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Cats have 9 lives: the facts behind the myth
12:49, 6 OCT 2014 UPDATED 16:19, 9 MAR 2015
BY HELENA HORTON
The story that cats have nine lives is out by a factor of 9. Science suggests that like the rest of us, they only have one. But here's the facts behind this one mythical number.
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Yes I want treats with that.
We know they're cute. But why do we say they live nine times more often than they do?
Are they reborn or just good at jumping?
Cats don't really have nine lives. But the main reason that cats got a reputation for reincarnation is their ability to jump and land.
They climb high trees, run in front of cars and jump from high places. Surely someone with only one, short life wouldn’t leap about frantically, like a pogo stick with a death wish?
Cats do though. So an old housewives tale, based on the fact that Mr Nibbles would jump from the top of the wardrobe and land on his feet, has persisted over hundreds of years.