The Aries Cat

• Celeste Yarnall, Ph.D

By Celeste Yarnall, Ph.D

ARIES (THE RAM): MARCH 21–APRIL 19

• Cardinal element: FIRE
• Ruling planet: MARS
• Earth colors: CERISE, MAGENTA
• Astral colors: WHITE, ROSE PINK
• Gems: AMETHYST, DIAMOND
• Mineral element: IRON

“A physician without a knowledge of Astrology
 has no right to call himself a physician.” ~ Hippocrates, the father of Astromedicine

Why Do I Need to Know My Cat’s Birth Sign?

You don’t need to know your cat’s birth sign. You can simply select the sign that suits his personality best to select his sun sign. Besides just knowing the breed of your cat or perhaps guessing at its mixed genetic makeup, the personalities of cats, especially among young kittens, in a litter tend to be quite similar, even when taking into consideration differences in sex and pecking order, depending on what time of year they are born. Therefore some cats and kittens are often quite typical of their sun signs.

Many moons ago, wise women used to say that kittens born in the spring were the super healthy ones, whilst cats born in winter (out of proverbial kitten season which is usually spring/summer) would be weaker and more prone to upper respiratory problems, which is one of the biggest problems for kittens these days, as they chill easily and are highly susceptible to viruses, often failing to thrive in the cold winter months. However for an Astrologer, these similar personality traits could be explained by the fact that they were born close together in time and therefore at least share the same sun sign. It is the reason an Aries kitten is quite a bit different from a Pisces kitten. To learn more about astrology for cats and natural cat care, see my book, The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care: An Illustrated Guide, with Jean Hofve, DVM, which offers and appendix on Astromedicine for Cats.

Whilst it is certainly true that a serious astrological practitioner would create a natal horoscope based on the exact time and place of the kitten’s birth, which could be 100 pages in length or more is not necessary for our purposes. Astrology, when practiced seriously, is an exacting exercise. However here, I am simply sharing some broad strokes of the astrological sun sign pen in an attempt to bring you and your cats closer together, by having you take a close look at his or her personality.

Note: In the case of Aries, we use the masculine pronoun not because it is known as an aggressive sign, but because the pronouns alternate around the 12 signs of the zodiac.

I have always felt that the care, feeding, and spiritual well-being of our cats is a huge responsibility and should be taken seriously. Close scrutiny of your cats personality, however you achieve it, can be of great benefit if we learn something constructive about them from their astrological archetype. If you don’t know your cat’s birthday or exact age, you may choose a sun sign that seems to match your cat’s personality and therefore celebrate the day you adopted this precious little being or choose the sign closest in characteristic likeness.

Let’s just have some fun with this and keep in mind the personality types for the Aries cat might just apply to other species as well.

 

ARIES is the first sign of the zodiac and it represents birth. Aries affects the cerebral nervous system as well as the spinal cord, sensory nerves, pituitary, face, and lower jaw. The planet Mars stimulates the cells, influencing diseases relating to inflammation, fever, and organ lesions. There may be a predisposition to liver problems. An elementary quality of dry heat is associated with this cardinal fire sign. Since Aries is prone to excess, he may be overweight, therefore you never want to diet this or any cat due to liver complications which can occur from weight loss accompanied by inflammation. A condition called Hepatic Lipidosis can occur when cats lose body fat too rapidly and can be fatal. You can learn all about the species-specific method of feeding cats that are in truth obligate carnivores in my Care2 post on homemade food for cats. Cats fed that natural raw food diet don’t get fat! They are meant to be lithe and lean.

If we were painters, we might want to paint the Aries cat red, as red is the color for fire signs and Leo and Sagittarius are also fire signs. My husband Nazim Artist is a painter and he has painted cats both large and small in vivid red hues (see image accompanying this post). The personality of an Aries cat is also said to be “on fire” as they can be restless, pace a lot and if left to their own devices be always “on the prowl.”

Aries cats like to play hide and seek and can often be found posing like little crouching tigers, ready to pounce on their toys in a mock hunt-and-capture scenario. You can almost see the wheels turning in their heads as they lock onto their intended victim. They seem to be strategizing their next chess move with something they have selected for prey, which might even be a scrap of paper rolled into a little ball.

The Aries cat, in his mind, even when from a large litter, is still an only child. Strong and assertive, he makes his needs known when he’s hungry or just wants your attention. When he wants something, he’ll get it for sure. He often violates the Star Trek famous “prime directive” as he thinks he is the Captain Kirk of his own universe where you are only one of the pieces on his chess board! “No” has absolutely no meaning to the Aries cat!

When he’s awake, everyone’s awake. If he doesn’t answer when you call, it’s not that he doesn’t know his name—the Mars-ruled cat is self-absorbed—he’ll get to you when it’s convenient for him.

Give your Aries cat a tall cat tree to climb so he can rule from on high so that he will always have something available to conquer — from this high vantage point he can leap to even greater heights. That’s why sometimes you look but you don’t see this little “Ninja.” They can, however, be your home security watch cat and or guardian as they also like to protect but never serve.

It’s easy to fall in love with an Aries kitten as his charms and naiveté linger into old age. He’s captivating, cunning and hard to resist. He nearly always gets his own way with people and other animals. He’s also fearless and somehow always able to land on his feet.

The old motto “If at first you don’t succeed” fits the Aries Cat to a T. As one of the three fire signs, the Aries cat’s sunny disposition will cheer you in your darkest hours. Though he’s not usually a lazy cat, the Aries cat does seek warmth and lies in your lap or by your side when you sleep. If you are home in bed with a cold, he will lie on your chest in order for his purr to help heal your heart chakra.

An un-neutered Aries, or “whole male” cat is a tyrant and is the eternal night stalker and he can get into brutal fights, as exemplified by the Greco-Roman god of war, Mars (Aries). Aries cats can be so aggressive that the chances of his becoming seriously injured or dying in a cat fight are very high. Keep Aries (and all other cats) indoors and please spay or neuter them when your veterinarian recommends. Many of the aggression problems encountered in Aries cats disappear after this procedure, so don’t think for a moment you are doing your cats a favor by not having them altered. We don’t want to be part of the pet overpopulation problem, we want to be part of the solution! All cats are far more comfortable with the overwhelming urge they have to fight for territory and procreate calmed down and they then will become much better companions. However, the Aries cat will never stop believing he is the “top cat.”

The Aries cat is extremely curious and can be accident-prone. He’ll love you intensely and share his possessions, but don’t try to take something away from him unless it’s dangerous, as he will resent you for it. Aries is the sign of authority, after all.

As always, be gentle, as Aries’s ego bruises easily. When led with love and given plenty of exercise, this cat will be a champion at everything he does. Remember your hand is not his toy! Hands are for loving and grooming.

Whether pedigreed or of divine mixed genetics, the Aries cat is very outgoing and enjoys the spotlight.

To call him extremely intelligent is an understatement. If he could speak in human words, he’d have an answer for everything and would need always to be right. As it is, your life with the Aries cat (just like an Aries man woman or child) will be a contest of strength and wit, with never a dull moment.