Why Do Cats Have Nine Lives? (And Where Did That Even Come From?)

You’ve heard it: “Cats have nine lives.”
But… why nine? Why cats? Who decided that was a thing?

Was it just made up, or is there something deeper behind it?

Turns out, the saying comes from a mix of ancient observation and cultural mythology:

Egyptians: Worshiped cats and linked them to the goddess Bastet—spiritual, protective, magical? Check.

European folklore: Said cats were witches’ familiars, able to survive things no other creature could.

The number nine: Mystical, complete, tied to divine patterns—triple threes, the number of the Muses, and more.

Mix all that together, and you’ve got a superstition powered by history, math, and myth.
Also: cats are ridiculously good at surviving falls and disasters. The myth may just be a poetic way of saying, “Damn, how are you still alive?”

Takeaway

Cats might not actually have nine lives—but they’ve definitely earned their legendary status.
Sometimes, myths stick around because they just feel true.