The ancient Egyptians worship cats. They were believed to be spiritual animals – seen as protecting the Pharoah, able to heal illness, and more.
If 60+ foot high sphinx’s crafted out of the sand isn’t enough of a statement to back this up, I don’t know what is!
However, did the Egyptians know something we don’t? Or, do we actually know that cats are spiritual, energetic, healing animals too?
It’s a fascinating topic that does have plenty of scientific evidence and anecdotal evidence behind it. Here’s what we know about cats – their spiritual presence, how they really can heal us, their hidden powers, and much more.
The Spiritual Power, Superstition, and Being of Cats
Spirituality means different things to different people. There are some skeptics, some non-believers, and a lot of people that wholeheartedly believe in spirituality. Wherever you fit into the spectrum, if you’re a cat owner there’s no denying that it’s an interesting topic when it comes to cats.
Cats are mysterious by nature. They are often quiet, unassuming, spend loads of time by themselves, and there’s always the sense that there’s a lot more going on with a cat than we know about.
What Does a Cat Represent Spiritually?
Cats are seen as very spiritual animals because they behave so thoughtfully and patiently. Spiritually, the symbol of a cat represents independence, courage, patience, and curiosity. This makes sense as these are all characteristics associated with cats.
Why Were Cats so Important in Ancient Egypt?
The spirituality of cats can be tied backed thousands of years to ancient Egyptian times. Cats were held in the highest esteem. They had practical implications, such as protecting households from venomous snakes and rodents. But the Egyptions also had a mysterious spiritual appreciation for felines.
I’ve read studies that say the Egyptians associated cats with the sun god, Ra. They also believed cats they had superpowers at night, as they realized cats had great night vision. Whatever it was exactly that made Egyptians worship cats so much, there is an abundance of cat-shaped jewelry, statues, and other relics from the time to prove it.
Can Cats Transmute Negative Energy?
One of the more popular beliefs or superstitions is that black cats can bring you bad luck, but is it really true? If so, does it mean that cats can transmute or absorb negative energy in some way?
I’ll say right away that I’m not one to believe in superstitions. I’m always interested in hearing about them, and then, of course, even I start to think that I might have been affected by it. For example, if something bad did happen after a black cat crossed my path, was it really due to the cat or just a coincidence?
I say coincidence. But other people would beg to differ.
The Spiritual Meaning of a Black Cat Crossing Your Path
The origins behind black cats and bad luck is actually quite a sad story. In the Middle Ages, black cats were killed because it was believed they were witches in cat form, or even the devil himself. The superstition of black cats and bad luck carried on through time. There are people today who will go out of their way to avoid them.
It’s just simply supposed to mean that you’re going to have bad luck if a black cat crosses your path when you’re walking down the street. It’s not something I subscribe to myself, but people are free to believe what they wish!
I’ve covered why it’s seen as good luck, bad luck, and the other superstitions in this post – the spiritual meaning of a black cat crossing your path.
Seeing a Cat Spirit After Death – Meaning
It’s not uncommon for cat owners whose cats have recently deceased to receive some kind of ‘message’ from them from ‘beyond the grave’, or in the ‘afterlife’.
I’ve personally spoken to, as well as read lots of accounts online, from people who are convinced they’ve been contacted by the spirit of their cats after death. Typical signs are smelling something that reminds them of their cats, hearing familiar noises, and even touching or vividly seeing them will dreaming.
People who have had these interactions with their cats right after death will tell you how excruciatingly real they feel. And, indeed they are very real to them. Science, on the other hand, will tell you you there are more logical explanations.
Here are 10 signs that a cat’s spirit is present after death.
Cat Purring: The Healing Effect on Humans
A cat’s purr is something that’s always piqued a lot of interest from owners. We all know that more often than not it means the cat is happy. Plus, let’s be honest, it always makes us feel happy when our cats are purring, doesn’t it?
Purring has also provoked a lot of scientific studies over the years, and it’s a topic I find fascinating. Especially as there’s scientific evidence to prove that purring, and stroking your cat to make them purr has some very real health benefits for you.
Here are some of the interesting things and effects we know about cats, purring, and how it connects with us:
Cat Purr Healing Science
According to the Scientific American, scientists have proven that cats purr while breathing in and out with a consistent pattern and frequency. This frequency is between 25 and 150 Hz, covering the same range scientists use in vibrational healing therapies.
The interesting thing about this fact is that this exact frequency range is also known to improve bone density and a number of other healing effects.
Some of the whys and hows are still a bit of a mystery. But scientists have been able to tie a lot of the healing benefits to the fact that cats purr within this frequency range. It also helps explain some of the previous feline mythology.
Such as how cats heal so quickly themselves, the ancient legends surrounding why cats were worshipped in some cultures, and just that underlying belief that there was always more to a purring cat than meets the eye.
