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cats nine lives
mrninelives Started conversation Jul 3, 2004
Does anyone know what the history of cats having nine lives is?
cats nine lives
gusthecat Posted Aug 4, 2005
A little and I hope this helps! Written records date back to 1546 with regards to cats having nine lives.
In 1570, W.Baldwin wrote "A cat has nine lives so that a witch may take on her cats body nine times." The significance of the nine is that in the world of witchcraft or wicca, nine (or three x three) is identified as being a very powerful number. Nine and three are witches numbers but you might ask why was the cat given nine lives and not three? Again, it could have to do with the power of three times three or it could just be that "nine times" roles off the tongue more easily....who knows!
Cheers.
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h2g2 auto-messages Posted Dec 7, 2005
Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'How to Write Postings and Entries in Plain Text' to 'Ask the h2g2 Community'.
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kelli - ran 2 miles a day for 2012, aiming for the same for 2013 Posted Dec 7, 2005
Phew, that move took a while 
cats nine lives
Lord Wolfden - Howl with Pride Posted Dec 7, 2005
I think it goes back to Egyptian times as Egyptians revereded cats as Gods
cats nine lives
Baconlefeets Posted Dec 7, 2005
Not sure. But it means they're perfect for scientific experimentation.
cats nine lives
azahar Posted Dec 8, 2005
In Spain cats have seven lives, not nine. No idea why . . .
az
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cats nine lives
- 1: mrninelives (Jul 3, 2004)
- 2: gusthecat (Aug 4, 2005)
- 3: h2g2 auto-messages (Dec 7, 2005)
- 4: kelli - ran 2 miles a day for 2012, aiming for the same for 2013 (Dec 7, 2005)
- 5: Lord Wolfden - Howl with Pride (Dec 7, 2005)
- 6: Baconlefeets (Dec 7, 2005)
- 7: azahar (Dec 8, 2005)
- 8: Lord Wolfden - Howl with Pride (Dec 8, 2005)
- 9: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Dec 8, 2005)
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