Cat
Cats often represent independence and self-reliance, but can also signal relationships where trust feels uncertain or affection comes with claws. The dream may be asking: where in your life does closeness feel risky, or where might you be moving through the world with a cat's watchful, cautious grace?
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See what’s rising tonight →What the old dream-books say
These are the entries the historical dream-books record for cat, in their own words. They are period voices, not predictions, and they do not always agree with one another.
Gustavus Hindman Miller, 1901
To dream of a cat, denotes ill luck, if you do not succeed in killing it or driving it from your sight. If the cat attacks you, you will have enemies who will go to any extreme to blacken your reputation and to cause you loss of property. But if you succeed in banishing it, you will overcome great obstacles and rise in fortune and fame.
If you meet a thin, mean and dirty-looking cat, you will have bad news from the absent. Some friend lies at death's door; but if you chase it out of sight, your friend will recover after a long and lingering sickness.
To hear the scream or the mewing of a cat, some false friend is using all the words and work at his command to do you harm.
To dream that a cat scratches you, an enemy will succeed in wrenching from you the profits of a deal that you have spent many days making.
If a young woman dreams that she is holding a cat, or kitten, she will be influenced into some impropriety through the treachery of others.
To dream of a clean white cat, denotes entanglements which, while seemingly harmless, will prove a source of sorrow and loss of wealth.
When a merchant dreams of a cat, he should put his best energies to work, as his competitors are about to succeed in demolishing his standard of dealing, and he will be forced to other measures if he undersells others and still succeeds.
To dream of seeing a cat and snake on friendly terms signifies the beginning of an angry struggle. It denotes that an enemy is being entertained by you with the intention of using him to find out some secret which you believe concerns yourself; uneasy of his confidences given, you will endeavor to disclaim all knowledge of his actions, as you are fearful that things divulged, concerning your private life, may become public.
Fontaine, 1862
To see cats is hidden enmity; to be bitten by them, denotes misfortune; to be scratched, care and trouble; to caress them, false friends; to kill one is triumph over your enemies; to dream of cats is also a sign of loss by thieves.
Anonymous, 1894
Cats.—To dream of these domestic animals is indicative of much trouble and vexation; it denotes to the lover that your sweetheart is treacherous; if you keep servants, they are unfaithful and will rob you. To dream you kill a cat denotes that you will discover a thief, and prosecute him to conviction; expect, also, to lose your own liberty through the insincerity of some pretended friend.