Cat’s Purrs and Healing Broken Bones
Let’s make one thing clear, your cat isn’t going to be a miracle healing technique for a broken bone. But, all the evidence points towards purring mimicking the type of vibrational therapy that helps improve bone quality, and the speed of which bones heal.
Don’t just take my word for it, there have been some studies into vibrational therapy that prove its healing power (source). So, whether you suffer from a bone degenerative condition, or you happen to have a broken bone, spending some time petting your cat and having them purr next you can only help.
Other Health and Wellness Benefits Associated with Purring
As explained, the frequency of a cat’s purr is similar to what scientists use in vibrational therapies. Here are some of the other health benefits to vibrational therapies, or indeed a cat’s purr:
- Reducing stress – aided by stroking a cat
- Reducing the effects of some breathing disorders
- Lowering blood pressure
- Aiding your body’s healing process for swelling, muscle growth, bone repair, and more
- Reducing heart disease
Does Petting a Cat Relieve Stress?
Yes, petting your cat really can help reduce stress!
The American Psychological Association published a report that stress is on the increase in the U.S. (source), with 44% of participants reporting an increased stress level over the past five years.
Most of us have been affected by stress of some kind, or are currently stressed and suffering the effects. There are a number of ways we can try and deal with stress, some work better than others.
Stroking your cat might just be the easiest, most satisfying, and one of the most natural ways to lower your stress level. Maybe I’m a bit bias, but honestly, if you have a cat it’s worth seeing if you can lower your stress levels for the good of your health.
All you have to do is have your cat close to you, then while petting them, listen to and feel the vibrations of their purr. The physical contact stimulates our brains to release oxytocin, a hormone that combats the stress hormone, cortisol.
Then there are the positive benefits from the vibrations of a cats purr as I covered in more detail above. It’s hard to believe there are so many positive benefits to something as simple as stroking a cat. It’s something we would be doing as cat owners anyway, so it’s a win-win.
The Energetic Force and Power of Cats: Their Six Senses
Cats have a special energetic force and power about them. The way they have explosive energy when they need it, their ability to scale trees with ease, climb obstacles, jump over things, and hunt prey is something special to watch.
As well as their physical prowess, cats have a set of finely tuned sensors that go far beyond what we’re capable of. in fact, it’s believed they actually have a sixth sense.
Here’s a closer look at their extraordinary 6 senses:
1. Highly Tuned Hearing
I’m sure you’ve noticed that your cat can hear their food opening from a mile away. Or at least it feels like that. this is because a cat’s hearing is approximately 5 times better than that of ours.
They do respond better to higher pitch noises than low. This is why cat alarms and other such products are set and extremely high frequencies. Another interesting fact is that they have an organ in their ears that’s responsible for helping them balance.
2. Exceptional Eyesight
Something else that cat owners pick up on it’s how sharp their cat’s eyesight is, especially at night. Cats actually only need about 1/6th of the light we do to see clearly, which is why they can see just fine out at night.
They also have a much wider range of vision, being able to see further in their peripheral. depending which source you read, it’s not entirely clear what colors cats can see. They don’t see in black and white as was once thought, but they definitely can’t see certain colors and contrasts.
3. Sensitive Smelling Senses
To put the power of a cat’s sense of smell into perspective against ours; We have around 5 million nerve cells in our noses helping us pick up on smells around us, while cats have 200 million. That is a huge difference.
In addition to this, cats have an organ in the roof of their mouths that helps them smell and even taste things before they even enter their mouths. If you watch your cat, you may notice them open their mouths slightly sometimes. This is them using that gland to detect smells.
4. Interesting Sense of Taste
People tend to assume that cats also have a powerful sense of taste, but this isn’t true. In fact, cats only have 475 taste buds compared to the 9000 that we have.
It’s their tongues that is the interesting part of how they taste any food. A cat’s tongue has hundreds of little hooks which helps them scrape meat off of bones. As well as glide through their fur as they groom themselves.
5. Highly Sensitive Touch
Cats have an extremely sensitive sense of touch. Their paws have sensitive nerve receptors, they use their whiskers to feel and judge if they can fit through gaps, and their fur is sensitive to the touch too.
Every cat is different, but you may have noticed a lot of cats don’t like having their paws touched for this reason.
6. Sixth Sense – Intuitive Awareness
The ‘sixth sense’ of a cat has been long debated. There have been numerous well-publicized stories about cats ‘knowing’ when someone has a serious illness before they do. As well as when someone is pregnant, when their owner is on their way home and loads more interesting stories.
It all ties into the long-believed notion that cats have some kind of supernatural abilities as I’ve spoken about before. Even if you don’t believe in the supernatural, it’s hard not to think there is something more to our furry friends, isn’t there?
I’ve read some scientific papers that say these behaviors can be explained by cats using the combination of their normal senses, and a little fortuitous luck and judgment. As well as us just being more aware of these things due to the belief that they have some kind of powers.
An interesting point of contention is a cat’s ability to seemingly know about natural disasters such as earthquakes before they happen. I’ve covered this before, and there is evidence that cats react before an earthquake hits.
