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Because I thought it'd be interesting, I've gathered up some different versions of the Zodiac story ^^
Some may sound extremely similar, some may have nothing to do with one another. These are the different versions of the story and beliefs told through both different people and even countries, and all of these stories include the cat ^^
Some may be very long, but I will tell you that they are all very interesting, some I've even included a character statis for each animal, so you can also see how some definitions differ in ways 3nodding
I hope you all enjoy them ^^

Ok, you may post now heart

The story of the 12 animals zodiac in China
by Wong Yee Lee
The story of the 12 animals zodiac in China

One day, Tian Di (The God Above) wanted to manage all animals on earth. He took out 12 chairs and told the cat to tell 11 other animals to go to the sky palace.

When the cat told the ox about it, the rat overheard the news. The rat was very angry and he ran as fast as he could to the palace. As a result he got there before the ox. Tian Di then let him sit on the first chair. The ox took the second seat. Then the tiger, the rabbit all came and settled on the chairs. From then onwards, the rat comes the first in the zodiac cycle. The cat was not in the cycle because he went to tell other animals. Ever since, the cat is not in the zodiac cycle.

The truth is that cats are not originated from China but just imported from overseas. That is another reason why cats are not included in the animals zodiac.

In fact, different countries consist of different animals. India has lions whilst Egypt has cats.

In the Chinese animal zodiac, different animals have different characteristics.

Rat - Though it has nature of stealing. It is smart and has good
Ox - It is hard-working and ask for little.
Tiger - It is brave, strong, and is the king of all animals.
Rabbit - It is cute and loved by children. It runs very fast.
Dragon - The only imaginary animal. Only kings can be referred to as dragon. After all these years, people have come up with this description of a dragon: deer horn, fish scales, snake body, chicken feet and phoenix tail. And all Chinese people are the offspring of dragon.
Snake - Also known as little dragon. Snakes are known to be devilish because of
its poisonous nature. However, snakes are very useful, particularly its gall bladder, which is a very healthy medicine in China.
Horse - The fastest running animal. Before people invented vehicles, horses
were the only transportation tool.
Ram - An animal symbolizes submissiveness and good luck.
Monkey - Clever, like humans. It is often used to describe smart and clever children.
c**k - Hens are very protective to their chicks.
Dog - Although dogs are highly respected in the west and loyal to their masters,
in China, they are rude and not respectful. Chinese consider them not a cute animal.
Pig - The last one in the cycle. It is slow and lazy though they are clever.

It is believed that people born in different animal years would carry their characteristics and this would affect the person's life. That is why the year of the dragon is highly favoured since people want their children to be as respectful as a dragon.

The Rat and the Cat

A long, long time ago, the Cat and the Rat were the best of friends. They accompanied each other everywhere they went and they shared their food. One day, the Cat learnt that the Jade Emperor was going to elect twelve animals to represent the twelve calendar years, and invited all animals to a party. The Cat suggested to the Rat that both of them should make a presence.

When the day finally arrived, the Cat told the Rat, 'I am going to take a nap so that I will be in my top form. Can you please wake me up when it's time to go to the party?' 'No problem.' the Rat replied, 'Just relax and rest. I will wake you up when the time comes.'

After the Cat fell asleep, the Rat thought to himself, 'I am among the smallest of all animals and I don't stand a chance in making one of the twelve if the Cat will go.' So when the time came, the Rat left on his own without waking up the Cat, and was elected as one of the twelve Zodiac Animals.

When the Cat found out what the Rat had done, he was furious. The two became worst enemies. This is the reason why cats are not one of the twelve animals and they love to chase after rats.

((I find it interesting that in the Vietnamese legend, they do not have a rabbit, but instead they have the cat ^^))

"Chuc Mung Nam Moi"
* * * * *
In Vietnam, the calendar was devised based on the regularly changing phases of the moon. Most Vietnamese, even city dwellers and overseas Vietnamese, have a lunar calendar in their homes to consult for festivals and auspicious dates. Because of the use of the lunar calendar, the actual days of the New Year vary from year to year.

The equinoxes and solstices that marked the beginning of the European seasons were taken as the midpoint by the Asian calendar with the result that each Vietnamese season begins six weeks earlier than its European counterpart.

Each year is "sponsored" sequentially by one of the twelve animals of the Vietnamese zodiac: the rat comes first, then the ox or buffalo, followed in order by the tiger, cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat or ram, monkey, c**k, dog, and lastly, the pig. Of these animals one is mythical (the dragon) and four (rat, tiger, snake and monkey) are wild, shunning contact with humans. Seven are domesticated. Every twelve years, the sponsorship reverts to the same animal. The years 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 are dragon years.

