Why Is There No Cat In The Zodiac?

Why was the cat left out of the Japanese or Chinese zodiacs?
There are two stories which explain why the cat was not included in the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.

• One of the stories suggest that the cat was tricked by the rat. The rat told the cat that the banquet of the zodiac was a day later that it actually was. So therefore, the banquet took place without the cat.
• The other story which is also commonly referred to is the river crossing tale. The cat and rat were crossing a river on the back of the ox. The rat pushed the cat in the water, which delayed him to the banquet, making him be the last one (13th) animal to arrive. As there are only supposed to be twelve animals in the zodiac he was kicked out and couldn't join.

Because the cat didnt go to the banquet... Poor kitty. Stupid rat!!!

In history, there were no cats at that time, zodiacs' creation are much more earlier that the cats were introduced to China

I think it's the first Fruits Basket which explains the story of why the cat was left out of the calendar. In my opinion, it's a pretty plausible story (as far as myths go).