Cat Tattoo Designs

The cat, for many is representative of freedom of thought, independence and quick recovery. The Cat supposedly has nine lives – the animal earned this reputation primarily due to its inexplicable ability to land on its feet no matter what great a height it falls from.

Studies show that Cats have walked the earth for about 50 million years now. It first appeared as a small clever animal which was a predatory carnivore with retractable claws. The Cat has always evoked different reactions from different people – love, hate and even fear. Similarly, various ancient cultures viewed the cat in different light. Some considered it good luck while others thought it was a bad omen. Some considered it sacred, even as a god and some considered it an instrument of evil.

The cat was most revered perhaps in ancient Egypt. It is believed that by 3000BC the cat had become an influential totem. It was symbolic of the feminine representing fertility and motherhood. It was also associated with the moon in early Egypt. It appears as the defeater of evil Apep in the book of the dead. The Egyptians even depicted many of their gods in the form of a cat – either fully or as a half breed (half human half cat). In Egyptian mythology the lion headed goddess Sekmet appears to be the ruler of human fate who had a twin sister Mafdet – the domestic cat. Cats were so sacred to the early Egyptians that killing one earned the death sentence. It is popularly believed that the Persians while at war with the Egyptians captured thousands of cats and threatened to kill them unless they surrendered. The Egyptians surrendered!

In other parts of the world cats were loved for several other reasons. In Japan and China it was valued for its ability to rid the silkworm cultivators of mice. In Thailand, the Siamese cat was a revered temple cat and the cat supposedly guarded the temples of Buddha in India.

Some cultures however associated the animal with Witchcraft and witches leading to the superstitions associated with a black cat. It was believed that a black cat crossing your path brought bad luck.

Many today have come to love the creatures and regard them as silent companions. For many they make a great house pet as they are cleaner and you don’t have to deal with all the poop scooping – like with dogs. I personally don’t like cats all that much but I do think they make great tattoo designs!