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Have you ever taken a look at the Chinese zodiac and wondered: "Where's the cat?"
To understand the reason, you'll need to go back to the famous folklore that shaped the zodiac as we know it today.
The story starts with the Jade Emperor, who wanted a neat way to organise years
So, he invited all animals to a big race, promising that the first 12 to reach him would be immortalised in the zodiac.
If you grew up in Malaysia, you probably heard a version of this tale. Despite regional variations, the story is about the same: wake up early, race across rivers and land, and hope you make it in time.
In one version of this story, the cat asks the mouse to wake him up on the day of the race
However, the next morning, the rat quietly slips out without saying a word. By the time the cat finally gets up, the race had ended and all 12 zodiac spots were already taken.
Basically, the cat didn't make the zodiac 'cause it overslept.
In another popular rendition, the cat and mouse hitch a ride on the ox, but midway through the race, the rat pushes the cat into the river to get ahead
The cat, famously not a fan of anything related to water, was understandably furious. The rat won its spot, the ox trudged on, and the cat arrived too late to be included.
This version conveniently explains why cats chase rats these days. An age-old grudge, passed down through generations.
Besides folklore, the reason cats weren't included could also be historical
Cats were not widely domesticated in ancient China during the zodiac's origins around the Xia Dynasty (over 4,000 years ago). Zodiac animals like the rat and ox, in contrast, were central to agriculture, explaining their inclusion over the cat.
But, the absence of the cat from the Chinese zodiac doesn't mean it's not culturally relevant
You can see this through maneki-neko (Lucky cat) found on shop counters, or the way Kuching, Sarawak proudly centres itself around cats.
And in some traditions, especially in Vietnam, the cat is included among the 12 zodiac animals, replacing the rabbit entirely.
