- Older folk dream books read a cat as deceit or a false friend; a cat that attacks means enemies working against your reputation.
- Miller (1901) writes that a cat denotes ill luck unless you drive it away, and that a cat’s cry means a false friend is at work.
- Psychology reads the cat as independence, the feminine and the instinct that does not obey; a purring cat is comfort, a hissing one a warning.
- In dream content studies cats and dogs are the most frequent animals, and people who live with a cat dream of cats far more.
- Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.
What does it mean to dream about cats?
Old dream books distrusted the cat. Miller (1901) writes that a cat denotes ill luck unless you kill it or drive it from sight, that an attacking cat means enemies who will blacken your reputation, and that hearing a cat cry means a false friend is at work. Folk tradition softened over time: a calm cat by the fire means comfort and a quiet home, a strange cat means a visitor with hidden motives, and a black cat means, depending on the country, either luck or a warning. A cat that bites or scratches is nearly always read as betrayal by someone who was trusted.
Three ways to read a dream about cat
| Reading | Who says it | What the dream is taken to mean | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dream books | Folk tradition, Miller (1901) | Old dream books distrusted the cat. Miller (1901) writes that a cat denotes ill luck unless you kill it or drive it from sight, that an attacking cat means enemies who will blacken your reputation, and that hearing a cat cry means a false friend is at work. Folk tradition softened over time: a calm cat by the fire means comfort and a quiet home, a strange cat means a visitor with hidden motives, and a black cat means, depending on the country, either luck or a warning. A cat that bites or scratches is nearly always read as betrayal by someone who was trusted. | Custom |
| Psychology | Freud, Jung and later authors | Psychology reads the cat as the part of a person that does not obey: independent, sensual, watchful, affectionate on its own terms. Freudian writers linked cats with femininity and with sexuality; Jungian writers with intuition and with the instinct that cannot be trained. A cat that attacks in a dream is often the dreamer’s own repressed anger or the anger of someone close who hides it well. A cat you care for points to a need for warmth that you are meeting, or failing to meet. | Clinical interpretation |
| Sleep research | Sleep laboratories, surveys | Cats and dogs top the list of animals in dream reports, and the strongest predictor of dreaming about a cat is living with one, in line with the continuity hypothesis that dreams follow waking life. Content-analysis studies find that animal dreams carry more aggression than dreams of people, and that dream animals often attack. In people without a cat the dream tends to appear with themes of trust and distance, which matches the folk reading more than one would expect. | Measurements and surveys |
Cat in the dream books
What each source says, in its own terms. Dream books are quoted as tradition, not as fact.
To dream of a cat denotes ill luck if you do not succeed in killing it or driving it from your sight. If the cat attacks you, you will have enemies who will go to any extreme to blacken your reputation. If you succeed in banishing it, you will overcome great obstacles. To hear the cry of a cat, some false friend is working to do you harm.
A calm cat means a quiet home; a strange cat means a guest with hidden motives; a cat that scratches means betrayal by a friend; kittens mean small worries or small joys.
In the psychoanalytic tradition that follows Freud, cats appear among the animals associated with the feminine and with sexual instinct, read through the dreamer’s own associations rather than a fixed key.
Cat dream meaning, by variation
The details change the reading.
| In the dream | Traditional reading | Psychological reading |
|---|---|---|
| Cat attacks you | Enemies working against your name | Hidden anger, yours or someone else’s, breaking out |
| Black cat | Luck or a warning, depending on the tradition | Something mysterious you keep at a distance |
| Cat bites you | Betrayal by a trusted person | A relationship that gives affection and hurt in turn |
| Kittens | Small worries, or small joys | Something new and vulnerable in your care |
| Dead cat | The end of a false friendship | A loss of comfort or independence |
| Cat purring on your lap | Peace at home | A need for warmth being met |
| Many cats | Gossip from many sides | Too many demands on your attention |
When in the night do such dreams happen?
Vivid, story-like dreams happen mostly in REM sleep. REM periods are short early in the night and get longer toward morning, which is why a dream like this is often the last thing before waking.
Spiritual meaning of cat in a dream
Spiritual writers read the cat as a guardian of thresholds and of the night: in Egypt it was sacred, in medieval Europe suspect, and the two readings still live side by side. In this reading a cat dream asks about intuition, about what you sense but have not said, and about independence, whether you are keeping your own counsel or being kept at a distance. A cat that watches you is read as your own inner watcher; a cat that leaves, as a season of being alone.
Who in my life gives affection on their own terms, and how do I feel about it?
Did the cat come to me or turn away, and what did that feel like?
Where am I keeping my own counsel at the moment, and is it serving me?
Questions people ask
What does it mean to dream about cats?
Old dream books read a cat as deceit or a false friend; a calm cat as comfort at home. Psychology reads the cat as independence, intuition and the feminine. Research shows people who live with cats dream of them most, so the dream often simply follows daily life.
Is a cat in a dream good or bad?
Miller (1901) reads it as ill luck unless the cat is driven away; folk tradition reads a calm cat kindly. There is no evidence that dreams predict events; the cat’s behaviour and your feeling in the dream carry the meaning.
What does it mean when a cat attacks you in a dream?
Traditionally, enemies working against your reputation. Psychologically, anger that has been hidden, your own or someone else’s, coming out. Ask who has been polite while displeased.
What does a black cat mean in a dream?
Depending on the country, luck or a warning. Psychologically the black cat stands for something mysterious you keep at arm’s length. Black cat has its own page.
What do kittens in a dream mean?
Folk books read kittens as small worries or small joys. In a psychological reading they are something new and fragile in your care, a plan or a relationship at its start.
Why do I dream about my own cat?
Because dreams carry the day. People who live with a cat dream of cats far more often; the dream usually reflects care, routine or worry about the animal rather than a symbol.
- Miller G. H. Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, 1901
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams, 1899
- Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964
- Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966
- Schredl M. Dream content analysis: basic principles. International Journal of Dream Research, 2010
- Folk dream books
Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each one comes from. Dream books are quoted as tradition. Last reviewed on the date in the header.