The Cat replaces the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac as the thirteenth animal emblem in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese and Gurung horoscopes. As a result, the Cat is said to possess the characteristics of the Rabbit. Rats and cats are at odds with each other.
The reasons why the cat wasn’t one of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac are frequently mentioned in legends about the order of the signs. Rat misled the cat into missing the feast with the Jade Emperor since the cat would not have been invited, would not have known the event was taking place, and would not have received a year, which is how the animosity between cats and rats started. It’s probable that when the Chinese zodiac was introduced, domestic cats had not yet spread throughout the country.
All the zodiac animals were traveling to the Jade Emperor, according to a different mythology known as “The Great Race.” The two creatures with the highest levels of intelligencethe Cat and the Ratalso happened to be the worst swimmers and happened upon a river. They both conned the kind, innocent ox into helping them by allowing them to cross the river on its back. The Rat, who was already the first sign of the zodiac, forced the Cat into the river as the Ox approached the other side of the river. The Rat then jumped off the Ox and raced to the Jade Emperor. The Cat was abandoned to perish in the river after being sabotaged by the Rat, while all the other animals made it to the Jade Emperor. This is considered to be another factor in cats’ constant pursuit of rats.
There are several theories as to why the Vietnamese, in contrast to all other nations that use the Sino lunar calendar, have the cat as their zodiac animal rather than the rabbit. The most popular theory is that the old term for “rabbit” (mao) sounds similar to “cat” (meo).
In This Article...
Why isn’t the cat the Chinese Zodiac animal?
The cat realized it was too late when he woke up in the afternoon.
The rat is the first of the newly chosen 12 animals, and word of their selection was widely disseminated.
feeling misled by the rat, the cat started to hate the rat. So now you know another reason cats go after rats all the time.
History:
The most common and entertaining folktales are the two mentioned above. I enjoy them. But you’ll probably have your doubts about that. It must have taken hundreds of years for the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac to evolve into the current version, and it is exceedingly difficult to determine their true origins. Regarding the lack of the cat, most historians concur that the twelve animals that make up the Chinese zodiac were established before Buddhism brought cats from India to China. The obvious conclusion is that there isn’t a cat on the list since cats were unknown to Chinese people at the time.
Does the Chinese Zodiac include the cat by default?
The Chinese zodiac is supposed to have been developed by the first Chinese monarch, Emperor Huangdi, in 2637 B.C., or the 14th century. During the North Zhou Dynasty, the zodiac rose to prominence as a means of determining a child’s birth year and is still widely used today. Based on Chinese astrology, the zodiac was used to tally calendar years, months, days, and even hours. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, one for each year.
Many people are aware of the history of the zodiac, but they are unaware that the cat was the 13th animal.
The majority of you are familiar with the legend, which states that the Jade Emperor once invited all of the animal kingdom to participate in a fantastic race. According to appearance, each of the first 12 animals to successfully cross the river would be given a Chinese zodiac sign and corresponding year. Each animal was eager and happy for the race to start as soon as word of it spread quickly. All the animals gathered on the riverbank the day of the race. The rat won the race, which seems unlikely given his small size and poor swimming ability, but he was intelligent and exploited his expertise to outperform each animal. The rat had persuaded the ox that their chances of winning the race would be improved if they cooperated. Because the ox was powerful, it pulled the rat all the way to the finish line. The rat leaped off the ox as they neared the finish line and was the first to cross it. The tiger was the next animal to cross the river, then the rabbit, the dragon, the horse, the goat, the monkey, and the rooster. The dog was the eleventh animal to cross the river, and the pig followed him.
This was accurate, but they had overlooked a crucial fact. You could perceive this narrative differently after learning this fact. The tale of the cat and the rat is told here.
The cat and mouse made the best of friends, the kind of friends who spend almost all of their free time together. Both were quite excited to hear about the massive race, and they immediately started making plans to cross the river. Cat asked his best friend the rat to wake him up when the race was about to start because he needed to take a short nap before the race started because it would probably require a lot of energy and effort. But the rat had just been focused on winning the race.