Scientists believe it’s down to their ability to detect vibrations long before we can. While believers are convinced it’s down to their sixth sense warning them. What do you think?
Are Cats Spiritual Guardians?
A commonly asked question is, “are cats spiritual guardians?”
Taking into account all the things I’ve discussed; such as warning their owners about dangers, the healing effect from petting your cat, and so on, it’s fair to say yes, they are our spiritual guardians to some extent.
Of course, a lot of people are talking about spiritual in the way of the Sixth Sense. Which as I’ve also discussed already, is a valid conclusion if you believe in the spiritual world.
Check out this post where I take a deeper look at cats and how they’re spiritual guardians.
The Bond and Relationship Between Humans and Cats
It’s always been the bond that I’ve had with my cats that has made owning a cat and the relationship between myself and cats so special and interesting.
Cat owners know all too well how people who don’t own cats, and dog owners, in particular, scoff at the relationship and bond that we as owners have with our cats. People tend to assume that because cats don’t depend on us or fuss around us as dogs do, they don’t need or appreciate us.
This couldn’t be further from the truth, however!
Cat’s Need Us Emotionally – Even If They Don’t Always Show It
The reason most cats are loners, for the most part, is because cats have evolved as self-sufficient loners. They’ve had to find food, survive, and care are for their siblings and family members without human help in the wild.
While wild dogs, wolves, etc, all hunted in packs and sourced larger prey with help from one another. They lived and socialized in packs. This is why this behavior is seen in a domestic setting. While the same can be said for cats.
An interesting study carried out in 2017 (source) tested a group of cats to see what they prefer interaction with. People, food, toys, and some other things. Interestingly, although coming as no surprise to me, overall cats got the most satisfaction from interacting with humans. Even over food!
So, there you have it, caught in the act with scientific evidence. Cats get a lot of mental stimulation from socializing with humans, even if they don’t always show it.
You’re Shaping Your Cat’s Behaviors
This is another topic I debate with cat owners on a regular basis. You, as the cat owner, make a huge impact on their behaviors whether you’re aware of it or not.
It’s another area that’s been studied in detail and concludes what I’ve always found. You can train or teach a cat to do a number of things. Plus, they are living with you and will develop habits and routines around what you do.
This is further evidence that they form bonds with their owners. Else they would do as they please without influence from us. You can tie this down to something as simple as knowing when you’ve left a door open. To sleeping when you do, or reacting to certain noises you make.
How to Connect with Your Cat on a Deeper Level
Taking into account how much cats really do love their owners and how much influence you have on them. The first question a lot of cat owners ask is, “how can I make my cat love me?”, or “how can I make my cat more affectionate?”
Well, you can’t make your cat do anything, Neither should you want to force them to do anything. There are however some things you can do to strengthen the bond you have with your kitty.
Doing this will encourage your cat to be more loving with you and you two will have a much better relationship. Try doing one or more of the following things:
Talk with Your Cat Every Day
Cats actually meow with humans because they know that we communicate with one another through vocalizing. They don’t actually meow with one another, cats communicate primarily with other cats using visual signals.
Talking with your cats plays into this I would encourage them to talk to you more when they want something. Be that crazy cat person, talk to your cat about your day, let them know what you’re up to, and checking with them on a regular basis.
Play with Your Cat
Cats love to play, kittens more so but most cats too. Playing with a kitten is vital to helping them learn how to socialize with humans and sharpening their hunting skills. By spending just 30 minutes a day playing with your cat you’ll become best friends.
It’s hard after a long day, I know. But if you are working on your relationship with your kitty you have to put in that extra effort.
Pet and Stroke Your Cat – but Don’t Disturb Them
Cats love being petted and stroked. But they hate being disturbed. Who can blame them I say, it sounds fair to me. So learn to read their body language and pick your moments. Start fussing and petting them more when they want it, and disturbing them less when you want to do it.
Learn what they like too. I had one cat that would roll onto her back and show me her tummy when I would start stroking her. She liked her tummy fussing, and I used to do that when she wanted.
Food Is Definitely the Way to the Heart of a Cat
Let’s make no mistake, for all the talk about cats loving us and wanting to spend time with us, most are led by their stomach. The person in the household who feeds their cat is usually the one with the best relationship with them.
If you want to go one step further, sharing a little bit of your food will go a long way. Just be super cautious about what is or isn’t healthy for cats to eat. They have complex dietary requirements, so do a quick search first.
Blink Slowly at Them
Blinking slowly is one of the ways cats show affection to us. You may have noticed it, if not you will do now. You can return the love by blinking slowly back at them. Be careful not to stare or get too intense, this will have the opposite effect.
Do You Have Anything to Share?
If you have any stories, observations, or anecdotal evidence of the healing, spiritual, or energetic powers of cats I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just drop me a comment below and I’d be happy to discuss your thoughts and findings. Thanks!