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• Part 1 of 2: Remembering your dream
• Part 2 of 2: Learning to understand your dreams

Cats are family friends, wild dangers and artistic muses. In a dream, cats can have different meanings depending on the context. In general, they are believed to be representative of the feminine and intuitive side of our soul.

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Part 1 of 2: Remembering your dream

1. Remember the feeling you had while dreaming. The feeling you had about the cat in your dream can tell you more about what the cat meant than any dream dictionary. Were you happy to see the cat? Were you afraid of the cat? Consider why this feeling might have arisen in you.
   • To better understand your feelings about the cat in your dream, think of other dream elements you may remember. For example, if you remember drowning and then being rescued by a cat, you could be full of amazement and gratitude. This could mean that help is coming from unexpected places or people.
   • Does the cat look familiar to you in the dream? Whether or not you recognize the cat from your waking life, you may experience a sense of familiarity in the cat in your dream. Maybe the cat is a symbol of security.
   • If the cat scared you, there may be something in your life that scares or worries you. For example, if the cat attacked you, it could mean that you feel attacked by some circumstance in your life.
2. Remember that every element in a dream is important. Think about the location of the cat in your dream. Was the cat outside, like a feral cat, or inside, like a pet? What other elements surrounded the cat? For example, a cat outside on a moonlit night could also have the dream symbols of a full moon, a dark house, a rustle of dry leaves underfoot, an owl, a cold breeze, etc.
   • Dreams are emotional, not rational. Maybe your cat was swimming underwater, very happy (and unrealistic!) Don't worry if your dream doesn't make sense.
   • As you write about each element, think about how it makes you feel. The dream came from your subconscious mind, and you are the best interpreter of what your dream means.
3. Understand that dreams are subjective. Because dreams arise from your subconscious mind, they are very personal to your nature and experience. A cat in your dream will not be the same as a cat in someone else's dream. Many people believe that a cat in a dream is a personal symbol, unique to you.
   • Think about what cats mean to you specifically. Are you allergic to cats? Did you have a cat in your childhood? If there is a unique meaning that connects you to cats, it is likely that this meaning will be part of your dream interpretation.
   • Remember that the purpose of dream interpretation is to understand yourself better. Dreams are unlikely to be functional predictors of the future, give lucky numbers for the lottery, or give you the answer to a math problem.
4. Think about the characteristics of your dream cat. Some dream interpreters believe that aspects of the dreamer can be found in every element of the dream. The cat in the dream can symbolize you or parts of you. Think about what characteristics you and the cat might have in common.
   • Is the cat in your dream unique in some way? Were the circumstances in which the cat appeared familiar to you? Or was the situation new or unlikely?
   • Dreaming creates a connection between the conscious and unconscious mind of the dreamer. Feelings, thoughts and ideas from the dreamer's subconscious mind can emerge in the form of dream images and symbols.
5. Consider the traditional meaning of cats in dreams. Cats are ancient dream images that symbolize intuition, femininity, gentleness, an independent mind, creativity, power, unhappiness, vulnerability, bad luck and deceit. Anything you can remember about the cat in your dream will also help you understand its meaning.
   • If the cat in your dream was playful, you may be craving a little more lightheartedness in your life.
   • If your dream cat was aggressive, you may have trouble with the feminine side of yourself.
   • If you've lost your cat in your dreams, it could be a sign that you aren't as independent as you would like to be.
   • The health of the cat in your dreams is also an indication of its meaning. For example, if the cat in your dreams is sick, it could mean that you are not paying enough attention to your intuition. By being too rational, you have allowed the intuitive part of your nature to become weak.
6. Learn about possible alternative interpretations. Dreaming about a wild, or feral, cat can mean that a neighbor could be dangerous to you (or that this is something you fear). A cat that bites you in your dream could mean the loss of something important to you.
   • While cats are generally a symbol of independence, a dream about a kitten often conveys vulnerability and the need to be cared for.
   • Dream images can be simple or complex. When interpreting what the cat in your dream might mean, be open to a wide variety of possible interpretations.
7. Don't worry about a black cat in your dreams. Although the black cat is a common symbol of bad luck, a black cat in your dreams does not mean bad luck specifically. More important to the interpretation of your dream are the way you think about the cat, how you treat him, and how he treats you.
   • In the past, any cat that appeared in a dream was generally considered unlucky. However, this has changed as cultures became more familiar with mystical topics.
   • Cats often represent sexuality and women. If a woman dreams about a cat, she may be dreaming about her own sexual power. A man dreaming about a cat can symbolize sexual satisfaction or his own intuitive nature.
8. Remember that you are the best expert on your dream. If the cat in your dreams has a meaning to you, it doesn't matter what a dream dictionary says. As you can see, dream dictionaries offer a wide variety of possible interpretations. As you become more skilled at remembering your dreams, and think deeply about each element in the dream, you will learn to interpret what your dreams mean to you.
   • Notice if you see a pattern in your dreams. Do certain elements come back regularly? Do you often find yourself dreaming about a particular cat or different cats?
   • Your observations about your dreams should consist of who, what, when, where and why. Always ask yourself, "How did I feel about this?"

