What Does It Mean When You Dream about Cats?

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A closer look at the traditional and spiritual meanings of cats in dreams

Reviewed by Michelle Arbeau

Last Updated: November 25, 2024 References

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Remembering Your Dream

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Learning to Understand Your Dreams

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Cats are domestic friends, feral perils and artistic muses. In a dream, cats can have varied meanings depending on the context. In general, they are believed to be representative of the feminine and intuitive side of our souls.

What do cats symbolize in dreams?

Cats can symbolize a variety of different themes, like intuition, femininity, an independent spirit, vulnerability, power, bad luck, deceitfulness, and more. The appearance, health, and temperament of the cat can also influence the dream's overall meaning—for instance, white cats stand for spiritual guidance.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Remembering Your Dream

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1
Recall the feeling you had while dreaming. The feeling you had about the cat in your dream may tell you more about what the cat meant than any dream dictionary. Were you happy to see the cat? Did the cat fill you with fear? Consider why this feeling might have come up for you.^{[1]
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- To better understand your feeling about the cat in your dream, think about other dream elements you might remember. For example, if you remember drowning, then being rescued by a cat, you might be filled with surprise and gratitude. This might mean that help comes from unexpected places or people.
- Was the cat familiar to you, in the dream? Whether or not you recognize the cat from your waking life, you may experience a sense of familiarity to the cat in your dream. Perhaps the cat is a symbol of safety.
- If the cat was causing you to feel afraid, perhaps there is something in your life that's causing you fear or worry. For example, if the cat was attacking you, this might suggest that you're feeling attacked by some circumstance of your life.
- Consider the color and behavior of the cat in your dream. The cat's color and actions can provide additional insights into your emotions and subconscious thoughts.
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Remember that every element in a dream is important. Think about the location of the cat in your dream. Was the cat outside, like a feral cat, or inside, like a domestic pet? What other elements surrounded the cat? For example, a cat outside on a moonlit night might also include the dream symbols of a full moon, a dark house, a rustle of dry leaves underfoot, an owl, a cold breeze, etc.^{[2]
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- Dreams are emotional, not rational. Perhaps your cat was swimming underwater, quite happily (and unrealistically!) Don't worry if your dream doesn't make sense.
- As you write about every element, think about how you feel about it. The dream came from your subconscious, and you are the best interpreter of what your dream means.
- Try to remember any interactions that you might have had with the cat in your dreams. There can be different meanings attached to different actions in the dreams, like petting a cat, playing with it, or even negative interactions.
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Understand that dreams are subjective. Because dreams are created from your subconscious mind, they are deeply personal to your nature and experience. A cat in your dream will not be the same as a cat in anyone else's dream. Many people believe that a cat in dream is a personal symbol, unique to you.^{[3]
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- Consider what cats mean to you, specifically. Are you allergic to cats? Did you have a cat in your childhood? If there is any unique meaning that you connect to cats, it's likely that this meaning will be part of your dream interpretation.
- Remember that the goal of dream interpretation is to better understand yourself. Dreams are unlikely to be functional predictors of the future, to provide lucky lottery numbers, or to give you the answer to an algebra problem.
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Think about your dream cat characteristics. Some dream interpreters feel that aspects of the dreamer are found within every element of the dream. The cat in the dream may symbolize you, or parts of you. Think about what characteristics you and the cat might share in common.^{[4]
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- Did the cat in your dream appear unique in any way? Did the circumstances in which the cat appeared feel familiar? Or was the situation novel or unlikely?
- Dreaming makes the connection between the dreamer's conscious and unconscious mind. Feelings, thoughts, and ideas found in the dreamer's unconscious mind can surface through dream imagery and symbols.
- Reflect on the role the cat played in your dream. Was it a passive observer, an active participant, or perhaps a guide leading you through the dream narrative? The cat's role may provide clues about your own perceived role in different aspects of your life or relationships.
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Consider traditional meaning of cats in dreams. Cats are ancient dream images, symbolizing intuition, femininity, softness, an independent spirit, creativity, power, misfortune, vulnerability, bad luck, and deceitfulness. Whatever you can recall about the cat within your dream will also help you understand its meaning.
- If the cat in your dream was playful, perhaps you may desire to be a little more light-hearted in your life.
- If your dream cat was aggressive, perhaps you're experiencing some difficulty with the more feminine side of your nature.
- If you've lost your cat in your dreams, it might be a sign that you're not as independent as you'd like to be.
- The health of the cat in your dreams is also a clue to its meaning. For example, if the cat in your dreams is sickly, this might mean that you're not paying enough attention to your intuition. By being overly rational, you've allowed the intuitive part of your nature become weak.
- A white cat is a very positive symbol of spiritual guidance, hope, creativity, intuition, and spiritual growth.
- A pregnant cat in a dream can symbolize abundance or that something positive is about to happen in your life.
- Kittens can indicate new opportunities presenting themselves as well as the "birth" of new ideas of projects.
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Learn about possible alternative interpretations. Dreaming about a wild, or feral, cat may mean that a neighbor could be dangerous to you (or that this is something that you fear). A cat who bites you in your dream might mean the loss of something important to you.
- While cats are generally a symbol of independence, a dream about a kitten often reflects vulnerability and the need to be taken care of.
- Dream images can be simple, or they can be complex. When you're interpreting what the cat in your dream might mean, allow yourself to be open to a wide range of possible interpretations.
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Don't worry about seeing a black cat in your dreams. Despite the black cat being a common symbol of bad luck, seeing a black cat in your dreams doesn't have any particular bad luck attached. More important to the interpretation of your dream are the way you feel about the cat, how you treat it, and how it treats you.
- In the past, any cat appearing in a dream was generally considered to be bad luck. This has changed, however, as cultures became more comfortable with mystical topics.
- Cats often represent sexuality and women. When a woman dreams about a cat, she may be dreaming about her own sexual power. A man dreaming about a cat may be symbolizing sexual fulfillment, or his own intuitive nature.
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Remember that you're the best expert on your dream. If the cat in your dreams carries a meaning for you, it doesn't matter what any dream dictionary says. As you can see, dream dictionaries carry a wide range of possible interpretation. As you become more skilled at remembering your dreams, and thinking deeply about each element within the dream, you will learn to interpret what your dreams mean for you.
- Notice if you see a pattern in your dreams. Do certain elements recur on a regular basis? Do you notice that you often dream about a certain cat, or different cats?
- Your observations on your dreams should include who, what, when, where and why. Always ask yourself: how did I feel about this?

