# It's a Cat's Life **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664 "2005-05-06T07:51:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/1 "2005-05-06T07:51:34Z")
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**. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/2 "2005-05-06T11:23:08Z")
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] ---
**Author:** ![MartinL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MartinL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MartinL)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/3 "2005-05-06T11:35:07Z")
Just as a data point: In German, a cat is said to have nine lives. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/4 "2005-05-06T12:08:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/5 "2005-05-06T12:35:23Z")
So in the countries where cats have 7 lives, do they have a brand of cat food that translates as “Seven Lives”? ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/6 "2005-05-06T12:43:36Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > 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](http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/MRT/Ev9lives.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/7 "2005-05-06T12:44:26Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So in the countries where cats have 7 lives, do they have a brand of cat food that translates as “Seven Lives”? Doubtful seeing as in the countries where they have nine, you don’ t often find a cat food called 9lives ! ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/8 "2005-05-06T12:56:26Z")
[You don’t?](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=9lives+cat+food&btnG=Search) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/9 "2005-05-06T12:59:05Z")
Dear **666** , Read this. > **[Beast's real mark devalued to '616'](https://www.religionnewsblog.com/11134)** > > Satanists, apocalypse watchers and heavy metal guitarists may have to adjust their demonic numerology after a recently deciphered ancient biblical text E-mailing the Mods to correct your Username is an option. ---
**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/10 "2005-05-06T13:01:27Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > In Arab countries, cats are considered to have 7 lives and not 9 (seven is a luckier number I guess). Interesting point. I await a response from China where 8 is considered auspicious. ---
**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/11 "2005-05-06T13:04:35Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Dear **666** , > > Read this. > > [http://www.religionnewsblog.com/11134](http://www.religionnewsblog.com/11134) > > E-mailing the Mods to correct your Username is an option. \ Yes. See [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=315326) \ ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-cats-life/302664/12 "2005-05-06T19:06:57Z")
Nine lives in French (at least in Québéc French).