Learn Hebrew: Cats

The master of the house – and the alley – is the cat ( chatul). Cats are the most popular pet in the world ( chayat machmad). Traditionally, historians have thought that ancient Egypt was the site of cat domestication, due to the clear depictions of house cats in Egyptian paintings about 3,600 years old.

Unlike many animals, the cat's language seems to be universal and all cats have the same meow ( ). In Israel you can see cats everywhere in every street, on fences, in garbage cans, or next to any possible food supply. Legend is that in the 1930s, the British brought cats to the Holy Land to control the rat population; that was solved and now Israel’s cities have a preponderance of wild cats.

Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. An example would be the belief that a black cat "crossing your path" leads to bad luck. Believing in this would be a violation of the Torah commandment not to ascribe power to omens (Leviticus 19:26).

Cats are mentioned fondly in the Talmud. Our Sages of Blessed Memory ( ) refer to cats as an example of modesty, for the way they cover their droppings:

Transliteration: I’lmale lo nitna Torah, hayinu lemedin tzni'ut mechatul.

Translation: If the Torah wasn't given, we would have learned modesty from the cat.

Related Vocabulary Words

Hebrew has a special way of forming “diminutives”: the root letters are doubled. For example:

cat - kitten

dog - puppy

small - tiny

sweet - sweetish

Cat-Themed Children's Books

Name	Hebrew	Transliteration	Literal Translation
Cat in the Hat		Chatul Ta'alul	Trick Cat
Puss in Boots		He’chatul Bemagafayim	The Cat in Boots
Aristocats		Chatulim Batzameret	Cats on Treetop

Hebrew Word Search -

See if you can find all the words in the puzzle below:

(10) Salem, July 4, 2012 2:05 AM

Love This!

How neat! Did you know in French cat is "chat" with the "ch" pronouched softly, more like "sh"? I wonder if this is realted linguistically! : )

(9) J MacLeod, June 25, 2012 1:57 AM

Interesting!

Will share with my kids. I'm wondering why the Hebrew isn't real Hebrew text but images. Makes it harder to cut & paste if I want to use this vocabulary with them...

(8) zvi symons, June 21, 2010 8:43 AM

black cat.

When King Nebuchadnezer came to Israel he did-not want to destroy our holy temple,but when he arrived there, a black cat walked in front of him and he thought that this was a bad omen . He therefor had the Temple destroyed...(From the belief of Persian jews).

(7) Anonymous, June 15, 2010 6:57 AM

Y'rakrak?

What does "y'rakrak," an adjective meaning "greenish," have to do with cats? It wasn't defined in the narrative, so why is it in the find-a-word puzzle?

(6) Eben, May 13, 2010 6:57 AM

1930's?

I had always understood that the cats were brought to Jerusalem by crusaders. Certainly the matter of cats and the grain storage is not relevant, since the grain was stored in Egypt, no?

(5) Tova Saul, May 5, 2010 12:19 PM

Cats in the Middle East and Jerusalem rescue organizations

1. I never believed in that commonly-said "fact" that the British brought them here. They've been in the Middle East for thousands of years. In fact, there is no way that Joseph could have stored grain for 7 years without millions of mice decimating it, were it not for lots of cats eating the mice. 2. There is a very dedicated staff at the Jerusalem Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and they are in constant need of financial assistance. They are a no-kill shelter for cats and dogs, numbering in the 100's. One can google JSPCA and find out how to donate. The organization "Spay Israel" is also a worthy organization, which traps, spays, and releases street cats in Israel. 3. Cats rock.

(4) Shoshana-Dvora, May 4, 2010 8:19 PM

cats

I love cats! They make perfect pets. They are sweet and loyal, but know how to give you space. They are low maintanance, but still beautiful. And they're so affectionate. the cat is one of HaShem's finest creations!

(3) Lea, May 3, 2010 10:11 PM

Rescue Cats

Can you tell me the organization to donate to for rescuing cats in Egypt. I love cats - I have four. I didn't get a cat until I was 58 years old, but they have changed my life so much for the better. Thank you for this article.

(2) tammy wellman, May 2, 2010 3:27 PM

cats, cats, OH how I love cats !!!!!!!!

I have had a cat every step of my life. I can tell them ALL my worries, fears, and ALL my secrets and NEVER worry that they will tell someone else !!! I have always said " A house is not a home without a cat to call its own." With a cup of coffee in my hand and a cat on my lap then I know the day is off to a good start.

(1) TMay, May 2, 2010 11:12 AM

Please note

Domestic cats are now shown to have been living in Israel 1000's of yrs before they are documented in Egypt A cat was found buried, like a pet, with a family in Jericho. which predates cats in Egypt by a couple of thousand years, although it is genetically the same breed as the breed of the Egyptian cat the Egyptian Mau descended it is believed from the African wild cat Felis Lybica/ Felis Silvestris Lybica.The oldest remains were found buried in Cyprus approx a good 5, 000 years before they showed up in Egypt. . Egyptian Maus were ID'd as gods in Egypt at the time of the pyramids I believe by the rulers who considered them important for protecting the grain of Egypt by killing mice and rats and the leaders did not want the peasant population killing them (as cats have been killed in Bangladesh). Therefore they were made taboo, off limits. However nowadays they lead miserable lives in Egypt and there are rescue organizations looking for homes for them who are willing to ship them from Egypt. There is a formal breed available from breeders in the US and elsewhere.The Egyptian Mau has the body type of the sculpture of the Egyptian cat in the British Museum. The sculpture is black. However the cat is not black, it is spotted. Considering that for all we know we Jews brought the cat from Israel to Egypt and then left it there when we headed out into the desert, wouldn't it be nice to save them now? Egyptian Maus are remarkably loving considering the long history they have with humans. Like all cats it is best for humans to adopt them during the period before they become feral.There are a lot of homeless cats who are not feral they are just homeless, i.e. lacking a home.If one can't adopt a cat I am sure that donations to rescue organizations can help, and one can sponsor a cat. An all around cat lover can make donations to rescue organizations in Israel considering the number of homeless cats in Israel And don't forget our rescue organ's here at home. .

Learn Hebrew: Cats

The most popular pet in the world.

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