When the race was about to begin, the rat crept out quietly and went to the river’s edge rather than waking up his best friend the cat. The race was already done when cat woke up from his rejuvenating snooze, and his best friend rat had taken first place. The cat was simultaneously devastated and enraged, and he made a lifelong vow to hate rats. The cat chases the rat because of this.
Rat: The Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rat is known for its quick wit, charm, and sharpness. It was born in 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, and 1960. They are generous and devoted to those who are regarded as members of its pack, have outstanding taste, and make good friends. Money-driven, prone to avarice, insatiably curious, open to learning, and motivated by challenges. compatible with either Monkey or Dragon.
Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961 the Ox is steady, sturdy, a goal-oriented leader, detail-oriented, hard-working, tenacious, serious, and introverted, however they occasionally experience feelings of loneliness and insecurity. Takes solace in loved ones, and is a dependable, robust, and protective companion. compatible with the Rooster or the Snake.
Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962-Those with the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Tiger have great leadership characteristics, are charming, ambitious, brave, warm-hearted, and incredibly alluring. They are also gloomy, intense, and ready to pounce at any moment. suitable for either horses or dogs.
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rabbit love being surrounded by family and friends. Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963. Popular, kind, and sincere, they like to stay out of arguments and are occasionally viewed as softies. Rabbits prefer spending time at home and having guests. suitable for a goat or pig.
Dragon: People born in the years 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, and 1964 are enthusiastic and warm-hearted, charismatic, lucky in love, and egotistical. They are naturally born leaders who are skilled at delegating authority and taking the required actions to uphold their position of dominance. compatible with rats and monkeys.
Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965-Those with the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Snake are attractive, sociable, introverted, generous, charming, good with money, analytical, insecure, jealous, slightly dangerous, smart, they rely on gut instincts, are hard-working, and they are intelligent. appropriate for Rooster or Ox.
Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966 Those with the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Horse enjoy having freedom to wander. They adore traveling, love, and intimacy. They are vivacious, resourceful, and independent. They have exceptional seduction skills, are quick-witted, impatient, and occasionally perceived as a drifter. suitable for the Tiger or the Dog.
Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967-
The Chinese animal represented by the sign of the goat likes to be alone themselves thinking. They are imaginative, free-thinkers, rovers, disorganized, anxious, and high-strung. They require a lot of love, encouragement, and assurance. Additionally, appearance matters. suitable with either pigs or rabbits.
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Monkey thrive on having fun. Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968. They lack self-control yet are lively, positive, and terrific listeners. They enjoy being active and stimulated, and they prioritize their own happiness over that of others. They have weak morals, are heartbreakers, and are bad at maintaining long-term relationships. suitable for Rat or Dragon
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rooster are realistic, resourceful, attentive, analytical, direct, trusting, honest, perfectionists, neat and conservative. compatible with Snake or Ox.
Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Dog tend to be sensitive, dogmatic, temperamental, loyal, honest, distrustful, and often guilty of speaking white lies. Dogs are great at business, but they struggle to find partners. suited to either the Tiger or the Horse.
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig are incredibly pleasant, well-mannered, and tasteful. Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971. They are affluent perfectionists who don’t come out as snobs despite enjoying finer things. They enjoy being of service to others and make terrific friendsuntil someone close to them crosses them. They possess intelligence, a thirst for information, and exclusivity. compatible with goats or rabbits.
The cat is in what Zodiac year?
The Vietnamese zodiac lists the Cat as the fourth animal, with the years 2023, 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, and 1927 as Cat years.
- 2023, the year of the cat, is brown, yellow, and white.
- In both 1951 and 2011, the colors blue, dark blue, and moss green were predominant.
- White, blue, black, sky blue, denim blue, and the year of the cat in 1915 and 1975.
- Green, moss green, red, pink, purple, and orange were the colors of the cat in both 1927 and 1987.
- In both 1939 and 1999, the colors of the cat were red, pink, and purple.
People with sharp minds, delicate eyes, and good judgment are represented by the cat in the year of the cat. The pleasant things in life will come more frequently during the cat years, which are frequently associated with dense, lush greenery.
The Year of the Cat in 2022?
