CAT

If you are a woman who likes cats and one appears in your dream, this may be a manifestation of one of the positive aspects of the female principle: the mother, high priestess or Amazon archetype.

If you are a man, it may have been guiding your anima towards an appreciation of the feminine part of your personality. Your dream may also have been urging you to place more reliance on your instincts when dealing with a current situation.

If, however, you dislike cats or the cat in your dream is aggressive, then it suggests that you are having problems relating to the feminine aspect of yourself. The dream cat may have represented the more negative female archetypes of the terrible mother, siren huntress or witch. Or perhaps there is a deceitful woman in your life who is behaving cattily. Alternatively did your dream cat remind you of a pun? Are you feeling smug, like the cat who got the cream or were you being reminded that curiosity killed the cat?

If you see a cat with no tail in your dream, this signifies a loss of independence and lack of autonomy. To dream that a cat is biting or scratching you symbolizes the devouring female or perhaps you are taking and taking without giving. You may be expressing some fear or frustration, especially if something is not going as planned. Such a dream may also be a warning against treacherous people in your life or it may also represent a part of your personality that is crying out for love and attention.

If a cat is injured or killed in your dream, your dream may be a reference to the nine lives that cats enjoy. In this regard, your dream refers to the overcoming of numerous obstacles in your waking life; the resilience of the cat represents your own inner strength and tenacity. Generally, cats are symbolic of feminine power and independence, so if one appears in your dream, have you been feeling that these characteristics are not being expressed within yourself?

If you come across a cat in your dream and spend a great deal of effort trying to locate its owner, it could be because you are the owner of that ‘cat’. The cat is symbolic of a part of your inner self. The characteristics that cats represent can be understood by thinking about their ‘essence’, or the associations that we make when we think about cats. Cats are territorial animals. They are guardians of their space. They are also aloof and a part of them can never be domesticated. Culturally, there is a sexual connotation in regard to cats. Thus, in your dream you could have found that special part of yourself—the sexy, soft and curious you (the cat within). The trouble is you insist on giving it back to an elusive owner. Your dreaming mind may be urging you to claim what is rightfully yours

A cat will have several different meanings in your dream according to its color or the color it changes into. So, for example, to see a black cat in your dream suggests that you should trust your instincts or intuition more.

If you associate black or white cats with bad luck or misfortune, then to dream of them indicates your negative mindset (see COLORS).

If you dreamed of a cat in a cage this may be a reference to your own sense of crippled independence.

Kittens represent your inner child, playfulness and self-responsibility, so to dream about a kitten may mean that you need to take more time for yourself, have more fun, and nurture yourself and your sense of play more. According to dreamlore from the Middle Ages, it was unlucky to dream about cats because of their association with witchcraft. Prior to that, however, cats were sacred to the Egyptians as custodians of the souls of the dead.

If it scratches you, you should expect professional jealousy. The color of the animal carries its secondary symbolism. So, black cats are usually associated with darkness and death, but this kind of analogy only works on superstitious people.

In mythology, the figure of the cat was associated with the pagan fertility gods who represented the power and wisdom of nature. Similarly, for the Egyptians, cats were sacred and they guarded the souls of the dead. It was not until the arrival of the Christians when they began to be considered evil relatives of witches. For this reason, many books on dreams affirm that cats presage disadvantages.

CAT - analysis of the dream

Marta dreamed: “I was petting Gea [her precious Persian kitten] when she turned to me and said: ‘pretty, more than pretty.’ I was delighted that my cat could talk, I knew she was very clever... but this was too much! Suddenly, her feline face transformed into John’s, but now she did not speak. He rather emitted terrible barking sounds and foam was coming out his mouth. I tried to hold him and calm him but he slipped out of my hands like a lizard.”

One of the most magical and intense forces of our oneiric world is transformation: animals that become people; individuals who transform into trees, monsters, or other persons; buildings that disappear... These transformations are almost always a sign of psychological changes in our lives. When Martha had this dream she had just had a little argument with her boyfriend. This dream was warning her that she should be more considerate and attentive to him. To dream that a cat is seeking you to pet her indicates that someone is trying to seduce or feels strongly attracted to you. In the case of Marta it reflected her boyfriend’s devotion and love for her. However, the fact that he first transformed into a fierce dog and then an elusive lizard denotes that such affection could also vanish or turn into resentment if she did not contribute to keep it up. The fact that she was gently petting her kitten and that the latter talked to praise Marta indicates Marta’s ability to transmit affection and the certainty that all would be fixed with dialogue.

Dreaming Lens: What kind of cat appeared in your dream? How many were there? Were they domesticated or wild? Was there a sense of danger involved? What was the setting? What activity was the cat(s) involved in?

Personal Focus: Cats of all types represent powerful feminine energy, which includes receptivity, creativity, sensuality, and stillness. They are hunters by nature, and their nocturnal behavior associates them with the feminine aspect of night. While their masculine counterpart, the dog, embodies a pack mentality, the cat is the symbol of self-reliance. First domesticated about three thousand years ago, cats were revered for their ability to control rodent populations that would have beleaguered the stores of grain that were so crucial to the emergence of civilization.

Cats have long been associated with magic and witchcraft, with the classic black cat as the carrier of the most superstition. There is a very pungent odor to their urine, correlating this smell with the dark side of the powerful feminine energy that this symbol represents. If your dream held any of these elements, you may be expressing unconscious thoughts about mysticism or spirituality.

Wild cats come in many sizes and are formidable hunters. If the cat in your dreams is one of the many species of cats found in nature, the meaning is the same, but with two additional distinctions. The prowess associated with predatory aggression comes into play with the largest of these beasts, the tiger. The lion is often linked with maternity due to the behavior of the lioness with her cubs. Cheetahs and leopards are symbolically correlated with speed and agility. The panther’s sleek black coloring brings even more sensuality and Shadow material into the symbolic picture. For a truly accurate interpretation, doing some research on your dream cat will provide you with a wealth of information.