Cats as Spiritual Protectors

Can cats act as spiritual protectors?

Short answer – cats have been seen as spiritual protectors for centuries. They are believed to be able to ward off evil spirits and negative energy. Black cats, in particular, connect to witchcraft or occult powers, and it is said that if a person sees a black cat cross their path, they will receive good luck.

Introduction

You may have heard cat owners suggest they did not choose their cat, rather their cat chose them.

They are definitely enigmatic. And maybe it’s because they were domesticated relatively recently.

In other words, they’re still quite wild, and this close connection to their past, and nature, may explain a lot.

They have often been seen as having powers of some kind, and have achieved a special bond with us humans over millennia.

Throughout the centuries, different cultures from all over the world have revered and respected them for their spiritually protective benefits.

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Can cats be spiritual protectors?

Certainly. Like all creatures, they were created as a blessing. And learning about them only multiplies those blessings.

So, without further ado…

The five spiritual benefits of cats:

They’re good for your health.

You may think to yourself, “good health isn’t necessarily a spiritual benefit.”

But without a healthy body – or without a body at all – there is no spiritual life to be had in this world.

The ancient Egyptians viewed cats’ role in protecting human health as so vital that they believed cats carried the divine essence of the deity Bastet.

Cats were even mummified and believed to accompany their owners in the afterlife.

Protecting human health is, in fact, the main reason cats were domesticated.

They hunted mice, lizards, and other pests that destroyed food supplies and caused disease.

Sailors took them aboard vessels for this reason.

If you have a cat in your house, you’re unlikely to have any mice or rats around to spread germs and make you sick.

The ways cats protect our health does seem almost magical. For example, it is said that cats reduce stress. But how?

Often, it’s simply by being there.

By sitting on your lap. By providing companionship. They aren’t doling out prescriptions or giving you advice on your diet.

They’re just quietly emanating an unseen energy that helps lower your cortisol levels.

They can help ward off evil spirits

You probably noticed your cat staring at something that you can’t see, or listening to something you can’t hear.

Their senses are definitely attuned to things that are unknown to us.

Their hearing is 6-8 times better than ours, and their night vision and peripheral vision are phenomenal.

Their whiskers can sense minor temperature changes and shifts in air currents.

This is why many people believe cats help ward off evil spirits.

Many cultures throughout history believed this as well.

So, if you notice your cat acting funky, like there’s a presence somewhere… it may be time to do something about it.

Cats as spirit guides / spirit animals

In certain indigenous and shamanistic traditions, a spirit animal, sometimes known as a totem animal, is a guide or teacher that comes to you embodied in animal form.

It’s an animal you have a spiritual bond with. You can learn from it and grow.

Some people have the cat as their spirit animal.

This means they have already taken on certain cat-like traits – or indicates that they should.

Freedom, curiosity, good timing, mystery, magic, flexibility, relaxation…

These are among the traits that the cat can inspire. You can find out if your spirit animal is the cat through certain forms of meditation, by seeing a shaman, or by taking reputable tests.

They provide spiritual inspiration

You wouldn’t be the first person to be spiritually inspired by cats.

The ancient Egyptians didn’t worship cats, but they strongly believed cats contained the divine essence of Bastet, a cat-headed goddess. Bastet represented fertility, domesticity, music, dance, and pleasure.

Ancient Egyptians adorned their cats in jewels and flair, and it was very common to have a cat in the house.

Killing a cat was punishable by death. And when a cat passed away, the family would shave their eyebrows.

Cats were also mummified and said to accompany their owners and families in the afterlife.

For centuries, Muslims have considered cats the quintessential pet. Cats are admired for their ritual cleanliness, and are allowed to enter mosques.

Water drunk by cats may be used for ablutions before prayer and cleaning. And the prophet Mohammed was said to love cats.

Seeing the divine in everything is a basic spiritual practice.

What can you learn from your cat?

Take a break. Play. Be curious. Give and receive affection.

And so much more.

Omens of good fortune

Throughout history, many cultures considered cats to be a good omen, and many people still believe it today.

Asian cultures, in particular, believe cats bring prosperity and long life. You may have seen statues of a cat with a paw raised.

These are said to bring good luck. The story behind them comes from 17^th Century Japan.

A lord samurai sought shelter under a tree during a storm. He thought he saw a cat waving at him to come inside a temple.

As he made his way towards the temple, a lightning bolt struck the tree beneath which he had been standing. The samurai was so grateful, he helped repair the temple, and made a statue to honor the cat after it died.

Sailors all over the world have considered it good luck to have a cat on board the ship.

In Norse mythology, cats were believed to foretell a plentiful harvest. And certain cats, like the tortoiseshell cat, are called “money cats” for the good fortune they bring.

A black cat crossed your path? That means good luck (except in North America, where strangely, it means misfortune).

The lesson in all this folklore seems to be this: treat your cats well, and you will be rewarded.

ALSO READ: Meaning of seeing a dead snake in your path

Man’s best (spiritual) friend: cats as spiritual protectors

From being good for your health, to warding off evil spirits, to being spirit guides, providing spiritual inspiration, and being omens of good luck…

These are just some of the reasons why cats are seen the world over as spiritual protectors.

You don’t need to blindly believe in the spiritual benefits.

You can feel them for yourself. If you ever get the chance, let your cat – or any cat – lay on your chest when you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or even in pain.

Give the cat some pets and listen for the purr. Let the vibration do its thing.

Be there for your cat, and it’ll be there for you.

ALSO READ: Seeing a Dead Cat: Spiritual Meaning