Cat Tattoos

What does a cat tattoo mean?

A cat tattoo holds two readings at once: independence and guardianship, an animal that protects the household without ever belonging to it. In Egypt, Bastet of Bubastis was the goddess of the home, and Herodotus records that when a household cat died, everyone in the house shaved their eyebrows in mourning. Japan added the maneki-neko of Gōtoku-ji temple, whose raised left paw draws people and right paw draws money. In 1233 the papal bull Vox in Rama tied the black cat to the devil, so a black cat design carries blessing and curse together. Pose decides the meaning: a seated profile is the Egyptian guardian, a cat walking away is independence, a black cat with a moon is the threshold animal, and a portrait usually honors one real cat. Realism, Egyptian silhouettes and Japanese scenes are common, often on the forearm or thigh.

cat tattoo meaning