Dreaming of cats - the meanings and possible interpretations
The cat is a beloved animal, with an independent soul and an elusive and mysterious character. Only apparently selfish, this feline can also be quite sweet and affectionate, as long as he decides it, mind you. But if it appears in the dream, what meanings brings with it?
Let's say first of all that dreaming of a cat can have both a positive and a negative value; if in fact for dogs, the discriminating factor for falling into "one or the other" category is represented by the fact that the animal is owned or not, in this case it is more than the other the relationship that the dreamer has towards the feline to determine a "rosy interpretation or one, on the contrary, anything but desirable." If he is a lover of it, the dream can only be the fowler of positive and heartening somboli, if, on the other hand, he fears or despises him, this will be loaded with anxieties and tendentially unpleasant sensations.
Moreover, dreams that have various types of animals as protagonists, such as mice, ants and snakes, are not rare; these are among the most common dream experiences, as evidenced by the video below which also reports the corresponding meaning.
The cat in the interpretation of Freud and Jung
Before proceeding with the analysis of the dream symbolism of this animal, let's start from the opinions of two famous masters on the subject.
According to Sigmund Freud, the cat is associated with libido and sexual drive, becoming the symbol of vitality, sensuality, fecundity and pregnancy.However, it could also be subject to a "negative interpretation according to the father of psychoanalysis, alluding to castration and oppression by a bulky female figure.
For his colleague Carl Jung, on the other hand, dreams with cats as protagonists are purely negative and tend to indicate the presence of an inner imbalance, in particular, this animal would allude to the "inability to make its own typical elements of femininity, that is, to unite the two parts, the male and the female, present in every human being, according to his psychoanalytic theory of the Animus and Anima.
The different symbols of the cat in dreams
In general, dreaming of one or more cats can take on different meanings, attributable to these macro semantic areas:
- Femininity: as already mentioned, both in a positive and negative perspective; it can allude to a difficult relationship with a woman, a condition of castration, the need to rediscover one's feminine part or it can even indicate a specific person.
- Seduction and sensuality: sexual energy, the need to explore one's femininity.
- Independence: cats are the most independent animals par excellence and, seeing them in a dream, can also represent the need to discover more free and autonomous.
- Power: the need for personal affirmation, a sense of ambition, a desire for growth and achieving a social position.
- Intuition: the cat can symbolically also allude to the world of the unconscious. Dreaming of it in some cases indicates the need to listen to your instinctive and most irrational part and to reconnect with your most intimate self.
- Deception and malice: given its cunning, this animal can also become a symbol of deception and therefore the dream takes on the tones of a warning against possible unsafe and recommendable people or situations.
The colors of the cat's coat that appears in a dream and its meanings
An important fact to decipher the message of a dream of this kind is to pay attention to the color of the protagonist's hair:
- White cat: indicates innocence, purity, tenderness. Not only that, it can also be the symbol of an imminent good news. It tends to be a positive sign, but at the same time it suggests a bit of fear on the part of the dreamer for possible news in sight.
- Black cat: can refer to both the urgent need for rebellion and independence, and the need to listen to one's instincts.
- Gray or brindle cat: neutral color, gray is here the symbol of tranquility and wisdom, so if a cat with this type of hair appears in your dream, you can be calm.
- Red cat: as with the black coat, red also becomes a symbol of the search for independence, but not only that, it can also allude to sensuality and sexual desire.
- Orange cat: if instead you happen to dream of an orange cat modeled on the iconic Giuliano cat, then it is very likely that your unconscious is telling you to introduce a little fun, lightness and lightheartedness into your life.
Dreaming of your own cat
If the cat that appears to you in your dream is yours, it is very likely that it indicates yourself or a person very dear to you. Obviously it is essential to pay attention to the details and the sensations it causes, to really understand their meaning.
If you dream of losing or no longer finding your cat, your unconscious is about to tell you that you most likely feel the need for more freedom and independence. On the other hand, dreaming of a cat owned by the owner who is no longer there, strange as it may seem, represents a positive sign of comfort and consolation.
Dreaming of a colony of cats
In this type of dream it is essential to listen to the sensations it arouses in you: if they are pleasant and positive, most likely you feel good about yourself and you have a good relationship with the instinctual dimension, if instead, you feel discomfort, it may be you should review some of your ways of behaving, especially in relation to the relationship with others or with your most intimate part. It could also be a warning from your unconscious to warn you of possible bulky and "castrating" female figures.
Dreaming of kittens or a pregnant cat giving birth or nursing
Here we are faced with a decidedly rosy scenario: it means the need for lightheartedness, the desire to become a little girl again or the desire to reconnect with one's most intimate self.
It is a very common dream among pregnant women: in this case, it is nothing more than a very sweet reference to the unborn child and to the imminent role of mother.
A meowing cat
This type of dream has a rather unequivocal message: the unconscious is trying to communicate something to you, so it is time to listen to yourself and to what surrounds us to see what we still cannot precisely scrutinize. It is an invitation to dwell on things with greater attention to better understand what happens to us and possibly change some aspect of one's life.
Dreaming of a cat that bites or scratches
Generally, if aggressive cats appear in a dream that blow, scratch or try to attack the meanings are:
- difficult relationship with the female sex, especially if the dreamer is a man
- impossibility of communicating with her own femininity
- presence of problematic relationships with an oppressive and castrating woman.
Sweet to affectionate cat purring and licking you
This can only be a good sign, especially if the cat in question sports a white or light-colored coat: this dreamlike representation indicates that you are at peace with yourself, that you feel at home and have no problems relating to the your femininity or with female figures in general; moreover, when you have a similar dream the unconscious is trying to tell you that you are able to communicate in a completely harmonious way with your instinct.
An injured or abandoned cat
Dreaming of an injured, battered, malnourished or abandoned cat can allude to one of the following interpretations:
- a state of physical, spiritual or psychological weakness and frailty
- need to reconnect with oneself
- search for independence and freedom
- lack of creativity, stasis and consequent urgency of intellectual and artistic nourishment, with particular reference to the working environment.
Dreaming of cats without or with the tail cut off
When you dream of a cat with a severed tail or even devoid of it, the meaning is to be found in the "dissatisfaction of intimate or working life: there is something suspended and incomplete that must be faced and overcome once and for all."
Dreaming of a dead cat
Dreaming of a dead cat could mean that we feel oppressed by someone or something and that we cannot find our place in the world or make our voices heard.
On the other hand, when you dream of killing a cat, the meaning becomes clearer: we are trying to repress our feminine side or sexuality because we are afraid of it or we feel inadequate and not up to par.
Other meanings related to the dreamlike symbolism of the cat
Cats that quarrel with each other or with other animals: situations of conflict with themselves or the people around us;
Cat eating a mouse: it can have both a positive meaning, such as achieving a goal - and negative, for example, to exercise or suffer manifestations of malice and deceit.
Cat that does the needs: liberation from feelings and moods repressed and suffocated over time or reunification with the idea of femininity
Cat playing with a dog: indicates relaxed and harmonious relationships with the people you usually surround yourself with.
Lotto: all the numbers associated with the cat figure
The number generally associated with the figure of the cat is 13; if it is white, the corresponding digit is 25, if it is black, 17, red, 81, gray, 59.
If a cat appears in the dream, we should bet everything on 46 and if she gives birth or feeds the kittens (which correspond to 37) our lucky number will be 8.
A cat that scratches or shows aggression corresponds to 29, if it is angry to 47, if it is abandoned to 70 and if it is dead, to 57.
If it meows, we have to play 72, if it sleeps, 14, and if it looks affectionate and sweet, the number 36.
