Cat Adoption Contract In Song Dynasty

 

The Cat Adoption Contract

I once came across a fascinating note in an old Chinese text describing how people in the Song Dynasty adopted cats, and I couldn’t help but find it amusing. So, I’m sharing a bit about it today.

The phrase “Wrapped in salt, the cutie cat is betrothed; idly I watch it play by the stage corner” refers to the formal “betrothal” step of adopting a cat. At that time, the act wasn’t called “adopting” a cat—it was referred to as “nà māo” (纳猫), which literally means "taking in a cat,"  A complete cat adoption ceremony included: evaluating the cat, selecting an auspicious date, making an offering, signing an adoption contract, welcoming the cat—offering prayers to the  stove spirit, preparing a cat toilet, taming, and settling the cat into its new home. What a sense of ritual! It's more honor than today’s casual pet adoptions .

First, one had to consult the huangli (Chinese almanac) to choose a lucky day to adopt the cat. Ancient people believed that doing so would make the cat well-behaved. According to the Xiang Ji Bei Yao Tong Shu, favorable days include those marked as Jiazi, Yichou, Bingwu, Bingchen, Renwu, Renzi, and Gengzi. Days marked with “Tianyue Desheng Qi,” or those with ominous labels such as “Flying Sickle,” “Death,” “Fright,” or “Avoidance” were to be avoided.

Then came the drafting of the “Cat Adoption Contract” (nà māo qì), witnessed by Eastern and Western celestial deities. The contract recorded the date, the cat’s appearance, and the adopter’s expectations (such as catching mice and not being mischievous). After that, the adopter would prepare a betrothal gift for the cat, which completed the pre-adoption formalities.

The typical gifts included salt, black sugar, or fish. There were two types of offerings:

• If the adopted cat was a kitten born in someone else’s home, the adopter would send salt (or sugar, tea leaves, sesame, or jujube) to the original owner.

• If the cat was a stray, the gift would go to the cat’s mother or the cat itself—usually a string of small fish (these days, people use “cat treats” instead). I even saw a short video where someone offered a cat treat to a mother cat, and she actually brought her kittens in return—so interesting!

It’s said that once a contract is made, cats are less likely to run away or be abandoned. I don’t know how effective it is, but I’m tempted to try it someday.

Welcoming the cat involved honoring the Stove spirit—essentially announcing to Heaven, Earth, and all household members that the cat was not just an animal, but an official member of the family. I really love this part. 💖

Preparing a Cat Toilet and Helping It Settle In:
On the chosen auspicious day, the adopter would perform a formal ceremony, holding the adoption contract and the betrothal gift to fetch the cat. The cat would be placed in a bucket or bag along with a chopstick (jì zhù), which symbolized a daughter leaving her family for marriage—there was even a saying “marrying off the cat.” On the way home, the adopter had to avoid being seen by others, symbolizing a fresh start and good fortune.

If puddles or uneven roads were encountered, the adopter would place stones on the path, symbolizing that the cat should not return to its old life, but fully embrace the new home. Upon arriving, the adopter would take the cat out and perform a small ceremony, even making an ancient version of cat litter to prevent accidents indoors. They would also take the cat outside and gently tap it with a thin bamboo stick before bringing it back in and feeding it slices of liver. Repeating this several times helped the cat recognize its new home and stop trying to run away. At this point, the cat was truly considered part of the family.

The whole process was full of ritual—no less than that of betrothing a bride! 💟💟💟

I didn’t know much about animals before. One time, while visiting a friend, I noticed how their pet brought such a warm, comforting energy to their home. Curious, I began researching and learned that animals can significantly soothe and balance the emotional atmosphere of a household. For modern people, this is an invisible yet powerful form of healing.

Even a cat’s lifestyle, the way it creates a peaceful atmosphere, or even its purring, can benefit our health. We could even learn from the way cats approach life. No wonder there’s an old saying that cats are worthy of being worshipped on an altar!

Of course, living with animals has its downsides:
You can’t travel freely unless someone stays home. Your daily routine becomes highly regular (unless you’ve trained your pet to follow your own sleep schedule). You need to clean frequently—otherwise, the cat will protest in its own way, and that won’t be easy to clean up! There’s regular deworming, claw trimming, hygiene, sterilization, and vet visits—some of which can be expensive. You have to buy quality cat food for their health, or even prepare homemade meals if you have time.

So yes—there’s joy in keeping pets, but also frustration. 😂
It sometimes feels only slightly easier than raising a child.

Pets also need proper training. In fact, training seems closely related to the owner's own habits, which is why people often say, “like owner, like pet.” I’ve seen cases where behavioral issues in pets actually stem from the owner's lack of understanding. And during the correction process with a professional pet trainer, the owner’s own behaviors began to change for the better—consciously and positively.

Cats, too, need proper socialization training so they don’t become overly timid or stressed in response to unfamiliar situations.

I also found in my research that a cat’s sensory perception is many times stronger than a human’s. This might explain why they sometimes seem to sense things in advance. There are even stories of cats appearing in dreams to deliver messages—and most of them are real. It suggests that beyond the material world we know, there may be realms we currently cannot perceive or explain.

Cats are also incredibly sensitive to our physical and emotional states. They know when we’re feeling down, discouraged, or defeated—and they come to comfort us. They don’t judge or lecture; they simply stay close and offer silent companionship. I’ve read stories of cats and dogs detecting pregnancy or illness in their owners before the owners themselves had any idea—staying close and protective until the condition was diagnosed by a doctor. Only then did the human realize something was actually wrong.

In past life regression work, we often witness people’s nervousness, fear, and mistrust. But returning to that original state of peace, joy, love, and calm is not something that happens overnight. Emotional and trauma healing only begins once we become aware of what needs healing. And before that moment of awareness comes, perhaps the gentle presence of a soft little cat, along with its soothing purrs, can help us gradually relax our tense nerves.

Postscript:
This time I wanted to write something different—a little slice of life amidst all the structured routine. These past few days I’ve been dealing with website settings, diving headfirst into a world I only half understand. Because I’m unfamiliar with it, I’ve had to redo things over and over again, not realizing that each time I make a change, I also need to wait all over again. 😂 Sitting at the computer too long makes my lower back sore, eyes blurry, and hands tingly. Even lying down doesn’t seem to help much. Turns out, when we really get caught up in something, we can completely lose track of time.

I hope this little piece brings good vibes to whoever reads it. 🍇🍨🍭

#cat and health #self awareness #emotional healing