number nine often represents completeness or a kind of ultimate limit.
There’s also the Celtic myth of the notorious Cat Sìth; a witch in the form of a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. Legend says the cat sith would walk across a person’s corpse before burial and steal their soul. According to legend, the cat sith could transform into a cat nine times, but would be trapped as a cat on the ninth. (source)
Many cultures used these myths and numerology to convey their shared belief that the cat has the maximum amount of resilience imaginable.
Do cats have 7 or 9 lives? Not every culture agrees that cats have 9 lives. In Spain, cats are said to have 7 lives. In Turkey and some Arabic myths, it’s 6 lives. But the idea is the same: cats are remarkable survivors!
How Cats Earned the 9 Lives Reputation
The 9 lives myth didn’t come out of nowhere. People around the world noticed, over and over again, cats are very good at avoiding death.
They fall out of trees. They jump from rooftops and get into fights. And yet, more often than not, they shake it off and walk away.
Before modern science, this kind of survival seemed almost supernatural. It looked like the cat had used up one “life,” but would quickly bounce back by using one of their reserve lives.
Chairman Meow say: While the kitty has 9 lives, the Mario brother only has 3, and must eat mushrooms to gain extra lives. Wild mushrooms are bad for the kitty, and may give him diarrhea or cost lives.
The reason that cats are said to have 9 lives can be explained with science and the “righting reflex.”
The Kitty’s Secret Weapon: The Righting Reflex
One of the biggest reasons cats survive falls is something called the righting reflex.
Cats can twist their bodies mid-air to always land on their feet, and they do it incredibly fast; usually within a fraction of a second.
Here’s how the righting reflex works:
- The cat rotates its front half first
- Then it rotates its back half
- All while keeping its overall momentum balanced
Amazingly, cats don’t need to push off anything to do this. It’s all internal body control and flexibility. Even young kittens develop this ability early on. So instead of crashing awkwardly, cats almost always land on their feet in the best possible position.
Cats Are Like Furry Parachutists
Falling from a great height is disastrous for most animals, but cats have a few advantages that give them extra lives.
First, they’re small and relatively light, which means cats fall slower than humans. Their terminal velocity (top falling speed) is much lower, reducing the force of impact.
Second, once they’ve had enough time to stabilize in the air, cats spread their legs and relax their bodies. This increases air resistance, basically turning the kitty into a furry parachutist.
Actually, short falls can actually be more dangerous. If a cat doesn’t have enough time to orient itself and spread out, it can’t take full advantage of these survival adaptations.
Cats that survive falls from 2+ stories often have injuries called, “high-rise syndrome.” This phenomenon was coined by veterinarians in NYC after frequently treating injured cats who had survived falls of up to 32 stories!
Cats Are Built With a Suspension System
When cats do finally hit the ground, cats have one more advantage: their bodies are built to absorb impact. That’s because:
- Their spines are extremely flexible
- Their legs bend to act like shock absorbers
- Their joints distribute force rather than concentrating it
Instead of landing stiffly (which would cause serious injury), cats land like gymnasts, bending and rolling with the impact.
Cats also tend to stay relaxed during a fall, which further reduces injury. A tense body is more likely to break; a relaxed one can absorb force more effectively.
Is it True That Cats Really Have 9 Lives?
Cats are not invincible, and don’t literally have nine lives. However, they’re exceptionally well-designed to survive falls due to their:
- Lightning-fast mid-air correction
- Slower falling speeds
- Parachute-like positioning
- Shock-absorbing bodies
They are also predators, and legendary survivors in the wild. So, after witnessing a cat walk away from a fall, it’s easy to see why people started believing they had extra lives. You can’t really blame people for thinking they must be mythical, or even diabolical animals.
Believe Chairman Meow!