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Raining Cats and Dogs: Can Cats Really Predict the Weather?

Image Credit:
Pixabay
Written By: James J. Garriss Weather Contributor

What is the origin of the phrase “raining cats and dogs”? Can cats predict if a thunderstorm is on its way? How do cats seem to know about weather changes before we do? Let’s explore the wonders of our feline friends!

You can blame this article on the cat sprawling across my keyboard when I was trying to write on a rainy day. I started to think about cats and weather—specifically, the phrase “raining cats and dogs.” What do animals falling from the sky have to do with torrential downpours?

Can you imagine anything more improbable than raining cats and dogs or, for that matter, more uncomfortable? (Then again, why does a keyboard seem to be the ideal place for a catnap?)

Raining Cats and Dogs

Some authorities tie the idea to Norse mythology. Odin, the Viking god of storms, was often pictured with dogs and wolves, symbols of wind. Witches, who supposedly rode their brooms during storms, had black cats, which became signs of heavy rain. Therefore, “raining cats and dogs” referred to a storm with wind (dogs) and heavy rain (cats).

painting "Pluie de chats." Raining Cats and Dogs
“Pluie de chats.” Source: Wikipedia

While the story sounds good, the expression didn’t become popular until the 1700s, when Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels) used it in a satire.

He pictured snobby upper-class aristocrats solemnly fretting that it would “rain cats and dogs.” Suddenly, the saying caught on. Apparently, the English spent a lot of time chatting about rain, and it was the latest hit phrase.

Cats and Weather Folklore

The cat/witch connection created a lot of superstitions. Many European cultures believed that cats could influence or even forecast the weather.

  • In Britain, especially Wales, it was believed that rain was likely if a cat busily washed its ears.
  • In Holland, cats could predict the wind by clawing at carpets and curtains.
  • In early America, if a cat sat with its back to the fire, it was foretelling a cold snap, and if it slept with all four paws tucked under, bad weather was coming.

Sailors were particularly superstitious or just so bored that they spent a lot of time watching the ship’s cat.

  • If a cat licked its fur against the grain, it meant a hailstorm was coming; if it sneezed, rain was on the way; and if it was frisky, the wind would soon blow.
  • Some believed cats could start storms through magic, so sailors always made sure cats were content. (I’m sure the cats encouraged this belief!)

cat on a windowsillSource: Wikimedia commons

So, Can Cats Predict Weather?

It turns out that cats are more sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure. Yes, their heightened senses can allow them to pick up hints that a storm is coming. Cats’ inner ears may detect the sudden fall in atmospheric pressure.

A cat is also more sensitive to sounds and smells. Therefore, your cat will hear the rumble of a thunderstorm before you do. Likewise, your cat is more likely to smell the incoming rain or that metallic odor of lightning in the air. 

In truth, cats aren’t the only animals who are attuned to nature and weather, but we’ll give our feline friends some credit; after all, they already know they’re superior to us humans, right?

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the phrase “raining cats and dogs” mean?

The saying “raining cats and dogs” means a heavy, torrential downpour. It likely originated from Norse mythology, where dogs symbolized wind and cats represented rain.

Can cats really predict the weather?

Yes, to an extent! Cats can sense changes in barometric pressure, hear distant thunder, and smell incoming rain or lightning before humans do.

Why do cats act strange before a storm?

Cats may become restless, hide, or groom excessively because they feel pressure shifts and vibrations caused by approaching storms.

Where did “raining cats and dogs” originate?

The phrase became popular in the 1700s after writer Jonathan Swift used it in satire. Earlier links may trace to Norse mythology and weather folklore.

Discover more animals that can predict the weather!

Ever heard of the annual Cat Nights, which occur in August? This bit of folklore also gives us the saying, “A cat has nine lives.” Learn more about Cat Nights.

Weather Lore

About The Author

James J. Garriss

James J. Garriss

Weather Contributor

With an academic background in international business, James is a writer, editor and researcher for Browning Media LLC, helping to present accurate climatological projections for a myriad of U.S. and ...

Read more from James J. Garriss

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Comments

<span>Barbara Newman</span> Tue, 02/15/2022 - 08:28
My cats (Maine Coons) have predicted Earthquakes by pestering us - digging at us before the Quake. My friends Cats living 80 miles away do the same thing.
<span>Kathleen A Cro…</span> Fri, 01/24/2020 - 18:08
You can tell the temperature in a room by the length of a sleeping cat.
<span>Linda Shediac</span> Fri, 01/24/2020 - 15:41
I had heard that it originated from homes with thatched roofs-the cats and dogs would rest on the roof and would fall through on stormy, wet days
<span>Forager</span> Fri, 11/22/2019 - 17:46
Images from Wikipedia do not belong to "Wikipedia". You need to click through to the individual image page and credit the specific person who uploaded each individual image. In most cases you must also list that the image is under a Creative Commons license.
<span>Willie Moore</span> Sat, 10/06/2018 - 00:02
Actually,, the expression " raining cats and dogs " has ties to 1500's Europe....the thatch roof houses were warm sleepin for the cats mostly, and inside dogs would crawl in where they could reach. Hard rains would wet through the thatch, and drive the critters out....thus raining cats and dogs!
<span>Alexander Heinke</span> Sun, 01/15/2017 - 11:32
That cat looks like my cat Lilli but cuter somehow. Amazing.
<span>Brian</span> Wed, 10/12/2016 - 12:23
Our black and white ( Tuxedo ) cat is our early warning system for approaching storms, she will crawl low to the ground and hide under the bed or sofa 5/10 minutes before the storm reaches us.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/james-j-garriss">James J. Garriss</a> Thu, 10/13/2016 - 17:11

Poor kitty! Our cat is a smug, complacent ruler of the household, so nothing disturbs him. He leaves it to the dog to have a nervous breakdown during a thunderstorm.

 <span>Vickie Springwolf</span> Tue, 10/11/2016 - 18:26
I love folklore and have found the Cats & Dogs connection to rain interesting. But as a Pagan and a Witch, I'd like to share a little clarification. Odin is the Viking Father of the gods (Much like Zeus is the father to the Greek gods). Among Odin's abilities is the power to use storms (and the weather in general) to his favor. Sometimes as a weapon, sometimes to assist his people. Witches being associated with "black" cats is a Christian concept designed to degrade both witches and black cats. It's not something we promoted. Witches became associated with cats, again from Viking lore, when the Goddess Freya saw a group of 12 women had gathered outside her temple to honor the goddess, she opened the bridge from Aesir (the land of the Gods) to Earth and gave the women 1 of her cats (no color is mentioned). The cat added to the gathering provided the women with the perfect number (13) for a Kindred to practice their magik. To the Norse, a Kindred is equivalent to the European Coven, a gathering for witches. From then on, cats became associated with Witches as "familiars", animals used to carry the magik of a witch into the world. It's also one of the stories that associates the number "13" with Friday as a day of bad luck. As Friday is sometimes linked with the Goddess Freya. For Pagans, Friday the 13th is a day of good luck.
<span>Brad White</span> Fri, 03/09/2018 - 15:47
Both Witches (Wicken) and Cats were generally bedeviled by The Church simply as a way to lash out at something they could not control. Plain and simple.