This film does not fit into my priorities at all, and I decided to watch it solely because of the cats, which I love and respect immensely. To say that the picture about the transmigration of the soul disappointed me is to say nothing.
The only scene that was really funny was when the cat was trying hard to get to the bottle of booze. Everything else reeks of banality a mile away. Nevertheless, in order not to betray myself, I will try to extract something worthwhile from this not very funny comedy.
Still from the film “Nine Lives”
English literature
Some believe that this belief comes from an English proverb that says: “A cat has nine lives. She plays the first three, wanders around for the next three, and stays for the last three.” In fact, this proverb rather describes the life cycle of an animal - childhood, growing up and aging. She has taken root very well among the people. And people really began to believe that cats have nine lives.
This myth also appears in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. In the third act, Mercutio says to Tybalt: “Good king of cats, only one of your nine lives.”
Cat for daughter and fall from the roof
Very soon it’s his beloved daughter’s birthday, so our hero is in a hurry to choose a gift. But the girl doesn’t want expensive toys and all sorts of other gifts; she dreams of a kitten.
Therefore, a loving dad personally goes to the pet store and essentially takes the first cat he comes across. However, there are no coincidences in life, so Brand ends up in a magic shop, and the cat literally chooses him himself.
Naturally, the hero, due to his total busyness, does not understand this. Moreover, having taken the carrier with the cat, he immediately goes to the roof to talk with his assistant.
But then an accident occurs, during which the assistant refuses to help his employer, after which he falls from a high-rise building. At the same time, the expected happens - Tom’s soul changes its usual location, and he lives for the rest of the film in the body of a cat.
Still from the film “Nine Lives”
Cultural meaning of the number 9
The number nine has special meaning in many cultures. In China, it is consonant with the word “durability”. There are 9 muses in Greek mythology. In early Christian culture, the number nine was considered lucky, as it represents a certain variation of the trinity (three times three).
Is there even a grain of truth in this myth?
Although cats have been deified in the past, and the number nine has special meaning in many cultures, these animals, of course, only have one life.
Mr. Cat Recommends: Cat Vitality
The number nine has been considered magical for centuries. In the texts of Pythagoras and his followers, it completes a series of numbers, which are then repeated an order of magnitude higher. It stands at the end and ends the path, giving peace and completeness. This number is difficult to understand; it contains a secret that attracts people so much.
This “misunderstanding” for people was the amazing survivability of cats, especially those that fell from multi-story buildings. It has been noticed that the lower the floor, the more likely the cat will die after a fall.
The thing is that pets have highly developed intuition. While flying from a high altitude, they have time to concentrate and group. Therefore, they are injured much less.
There are also historical facts when cats survived in the most tragic cases. Thus, in December 1964, the Dutch ship Tjoba suffered an accident while descending the Rhine. The crew managed to escape, but the cat that was on the ship was not found. After 8 days, the ship was raised to the surface. The team, gathering their belongings, discovered their beloved cat Jacob alive. He managed to survive thanks to the fact that he breathed the air remaining in the hold. The thing is that cats are naturally capable of self-healing. This happens at the moment when the cat begins to purr.
Scientists have recorded that the rumbling corresponds to an oscillation frequency from 22 to 44 Hertz, which promotes cell regeneration, and even fractures heal faster than usual. If a person needs several months for the bones of his leg to heal, then a cat needs only 2-3 weeks.
Debunking the myth
Not all cultures believed that cats have nine lives. The number nine does not have any special meaning in all countries, so the number of mythical lives may vary from country to country. For example, in Arabic-speaking countries it is believed that these animals have six lives. In Spanish-speaking countries, as well as Italy, Brazil and Greece, they are believed to have seven lives. So this fact is not generally accepted, and therefore there is a high probability that it came from folklore.
In addition, there remains science, which has proven that cats, like other living creatures, have only one life. In October 2016, a study was published that found that the most common cause of death in cats is kidney failure. Animals over 15 years of age often suffer from kidney failure.
Love every day!
The most valuable thought in the picture, in my opinion, is love, which is not enough to experience somewhere in the depths of the heart. Alas, we don’t have nine lives, so the current one must be used to the fullest. It’s not enough to just talk about love, this feeling needs to be confirmed by your actions every day.
No, it is not at all necessary to jump from a parachute, fall into a coma, commit self-sacrifice or perform other feats. It’s enough just to be with your family more often, come home on time, don’t forget about important dates and see your loved ones not occasionally, but every day.
That's all. Although, being a cat in your own family is sometimes even useful. You can learn a lot of new things. Then I will complete my review, and I wish you to watch the comedy “Nine Lives” if only to have a little fun watching a funny cat named Mr. Fuzzy Pants. And for example, that same episode with drinking.
Scientific facts that make the myth still exist
And yet, many people continue to believe in this myth, because even if a cat falls from a great height, it can remain unharmed. Scientists have explained why this happens.
Cats have a special reflex that allows them to roll over in the air. During the fall, the body bends and twists, and the animal lands not on its back, but on its paws. This makes the landing softer.