In addition the Vietnamese use another set of names by repeating a cycle of 60. The 60-year cycle is made up of combinations of the twelve animals representing the earthly signs of the Vietnamese zodiac and ten heavenly or celestial signs usually called "stems". The Asian calendar forms a cycle of 60 years similar to the western century of one hundred years. The 60-year cycle begins when the first of the twelve zodiac signs is joined with the first of the ten celestial "stems". When each of the ten "stems" is matched with an animal, the result will be 60 different sets. The celestial "stem" attached to the zodiac animal provides modifying influences on the characteristics of the animal. For example, the year of the dog sign can be "modified" by each of ten different associated "stems".

Each year has import for humans who have converging or diverging signs. These examples are given in the order that they occur in the year. Each of the following animals sponsors a two-hour period of time of the 24-hour day.

A RAT year prophesies a year of chaos. Rat people are charming and attractive to the opposite sex, although they have a fear of light and noise. Rat people are active and dynamic but can be fussy about little things. Rats can have a positive side because if there are rats, it is a sign that there is grain in the storage bins, so rats can represent a bountiful harvest. Because it is a nocturnal animal and can be heard scurrying about at midnight, the period of time between 11pm and 1am is called the rat hour.
The BUFFALO symbolizes industriousness and patience. The year is one of slow, steady progress and patient strength; traits suitable for a scientist. He is the traditional symbol of spring and agriculture because of his association with the plow and his pleasure in wallowing in mud. People of that year are thought to possess the characteristics of that animal: steady, placid, but stubborn when crossed. The buffalo hours are from 1 am to 3 am when buffalo are feeding and the day's farm work begins.
TIGERS are quick to anger, indecisive but can be flexible and accommodate their personalities to suit the circumstances. He is the king of the jungle, nocturnal and evokes images of darkness and stormy weather. The period from 3am to 5am is the time when the tiger returns to his lair after prowling at night.
CATS are smooth talkers, talented and ambitious and will succeed in studies. They are in conflict with the rat. A cat person has a supple mind and patient personality and knows how to wait for favorable conditions before taking action. Cat hours are between 5am and 7am, when cats begin their prowling.
The DRAGON in eastern mythology can be protective and a symbol of the male (yang) principal of the universe of royal authority. The dragon is in its element everywhere; under water, on the ground and in the air. It is a water sign and a propitious sign for agriculture. Dragons are sincere, energetic but short-tempered and stubborn. They are symbols of power, wealth and prosperity and of royalty. There is a saying "In the year of the dragon, everyone keeps his food for himself". Famine usually appears in these years. His hours are between 7am and 9am.
SNAKES speak little but have tremendous wisdom. They are associated with the damp earth. Snakes symbolize the eternal revolution of the ages and the succession, dissolution and regeneration of humanity. Snake year people are considered calm and gentle, profound, compassionate, but may fly off the handle at times. They are determined and persistent. His hours are 9am to 11am.
HORSE year people are smooth talkers and given to compliments and generosity, therefore, they are popular, but rarely listen to advice. Its propensity to kick evokes images of a quick-tempered personality. The horse's speed has caused him to be compared with the sun that traverses the earth daily. In legend, the sun is associated with fiery steeds. The Greek myth related to this is of Apollo driving the chariot of the sun across the skies each day. The horse is invested with purity, nobility and wisdom. It is esteemed for altertness, intelligence, strength and is a friend to man. Noontime, when the sun is the highest, is the horse hour.
The GOAT people are calm and shy, unassertive and self-effacing. They are clumsy in speech so they are poor salespersons, but are compassionate for the less fortunate, and help others. They are often taken advantage of because of their natural kindness and timidity. His hours are between 1pm and 3pm.
The MONKEY is an erratic genius. They are clever and skillful when making financial deals. They are cheerful, skillful, curious and inventive, but they may drive people away by talking too much and being contemptuous of others. Their weakness lies in their tendency to be erratic and inconsistent. The time between 3pm and 5pm is the monkey hour.
The ROOSTER year represents a period of hard work and activity as the rooster is busy from morning to night. His comb is a mark of high intelligence and of a literary spirit. People born in the year of the c**k are considered profound thinkers. At the same time, he is a symbol of protection against fires. Pictures of a red c**k are hung in houses for that reason. People born in the c**k year earn their living from small businesses they practice with diligence like a "c**k scratching the soil for worms". Because ghosts disappear at sunrise it is believed that the c**k drives them away with his crowing. A white c**k is sometimes placed on the coffin of funeral processions to make the way free from demons. The c**k controls the hours between 5pm and 7pm.
The year of the DOG indicates future prosperity. Worldwide, the dog is used as a guard against intruders. Pairs of stone or ceramic dogs are placed on each side of the entrance to villages and temples as guards. The dog year will be secure and protected. The hour of the dog is 7pm to 9pm when people of rural Vietnam have gone to bed and leave the dog to keep watch.
The PIG symbolizes the wealth of the forest because the boar maintains his lair in the woods. Boar year people are chivalrous and gallant, honest, courageous, but headstrong and short tempered, impulsive, studious and well informed. The hour of the pig is between 9pm and 11pm.