The Chinese New Year is on Tuesday, February 1. And as you’re undoubtedly already aware, there are 12 animal signs in the Chinese zodiac, one for each year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.
Each of the animals has distinct personality qualities, and they cycle through in that order every 12 years. Your Chinese zodiac sign is determined by your birth year, and those born in the animal’s year are thought to possess the same characteristics as their zodiac beast.
Why not celebrate this eagerly awaited annual event with your cat as 2022 is the year of the tiger? Here are some ideas for how to celebrate the year of the tiger with your cat as you get ready to ring in the new year.
What is the thirteenth sign’s animal?
These signals are not accurately calibrated, though. Using a celestial planisphere, we can see that from November 30 to December 18, the Sun is located in Ophiuchus, sometimes known as the serpent bearer or snake charmer, one of those lesser-known constellations. Of necessity, everyone born during these dates belong to the zodiac sign of Ophiuchus.
If we continue to look at how the Sun’s position relates to the background of stars, we will notice that very little matches the zodiacal signs to which we are used in horoscopes:
Based on the boundaries between constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1930, the following table depicts the actual zodiacal signs.
Why does Ophiuchus not appear in the horoscope as a zodiacal constellation? Why are the dates different? The Sun travelled across each of the zodiacal constellations on different dates than it does today, or roughly four weeks earlier, when the horoscope was first created 2,500 years ago in ancient Babylon.
According to calculations made by contemporary astronomers, the Sun now enters Aries on April 19 of every year without fail. But because of the Earth’s axial precession, the Sun is like a clock that is off by around 30 minutes annually. This delay has been building up over many centuries, and today it is over a month after when the Babylonians recorded it and when the horoscopes say it should.
The horoscope for each individual would then be considered to correlate to the sign that comes before the one that their modern horoscope represents. But this is also untrue. The Sun only spends a week crossing Scorpio and a month and a half in Virgo; these times of passage are identical to those of 2,500 years ago and greatly differ from the Babylonian astrologers’ arbitrary division of one month for each sign of the horoscope, who decided to omit Ophiuchus and maintain a rounder number of 12 signs, as in the 12-month calendar.
By using that calendar, Babylonian astrologers could forecast when summer would arrive or when it would be best to reap their crops. Because of the social influence this gave them, they began to broaden their forecasts to include things like war outcomes or a person’s characteristics based on their zodiac sign.
Why is the Chinese zodiac limited to 12 animals?
The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were allegedly chosen through a race. This race is intended to give the participants a sense of time. Only twelve could win, and to do so, the animals had to traverse a river with a swift current and arrive at the finish line on the coast.
Why is there no lion in the Chinese zodiac?
There was no tiger in the old Chinese zodiac; instead, the lion was the animal of choice. The ultimate god desires to remove the lion from the Chinese zodiac because of its extreme cruelty. The lion is the ruler of all animals, hence the supreme god is unable to achieve this.
The cat was chasing the rat, but why?
The animals held a race every year. Many small and large animals signed up for the race, and the top 12 finishers were to be honored by being excused from doing community service. Additionally, the year would bear their names.
Cat and Rat retired to bed following a tough day of training. Both of these individuals slept in, therefore on the day of the race they requested Ox to get them up early.
Cat and Rat were too drowsy and refused to get up when Ox shook them up in the morning. They carried on sleeping instead.
The race was about to begin, so the ox decided to start sprinting while toting a napping cat and rat on his back. Through rivers and woodlands, the creatures raced over the landscape.
The rat awakened while on the racetrack precisely as Ox was crossing the final river.
Rat shoved the dozing Cat into the river since he was aware that he could never win the race against the cat. Cat was awakened by the chilly water, and he swam to the riverbanks.
Rat jumped off Ox as he was about to cross the finish line and won. Tiger finished third, but he cheated, and Ox came in second. He didn’t want to swim, so he utilized the backs of other animals as stepping stones.
Being last in the race, Cat questioned how Rat could have triumphed while they were sharing a bed on Ox’s back. He was informed by Ox of what Rat had done to him. After that, anytime the cat spotted the Rat, he ran after him aggressively.
Cats constantly chase rats because of this. They can’t believe a rat could outrace them in any competition.