In addition, cats have more vertebrae than humans. This makes them more flexible and therefore able to react instantly to dangerous situations.
And they are also very smart. Practicing veterinarian Cullen Dauchy shared that he has treated dogs for snakebites many times in his career, but has never seen a cat with this problem. They are too smart and neat.
Family idyll and business
So, the plot. The main character, Mr. Tom Brand, is a kind of super extreme and extremely successful businessman. He builds a huge structure and, for the sake of publicity, easily jumps with a parachute in order to make a lasting impression on invited reporters.
The hero has an over-aged son who followed in his father's footsteps. He is well versed in business, however, he lacks quite a bit: the ability to take risks, some madness.
The son from his first marriage and his mother, who is also the main character’s first wife, and her daughter also appear in the film. She is friends not only with her ex-husband, but also with his current wife.
Mr. Brand also has a daughter, 10-12 years old (I have absolutely no idea about the ages of children, so I could be wrong). Dad and husband love their girls madly, but may devote too little time to them. Actually, the relationship between the father and his children is the main storyline of the film.
Still from the film “Nine Lives”
The cat and her nine lives: dismantling an old myth
Contents hide
Cats are cunning, dexterous, resourceful animals and, admittedly, lucky. They are endowed with the ability to get away with anything, even the most hopeless situation. Ancient people believed that cats were helped by higher powers. Hand on heart, we are inclined to believe it. Even in our high-tech 21st century. The myth has acquired incredible stability - we believe in it, even knowing that cats, like all of us, have only one life. And yet, let's figure it out: where did this belief come from?
That there are nine cat lives. Essentially, we mean, following our distant ancestors, the ability of cats to survive. Or the famous cat reincarnation. Here is a tailed friend traveling along the roof of a house and suddenly falls off - from the ninth floor. Death seems inevitable. But the cat miraculously regroups in flight and lands neatly on its paws. Fantastic, and that's all.
Another question. No one would dare call cats stupid and reckless animals. But, tell me, why are they so scared that they are drawn to jump out onto the roadway under the wheels of cars? And many people turn out. They know that they have several lives at their disposal. Each crossing of a busy highway means minus one life.
Let's figure out why cats have several lives. There are four theories on this matter, and we will take them as a basis.
First theory. Dexterity and resourcefulness. We just talked about this: the ability of tailed animals to survive in hopeless situations inspires admiration. Surely every cat was on the verge of death more than once, but was saved every time. Hence the theory of multiple lives.
Second theory. The deification of cats in some cultures (for example, in Ancient Egypt). The Egyptians seriously believed that cats had supernatural powers. So the theory of “nine lives” fits well with the worldview of the ancient Egyptians. A deity cannot have just one life.
Third theory. An ancient proverb, retold in different ways. The meaning of the proverb is: “A cat has nine lives. The first three she plays, the second three she wanders. And the remaining three remain with her.” There's something about it!
The fourth theory. We open a volume of Shakespeare, the play “Romeo and Juliet”. Act three, scene one. Tybalt asks: “What do you want from me?” Mercutio: “My dear cat king, I just want to take one of your nine lives...”
Choose, friends, which of the four theories is closer to you.
Why exactly nine lives? Modern researchers are inclined to believe that the answer should still be sought in Ancient Egypt. One of the legends says that the sun god Atum-Ra, having visited the underworld, took the form of a Big Cat (Mau) and gave birth to eight other deities. It turns out symbolically: nine lives in one.
Let's say more: the number 9 is iconic in many cultures and religions.
In Christianity and Hinduism, 9 symbolizes divine completeness, the triple triad. In China, 9 is considered a lucky number. In Scandinavian mythology, the Universe is divided into 9 worlds. There are only 9 muses in Greek mythology.
You will be surprised, but not in all corners of the Earth people believe that cats have 9 lives. In Spanish-speaking countries, for example, they are sure that it is “only” seven. Turks and Arabs believe that there are only six.
What is so unusual and unique about cats? Firstly, cats are excellent sprinters: when running away from pursuit, these animals can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h. True, cats are not capable of running for a long time at this pace. Secondly, cats have an incredibly flexible spine, consisting of 53 vertebrae - it allows its owners to take unimaginable poses and twist like snakes. Thirdly, cats have incredibly springy and muscular paws, allowing them to jump to a height that exceeds their own height by nine (!) times. Cats are also capable of flattening their body so much that they can squeeze through even the narrowest gap.
Myths dismantled. But what really? Alas, practice shows that cats have one life. The tailed friends break when they fall, get stuck in cracks, and die in batches under the wheels of cars. And yet cats are actually lucky. And to some extent they even have supernatural abilities. For example, what are your chances of surviving a fall from the seventh floor? But cats have them, and quite a lot of them. They will dust themselves off and move on with their business. Isn't this a miracle? All that remains is to wish our mustachioed friends less trouble and always soft landings.
Material used: Does a cat really have nine lives? Source: wamiz.co.uk Photo: pixabay.com
