what do cats mean in dreams?

[LaLa]

I had this dream the other night and can't for the life of me figure out the significants of the cats
(sorry if this is a bit long winded)
I dreamed I was at work it was night and my daughter and I were in the office which was divided from a large rehearsal room by glass panels.
My daughter (who’s a bit of a tomboy) was playing the computer and I was tidying things up
The light went out in the rehearsal space and my work partner came into the office to say goodnight
Just then I heard a cat and I looked up to see a big solid black male cat jump up on the outside of the glass ledge in the rehearsal room and walk towards an open window next to my daughter
And then I heard other cats and could see them in the darkened room coming towards the light of our tiny office space
My daughter saw the black cat and called out our cat’s name (our cat is a small black female)
I instinctively leaned across in front of her and shut the open window before the black cat could reach it, I sensed he was displeased
Meanwhile the other cats were making their way toward the open door of the office meowing (but not in an aggressive way more like when our cat is hungry or wants some attention)
my work mate managed to close the door just before they gained entry
It was really eerie being surrounded by glass and seeing the cats at every panel
There was a lot of meowing and wailing
The big black cat stalked up and down on the ledge for a while
I was a bit frightened but was glad we (me and my daughter) were not alone
My daughter seemed almost disinterested and kept playing her game on the computer
My work partner was quite calm (he’s a bit of a cat person)
He told us to wait and he went out the back of the office to a stairwell (which in reality isn’t there)
after a while I followed him and found him on the stairwell with a carton of spilt milk his composure was quite changed
he said he’d come to get the milk to try to distract the cats
he seemed to be upset like he was going to cry but he didn’t
I asked him if it was his girlfriend(in reality she and they as a couple have problems) and he said yes
the ceiling above him was leaking a constant slow dripping


Well the milk and the leaky ceiling seem obvious but the cats have got me completely baffled
Anyone have any clues

 

[Minderwiz]

Well, cats can represent the feline, sensuous side in our characters, and whether male or female cat that characteristic is basically a feminine one. The Egyptian Cat goddess was regarded as having two sides to her character, one helpful and the othr devious.

Cats are powerful animals for their size and they are also independent and self sufficient. So as a feminine symbol they also represent the independant woman who is in control of her own situation.

The interesting point here is who the cat was after - was it you or your work partner. On the devious side it might be a symbol that someone is being devious (either to you or your work partner) in which case 'banishing' the cat is the thing to do (as you indeed did do in you dream)

 

[zorya]

i think it's possible that this dream relates firstly to you and your daughter. she is growing up and becoming more independant. perhaps you feel that it is hard to keep an eye on her and help her make the right choices while you have to work.

the cats could represent outside influences that you worry might appeal to your daughter. deep down, you must know that she is a wise child, as she is basically disinterested.

your partner is sensitive and deeply hurt as his girlfriend is having 'independance issues'. spilt milk representing loss or a mistake that he cannot remedy. drippy ceiling, his tears/emotions.

( the outside influences and independance being what link your co-workers problems and your daughter in the dream. )

 

[isthmus nekoi]

Glass (and mirrors) are often symbols of a barrier b/w the conscious mind and unconscious, so I would imagine cats to be denizens of the uncon mind - a concentration (b/c there were so many) of an energy that is ready to be integrated into the conscious personality. It's hard to tell though as I don't know you - sometimes you really need a barrier, sometimes barriers are detrimental, it all depends on the situtation.

Cats have an interesting relationship w/humans. They were domesticated relatively recently, when compared to dogs, or livestock. Unlike other domesticated animals, humans really do not utilize cats in the same manner - we don't depend upon them for sustenance, and certainly dogs are more useful in helping w/labour. The only practical function of the cat is to hunt mice.

Symbolically, I have a lot of personal associations for cats, but your own would be best, esp in the context of the dream (ie. your thoughts towards them, or feelings if you had any).

 

[LaLa]

thanks for responding

minderwiz - deviousness definitely feels like an apt description of the vibe I got from the big male cat - I got the feeling my daughter was more in his sights than me or my work mate and yes it felt right to shut them out
zorya - you've drawn my attention back to my daughter in this (since she was fairly inactive I guess I wasn't paying much attention) but I believe you're right about the influences and I do have concerns not so much about her judgement but her tendency to do things spontaneously without reflection maybe I should be a little more trusting?
isthmus nekoi - the glass/mirrors barrier is intriguing (I don't know either whether it is a good or bad thing but I was glad of it in the dream so maybe I still need it.
Personally I like cats I have co-habitated with a number of them over the years and presently (as I think I said) have a small black female in the family at the moment
They're generally very independant and extremely intelligent so I respect them as independant beings and they can be quite affectionate and intuitive