 According to a myth in many cultures , cats have multiple lives . In many countries , they are believed to have nine lives , but in Italy , Germany , Greece , Brazil and some Spanish @-@ speaking regions , they are said to have seven lives , while in Turkish and Arabic traditions , the number of lives is six . The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life @-@ threatening situations . Also lending credence to this myth is the fact that falling cats often land on their feet , using an instinctive righting reflex to twist their bodies around . Nonetheless , cats can still be injured or killed by a high fall . 
