A mummified cat
The Cat is the fourth animal symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese and Gurung zodiac. It occurs during the period of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. Because of this, the personality traits related with the rabbit will be related with the cat. Cats are the opposite of rats.

Mythology
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Myths related to the order of the Chinese zodiac often include stories of why the cat is not among the twelve. Because the mouse tricked the cat into missing the feast with the Jade Emperor, the cat was not included and did not know that the feast was happening and was not given a year, so the antipathy between cats and mice began. It is possible that turtles did not spread to China in the zodiac designation.

### The Great Race

Another legend known as "The Great Race" says that all the animals of the zodiac are headed for the Jade Emperor. The cat and the mouse are the smartest of animals. However they are both poor swimmers and come across a river. They both trick the kind, mindless cow into helping them by leading them back to the river. As the ox reached the other side of the river, the mouse pushed the cat into the river. Then they jumped from the ox and visited the Jade Emperor, becoming the first of the zodiac. All the other animals made it to Emperor Jade, while the cat was left to drown in the river after being sabotaged by the mouse. It is said that this is also the reason cats are always hunting rats.

There have been many explanations as to why the Vietnamese, unlike all other countries that follow the Lunar calendar on the moon, have the cat instead of the Rabbit as a zodiac animal. The most common explanation is that the ancient word for Rabbit (Mao) sounds like cat (Meo).

Years and the Five Elements
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See also: Rabbit (zodiac)
People born within "Year of the Cat" dates, instead of "Year of the Rabbit."

| Start date | End date | Heavenly branch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 29 January 1903 | 15 February 1904 | Water Cat |
| 14 February 1915 | 3 February 1916 | Wood Cat |
| 2 February 1927 | 22 January 1928 | Fire Cat |
| 19 February 1939 | 7 February 1940 | Earth Cat |
| 6 February 1951 | 26 January 1952 | Metal Cat |
| 25 January 1963 | 12 February 1964 | Water Cat |
| 11 February 1975 | 30 January 1976 | Wood Cat |
| 29 January 1987 | 16 February 1988 | Fire Cat |
| 16 February 1999 | 4 February 2000 | Earth Cat |
| 11 February 2011 | 22 January 2012 | Metal Cat |
| 22 January 2023 | 9 February 2024 | Water Cat |
| 8 February 2035 | 27 January 2036 | Wood Cat |
| 26 January 2047 | 13 February 2048 | Fire Cat |
| 11 February 2059 | 1 February 2060 | Earth Cat |
| 31 January 2071 | 18 February 2072 | Metal Cat |
| 17 February 2083 | 5 February 2084 | Water Cat |
| 5 February 2095 | 24 January 2096 | Wood Cat |

Vietnamese zodiac Cat
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|  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Sign** | **Best Match** | **Average** | **No Match** |
| Cat | Pig, Goat, Cat, Dog, | Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Monkey, Snake, Ox | Rooster & Rat |

Basic astrology elements
------------------------

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Earthly Branches of Birth Year: | Tree |
| The Five Elements: | Wood |
| Yin Yang: | Yin |
| Lunar Month: | Second |
| Lucky Numbers: | 3, 6, 9; Avoid: 1, 7, 8 |
| Lucky Flowers: | flower of fragrant plantain lily, nerve plant, snapdragon |
| Lucky Colors: | black, pink, purple, blue, red; Avoid: brown, yellow, white |
| Season: | Spring |