I always thought that cats came pre-loaded with nine lives. Until I worked in Spain and discovered that their gatos had been short-changed and had to make do with only seven.
Two questions:[ol]
[li]How does this work in other countries/languages?[/li][li]What happens in the USA, f’rinstance, where English and Spanish are both widely spoken? Do latino cats have two-fewer lives?[/li][/ol]
Yes, I know it’s a myth but I’m not asking whether or not you believe it, so I think this is one for GQ.
I might be wrong (I’ve moved around a bit and get a tad confused) but I think it is also seven lives in France, Italy and (possibly) Poland.
[hijack] One thing I do know is that in the UK a black cat is a good luck symbol whereas on the continet it is the opposite - you’d have a lot of explaining to do if you gace someone a card with a blcak cat on before an exam or for a wedding I can tell you! [/hijack]
Just as a data point: In German, a cat is said to have nine lives.
In Arab countries, cats are considered to have 7 lives and not 9 (seven is a luckier number I guess).
Maybe the fact that you heard this in Spain is a throwback to the days that the Moors ruled the country?
I also read that Che Guevara considered that he had 7 lives, like a cat.
So in the countries where cats have 7 lives, do they have a brand of cat food that translates as “Seven Lives”?
And what about Eveready Batteries?
Doubtful seeing as in the countries where they have nine, you don’ t often find a cat food called 9lives !
Dear 666,
Read this.
E-mailing the Mods to correct your Username is an option.
Interesting point. I await a response from China where 8 is considered auspicious.
<hijack>
Yes. See this thread.
</hijack>
Nine lives in French (at least in Québéc French).