What does it mean to dream about a cat?
A cat in a dream often stands for independence, your own or that of someone hard to read. It can also be quiet hostility from someone near you, an ability of yours asking to be used, or your knack for landing on your feet. How you feel about cats in real life shapes which reading fits.
Updated
There's no single meaning to a cat dream. What the cat was like, what it was doing, and how you feel about cats in real life all shape what it may stand for.
What dreaming about cats may mean
ASomething close to you, or a part of you
A cat in a dream may stand for a part of you, or for someone or something that directly affects your life. How the cat looks and acts may echo how that part of life is going.
What stood out was the cat's condition or what it was doing
BIndependence, or someone hard to read
Cats come and go as they please. The dream may be about your own need for independence, or about someone who keeps their distance and is hard to read.
The cat kept its distance, or came and went · You were curious about the cat, or drawn to it
CHostility under the surface
A cat that scratches or won't leave you alone may stand for quiet hostility: someone who undermines you without saying so, or a bit of cattiness and gossip around you.
The cat attacked or scratched you · You couldn't get rid of the cat · You'd call the cat catty or spiteful
DSomething that isn't good for you
If you're allergic to cats or keep away from them, the cat may stand for a person or a habit that doesn't agree with you, one you already keep at arm's length.
You're allergic to cats, or avoid them
EAn ability asking to be used
A threatening cat isn't always about someone else. It may be an ability of your own, pushing to be noticed and put to use.
The cat threatened you
FGoing after what you want
Cats are skilled hunters, and big cats even more so. A hunting cat may stand for your ability to protect your interests and go after what you want.
The cat was hunting · It was a big cat, like a lion, a tiger or a panther
GLanding on your feet
Cats famously land on their feet. A cat that stays steady may reflect your own ability to recover after a setback.
The cat landed on its feet, or stayed steady
These are possibilities, not verdicts. The reading that fits is the one that matches the details and the feeling of your dream, and what's going on in your life.
Questions that tell the readings apart
- Q1What was the cat like, and what was it doing?The cat's condition and behavior often mirror something going on in your life.
- Q2How do you feel about cats in real life?A cat lover and someone who's allergic will dream about cats very differently.
Read your own dream about cats
- Reading your dream
- Picking out the images and feelings
- Looking up what the images can mean
- Working out how the pieces fit together
- Writing your reading
- Opening checkout