Part 2 of 2: Learning to understand your dreams

1. Write down your dreams. Most dream experts recommend keeping a dream journal. A dream diary is a notebook that you keep next to your bed with a pen or pencil nearby. As soon as you wake up, immediately reach for pen and paper to write down everything you remember about your most recent dream.
   • Try to write down every dream you have, no matter how hard it is to remember it clearly.
   • Enter as much detail as possible, no matter how strange or random. List colors, location, characters, sounds, emotions and objects. Each element has a possible meaning.
   • Don't worry about grammar or spelling. No one else is likely to read this - it's just for yourself.
   • If using an app on your phone or tablet is easier for you, consider keeping your dream journal in it. The important thing is to have it close to your bed so that it is there when you wake up.
2. Write down your feelings about each dream. The feelings you experience in your dreams are not symbolic, but real feelings. Most people suppress negative emotions during the day, but these emotions will appear in dreams. Learn to notice your feelings about each element within your dream in order to better interpret its meaning.
   • Feelings expressed in dreams can help you cope better with depression, guilt, and other difficult emotions in your waking life.
   • The most common emotions in dreams are fear and worry, followed by anger and sadness.
3. Learn to recognize recurring images in your dreams. Over time, you can begin to notice similar themes and patterns in different dreams. For example, if you keep dreaming about stressful situations, even though the elements can be very different, it is important to consider the ways in which these stressful situations manifest themselves in your life.
   • There are apps, such as Dream Professor, that provide a direct analysis of your dream elements.
   • These apps focus on the pattern of images and words in a dream, rather than trying to read the plot or recognize individual symbols.
4. Think about all elements of your dream. When you've written down your dream, go back to sleep. Later, when you are fully awake, review your dream journal and read your notes for meaning. Each dream is a mine of metaphorical meaning that you can interpret in multiple ways.
   • Many experts suggest that the dreamer should avoid thinking about a dream in literal terms. For example, a dream about skydiving usually does not mean that the person is likely to jump out of an airplane.
   • Sometimes an element of a dream is not a metaphor, but simply a way in which the person processes information. For example, people who spend most of their lives in front of color television also dream in black and white.
5. Read more about dream interpretation. Some analytical therapists incorporate dream analysis into their therapy practice. If this appeals to you, consider learning more about dream interpretation or finding a therapist who uses this approach.
   • There are many dream dictionaries available online or in bookstores. These are interesting and entertaining, but real dream analysis is more subtle and complex than these books can suggest.
   • Dream interpretation was a standard part of both Sigmund Freud's and Carl Jung's psychoanalytic models.
   • Jung's understanding of archetypes in dreams has shaped generations of scholars and psychologists.