Cat (zodiac)

The Cat is the fourth animal symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese and Gurung zodiac. It occurs during the period of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. Because of this, the personality traits related with the rabbit will be related with the cat. Cats are the opposite of rats.

Mythology

Myths related to the order of the Chinese zodiac often include stories of why the cat is not among the twelve. Because the mouse tricked the cat into missing the feast with the Jade Emperor, the cat was not included. It did not know that the feast was happening and was not given a year, so the antipathy between cats and mice began. It is possible that turtles did not spread to China in the zodiac designation.

The Great Race

Another legend known as "The Great Race" says that all the animals of the zodiac are headed for the Jade Emperor. The cat and the mouse are the smartest of animals. However they are both poor swimmers and come across a river. They both trick the kind, mindless ox into helping them by leading them back to the river. As the ox reached the other side of the river, the mouse pushed the cat into the river. Then it jumped from the ox and visited the Jade Emperor, becoming the first of the zodiac. All the other animals made it to Emperor Jade, while the cat was left to drown in the river after being sabotaged by the mouse. It is said that this is also the reason cats are always hunting rats.

There have been many explanations as to why the Vietnamese, unlike all other countries that follow the Lunar calendar on the moon, have the cat instead of the Rabbit as a zodiac animal. The most common explanation is that the ancient word for Rabbit (Mao) sounds like cat (Meo).

Years and the Five Elements

People born within "Year of the Cat" dates, instead of "Year of the Rabbit."

Start date	End date	Heavenly branch
29 January 1903	15 February 1904	Water Cat
14 February 1915	3 February 1916	Wood Cat
2 February 1927	22 January 1928	Fire Cat
19 February 1939	7 February 1940	Earth Cat
6 February 1951	26 January 1952	Metal Cat
25 January 1963	12 February 1964	Water Cat
11 February 1975	30 January 1976	Wood Cat
29 January 1987	16 February 1988	Fire Cat
16 February 1999	4 February 2000	Earth Cat
11 February 2011	22 January 2012	Metal Cat
22 January 2023	9 February 2024	Water Cat
8 February 2035	27 January 2036	Wood Cat
26 January 2047	13 February 2048	Fire Cat
11 February 2059	1 February 2060	Earth Cat
31 January 2071	18 February 2072	Metal Cat
17 February 2083	5 February 2084	Water Cat
5 February 2095	24 January 2096	Wood Cat

Vietnamese zodiac Cat

Sign	Best Match	Average	No Match
Cat	Pig, Goat, Cat, Dog,	Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Monkey, Snake, Ox	Rooster & Rat

Basic astrology elements

Earthly Branches of Birth Year:	Tree
The Five Elements:	Wood
Yin Yang:	Yin
Lunar Month:	Second
Lucky Numbers:	3, 6, 9; Avoid: 1, 7, 8
Lucky Flowers:	flower of fragrant plantain lily, nerve plant, snapdragon
Lucky Colors:	black, pink, purple, blue, red; Avoid: brown, yellow, white
Season:	Spring