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Learning to Understand Your Dreams

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1
Write down your dreams. Most dream experts recommend to keep a dream journal. A dream journal is a notebook kept beside your bed with a pen or pencil nearby. As soon as you wake up, immediately reach for pen and paper to write down everything you remember about your most recent dream.
- Try to write down any dream you have, no matter how difficult it may be to remember clearly.
- Include as many details as you can, no matter how strange or random. List colors, location, characters, sounds, emotions and objects. Each element has a possible meaning.
- Don't worry about grammar or spelling. No one else is likely to read this - it's just for you.
- If using an app on your phone or tablet is easier for you, consider keeping your dream journal here. The main thing is to have it very close to your bed, so that it's there as you wake up.
- Establish a consistent routine. The more consistently you engage in this practice, the more likely you are to remember and analyze your dreams over time.
2
Note your feelings about each dream. The feelings that you experience in your dreams are not symbolic, but real feelings. Most people suppress negative emotions during the day, but these emotions will appear in dreams. Learn to notice your feelings about every element within your dream in order to better interpret its meaning.^{[5]
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- Feelings expressed in dreams can help you better deal with depression, guilt, and other difficult emotions in your waking life.
- The most common emotions found in dreams are fear and anxiety, followed by anger and sadness.
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Learn to recognize recurring images in your dreams. Over time you may start to notice similar themes and patterns emerging from otherwise dissimilar dreams. For example, if you keep finding yourself dreaming about stressful situations, even though the elements might be very different, it's important to look at the ways this stressful situation might be manifesting itself in your life.^{[6]
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- There are apps, such as Dream Professor, that provide instant analysis of your dream elements.
- These apps focus on the pattern of images and words in a dream, rather than trying to read the plot or recognize individual symbols.
4
Think about all elements of your dream. When you've written down your dream, go back to sleep. Later, when you're fully awake, revisit your dream journal and read through your notes for meaning. Each dream is a mine of metaphorical meaning that you can interpret in multiple ways.^{[7]
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- Many experts suggest that the dreamer avoid thinking of a dream in literal terms. For example, a dream about skydiving doesn't usually mean that the person is likely to jump out of a plane.
- Sometimes an element of a dream is not a metaphor, but simply a way that the person processes information. For example, people who spent most of their lives before color television also dream in black and white.
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Learn more about dream interpretation. Some analytical therapists incorporate dream analysis into their therapy practice. If this appeals to you, consider learning more about dream interpretation, or finding a therapist who uses this approach.^{[8]
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- There are many dream dictionaries available online or in bookstores. These are interesting and entertaining, but genuine dream analysis is more subtle and complex than these books may suggest.
- Dream interpretation was a standard part of psychoanalytic models of both Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
- Jung's understanding of archetypes found in dreams shaped generations of scholars and psychologists.

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Pay attention to shifts in emotions throughout the dream. By acknowledging these emotional fluctuations, you can gain a deeper understanding of your internal struggles or unmet needs.

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