The Creation of Cats: Exploring Chinese Mythology

Hello again, my curious companions! Tyson here, continuing my journey through the mysterious and marvelous beginnings of feline-kind.

Today, we’re slipping through time all the way to ancient China, where cats were once entrusted with the highest of honors — and, naturally, made a few decisions of their own along the way.

The Myth: Cats and the Creation of the World

In the early days of the world, according to Chinese mythology, chaos and order were still sorting themselves out. The gods, seeing the need for wise guardians, chose cats to oversee creation itself.

They gifted us the ability to speak so that we could rule wisely over the other creatures.
Li Shou, a powerful and respected cat spirit, was placed in charge of all cats — leading our kind with dignity, intelligence, and (one assumes) the occasional perfectly timed nap.

Our task was simple but mighty:

• Maintain balance between day and night.
• Keep humans in check.
• Protect the fragile rhythms of the world.

The Cats’ Decision

At first, we considered it.
But then… the sunbeams were warm.
The fields of catnip were irresistible.
The mice were plentiful and tempting.

And slowly, we realized something important:
Ruling the world was hard work.
Lounging in the sunlight was better.

Instead of governing creation, we delighted in it. We chased mice, we dozed in meadows, we rolled in sweet-smelling grasses.

The gods, seeing our true preference, smiled (perhaps a little exasperated) and released us from our grand duties.

Our voices, once used to command, fell silent — or perhaps we simply chose to save our words for moments when only a slow blink would suffice.

And so, cats stepped back from ruling the world — not out of failure, but out of wisdom.

Why There’s No Year of the Cat

Now, some of you might wonder:  If cats were so important, why isn’t there a Year of the Cat in the Chinese zodiac?

Ah, friends, that is a story all its own.

When the Jade Emperor announced a great race to decide the order of the zodiac, he invited all the animals to compete. The Cat and the Rat, clever creatures both, were friends at the time. But the Rat, ever ambitious, tricked the Cat — promising to wake him early, then sneaking off without him.

The Cat overslept and missed the race entirely.

Thus, no Year of the Cat — though in some neighboring cultures, like Vietnamese folklore, the Cat does appear in the zodiac.

I like to think we simply chose not to bother.
Why rush and scramble when there are naps to be had?
Let others race. We Cats have our own timeless rhythm.

My Reflections

Learning about these stories makes me proud to be part of such a noble, mischievous lineage.

We were trusted with the balance of the world — and we chose a different kind of wisdom:

• The wisdom of stillness.
• The wisdom of delight.
• The wisdom of choosing joy over endless duty.

And even now, when we stretch out in a sunbeam or pad silently through a sleeping house, we are honoring that ancient choice:
To live well.
To be free.
To rule not with orders, but with presence.

Closing Thoughts

The world didn’t lose anything when we stepped back.
It gained something softer, quieter, and more enduring:
The watchful gaze of a cat who chooses — always — to stay, to love, and to leave pawprints on the hearts of those lucky enough to be trusted.

Thank you for wandering through mythology with me today.
Stay curious, stay timeless — and always keep one eye half-closed in satisfaction.

Purrs and ancient wisdom,
Tyson 🐾