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((furuba version))

A long time ago god invited all the animals to a party. The rat told the cat that the party was the day after the actual date. So while all the other animals were having fun at the party the cat lay sleeping. That day god also made the zodiac that consisted of all the animals at the party. That is why there is no cat in the chinese zodiac. When the cat found out that the cat tricked him, he was furious and forever had a hatred towards the rat.

"Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac" by Ed Young.

In China, a long, long time ago, there live a cat and a rat. They were best friends. They ate together. They played together. They slept together.

One day, the Emperor decided to hold a race among all the animals in the land. The first twelve animals to cross the finish line would have a year in the Chinese calendar named after them. This would be quite an honor.

"But winning the race will not be easy," warned the Emperor. "You must run through the thickest part of the forest and then swim across the river at its widest point."

Cat and Rat each wanted to be the first to cross the finish line. But they knew that they would two of the smallest animals in the race.

"We will never make it," Rat complained to Cat.

"Oh, I think we will," replied the resourceful cat.

"We'll ask the water buffalo to help us," said the cat. "he could give a head start. He always wakes up before sunrise. Maybe we could even ride on his back."

So Cat and Rat convinced Buffalo to wake them up early on the day of the race. The next morning, Buffalo was up long before dawn. "Wake up, lazybones," he said to the sleeping cat and rat. "We had better get started."

Cat and Rat climbed on the buffalo's back. But they were so sleepy that by the time they had fully awakened, they were halfway across the river.

Rat woke up first. He saw the Emperor standing at the finish line far, far away. why should I share the glory of first place with Cat and Buffalo? thought the rat selfishly.

"wake up, my friend," he cried to Cat. "Look at all the tasty fish swimming in the water."

Cat licked her lips. She leaned over for a closer look, and Rat gave her a little push. SPLASH! She tumbled into the water.

Buffalo turned his head to see what had made the splash. He didn't see the cat, though. What he saw instead were the other animals in the race--and they were close behind him. without giving Cat or Rat another thought, he sped toward the Emperor.

Just as Buffalo neared the riverbank, the clever rat leaped from behind his ear and crossed the finish line in first place.

"How did such a small animal win the race?" asked the emperor in surprise.

"I may be small but I am also smart," replied the rat. He scampered up onto the winner's podium. Buffalo knew he had been tricked into second place, but he could only grunt in dismay.

Back in the river, Cat tried to swim along with the other animals. She hated water. But if she had to swim in it to win the race, she would do so.

Far ahead of her, Tiger came roaring across the finish line. "Am I first? he growled.

"No," said the rat smugly. "You'd have to be awfully clever to beat me."

"And you'd have to get up extra early to beat me," added the buffalo.

Cat scrambled onto a log. She paused to shake herself off and catch her breath.

By then the sky was dark and s great storm was blowing. A dragon appeared in the clouds above. He was much, much too big to run through woods or swim across a river, so the Emperor had told him he could race through the sky, braving the rains and the wind.

But no sooner had he begun his descent to the earth, that the rabbit darted across the finish line in front of him, taking fourth place. The dragon had to be content with fifth.

In the river, the cat heaved a great sigh, then plunged into the water again. "I can still make it," she told herself. But Snake slithered across the finish line next and hissed a silvery greeting to the five animals who had arrived before him. Snake was number six.

Cat swam as fast as she could. A few moments later, she heard the sound of galloping hooves in the distance. Horse thundered across the finish line in seventh place.

Goat and Monkey weren't far behind. They jumped onto the log on which Cat had rested and paddled across the finish line almost at the same time. But Goat beat Monkey by a hair.

While the winners waited patiently with the Emperor, Cat watched Rooster struggle toward the finish line. Dog could easily have swum ahead of Rooster, but she couldn't resist playing in the water for just a few minutes longer.

"Number ten!" called the Emperor as Rooster staggered in. "Number eleven!" he cried when Dog arrived.

"Who will be number twelve?" asked the Emperor. "I need just one more animal."

"Me! I will!" called Cat, and she swam even faster.

Unfortunately for Cat, Pig rushed across the finish line in front of her.

"Number twelve!" cried the Emperor, but Cat was still too far away.

"Congratulations to all the winners!" said the Emperor. "One of the twelve years will be named after each of you."

Suddenly, up rushed Cat. She was tired and wet and more than a little unhappy about swimming across the river on her own. "How did I do?" she asked anxiously. "Am I one of the winners?"

"Sorry, dear Cat," replied the Emperor. "All twelve places have been filled."

Upon hearing the news, Cat let out a yowl and tried to pounce on Rat. Her claws scratched the tip of his tail, but Rat squeezed under the Emperor's chair just in time.

And that is why, to this very day, Cat and Rat are enemies.

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