People are only just realising where the phrase 'cats have nine lives' comes from
dailystar.co.ukNetflix series called Inside the mind of a Cat.There are many myths and misconceptions when it comes to cats, including that they are inferior to dogs, according to the documentary.One saying you might have heard about the mysterious cat is that it "has nine lives" – but do you know where the saying comes from?
And is there any truth to it?READ MORE: Adorable cats break the internet after snap of them hugging on roof goes viralHere we explore the origins of the myth.Although cats are known for surviving extremely tricky situations due to their flexibility and speed, they aren't able to cheat death.So sadly, a cat doesn't have nine lives, and the myth is actually inconsistent in different countries.For example, in Arabic-speaking countries cats are said to have six lives, while in Italy, Greece and Brazil they are thought to have seven.Although there isn't any truth to the myth, cats can still live to a very healthy age.
According to Cats.org, life expectancy depends on many different things, including health, diet and environment.The average lifespan for a domestic cat is about 12-14 years.
However, some pet cats can live to their 20s.Although living longer than that is very rare, the oldest cat in the world, Crème Puff in the US, lived to be 38 years and three days old.You may be surprised to know that the origin of the nine lives myth actually comes rom an English proverb.It reads: "A cat has nine lives.
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