How did the saying/phrase "cats have 9 lives" come to be?

Question

The nine lives to a cat is an interesting phrase, where did it come from? I'm guessing it has something to do with a cat's longevity (?) I'm not sure. Anyway, if you have any ideas, answers are welcome and appreciated.

Answer 1

I think it comes from the fact that cats have the ability to land on their feet and survive falls that, if attempted by a human, would have been fatal.

Answer 2

No one knows for sure, and all the explanations we read or hear are only guesses.

Some people think the saying reflects the fact that cats can be hard to kill  --because they can fall a long distance and land on their feet, for example  ...  and because they're so agile they're often able to run or jump and avoid harm.

But it seems to me the best explanation is simply the fact that so many cats look alike ... there are lots of black cats, for example, lots of orange ones, and lots of calicos  ...  so that, some time after a cat dies, another cat may appear that looks just the same, as if the cat had come back to life, and that same thing could happen time after time, so it can look as if one cat has many lives.  

The first & 3rd articles cited below, under Source(s), say the idea of cats having 9 lives was a belief they had in ancient Egypt, where cats were regarded as sacred, and 9 was one of the Egyptians'  favorite & mystical numbers.   In some cultures the number is seven.

Answer 3

I think it is because they go outside, with cars, with all sorts and come home in one piece. Weeell, most the time. And perhaps because of their long lifespan.

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