It’s not your imagination. Three times a year, when the planet Mercury (which rules pets) appears to stand still, and even go backwards, your animal friend does move in mysterious ways. In fact, a survey of 2000 people in Britain just confirmed that one in three of you, have seen evidence.
When Itchpet.com got in touch to talk about this phenomenon (when dogs hit the water bottle and cats sit in the sink) I could not resist. After all, ever since the 17th century, astrologers have taught that Mercury rules small animals.
The great thing about astrology is, it can give you all the correct dates for Mercury Retrograde, including the shadow, at the start and end. I filed this in September 2017 to give you (and Fido) plenty of warning about March 2020 and beyond. Check here.
Mercury rules walking and talking. What else do we do with our dogs, but walk them and talk to them? It makes sense that when Mercury Retrograde is here, it brings out the strangest behaviour in dogs. To a lesser extent, cats are also walkers and talkers.
If your cat is fascinated by your computer, laptop, tablet, phone, printer or fax machine though – now you know why. Felines are Mercury-ruled, and this planet also governs all communication.
If you’ve wandered into any bookshop recently, or across Amazon, you will have come across Alfie the cat. He’s a phenomenon. 
My friend Rachel Wells, creator of the Sunday Times bestselling Alfie series, is a feline expert as well as a wonderful author. Alfie fans of the cult series agree that she can see inside a cat’s mind, better than most vets.
When Rachel asked me to prepare some Catstrology predictions for her latest book, A Friend Called Alfie (HarperCollins), we worked from notes about the human zodiac first, then looked at how the cats of our acquaintance matched up.
You can read Catstrology here and see how your feline’s zodiac sign lines up with the astrology facts.
In astrology, we use dates for weddings and even company incorporation. We also use them for adopted cats and dogs from shelters. You may not know when your new friend in the homeless compound was born, but the day you collect (and take home) is the day that many astrologers use to find out the zodiac sign.
Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a time, place and date of birth for your cat or dog, you’ll be ahead. You can always check charts for your companion free at Alois Treindl’s site, astro.com.
When Allen and Unwin asked me to write a chapter about Animal Astrology in Funny Bones, an anthology for children, I couldn’t resist. The book is out now and features everyone from Hannah Gadsby to Kathy Lette. All funny people! Find the book here.
If you’re really interested in animal astrology, I’d love it if you bought a copy, as all royalties go to such a good cause. Funny Bones is the latest in a fundraising charity series for War Child which we began in 2000, and follows on from the Girls’ Night In (HarperCollins) and Kids’ Night In (Puffin) books, which I’ve edited with author friends around the world.
As The Guardian announced recently, I’m adding animal horoscopes – cat and dog astrology – to the regular predictions you read here. If you’re a Premium Member you can unlock this new feature from April 2020. You’re welcome.
Sun signs, or zodiac signs, show the public face of people. 
They reveal how we are on Twitter, or in front of a camera, or in the spotlight. Your sun sign literally sheds light on your most unmissable qualities.
It makes sense that cats and dogs will parade the traits of their sun sign or zodiac sign.
I work in Melbourne with a Leo and Capricorn dog, some of the time. The Leo dog thinks she is in a production of Princess and the Pea and likes to sit right on top of all the pillows, cushions, sheets and blankets we pile up for the laundry.
It drives the Capricorn dog crazy. But let’s talk about Taurus dogs, just in case you know an animal who was born or adopted from late April through late May. What happens to them on Mercury Petrograde? And how about Scorpio cats, Pisces dogs and Aquarius dogs? These are just four special cases I will single out for you. (You can give me more on Twitter @jessicacadams #MercuryPetrograde
Taurus Dogs Who Think It’s ChristmasTaurus dogs love hats. They like eating them, but they also like wearing them. On Mercury Petrograde, though, they may start wearing their December Santa look in Spring. Someone tell them.
Scorpio dogs are bottom-sniffers and Scorpio cats are upskirters. Their behaviour becomes more extreme on Mercury Petrograde, so if you’re in a kilt or skirt, beware the curse of the wet nose.
Pisces Dogs Go Off the PlanetOf all the 12 dog signs, Pisces is the most likely to be caught wearing your sunglasses. On Mercury Retrograde, they go completely off the planet. Normal vision will return. Promise.
Aquarius is the sign of the water-bearer. If you have a dog born from late January through late February, you’ll already know about their water tap/bowl/hose fixation. On Mercury Petrograde? Worse.
Daily Mail readers were quick to respond about the Mercury Petrograde phenomenon (Article found here). In fact, hundreds of you related to what one man posted: “It’s true. All of it. The neighbour’s hamster is a Taurus. Stubborn? Don’t get me started. They have a goldfish too. Pisces, definitely.”
I had quite a few Metro readers who also confirmed it on Twitter, after the story ran there. It does seem that about 32% of pet owners believe Mercury Retrograde causes their pets to act strangely.
(Just a note there, though. Planets don’t cause any animal to do anything! It’s all part of a mysterious thing called synchronicity).
Barking at Nothing? Eating Mud?What we also picked up from readers at The Sun and The Mirror, was that Mercury Petrograde could be behind all sorts of unusual behaviour. In humans we know it can be quite serious – airline chaos – which we’re seeing in February and March 2020.
In animals, though, it can result in dogs barking at nothing or cats eating mud.
The Sun Article: KITTEN IN THE STARS – Psychic astrologer reads pet horoscopes and warns of ‘weird’ behaviour can be found here.
The Mirror Article: Astrologer announces secret behind strange behaviour of millions of British pets can be found here.
Thanks also to all you BBC radio listeners who left messages about your own observations of Mercury Petrograde.
What many of you posted was – normally odd behaviour became more extreme on this astrology cycle. So, if you have a Leo cat who is always looking at himself in the mirror, he’ll start pushing you out of the way when you’re getting dressed in the morning on Mercury Petrograde.
Fussy Virgo dogs who reject the food you dish out, become even more picky on Mercury Petrograde.
We’ve had some brilliant astrologers turning their attention to animals before now, and my colleague Victor Olliver turned it into an amusing art-form in his astrology features for The Lady.
What I’m launching in April is rather different, but I hope it will help you understand your cat or dog better.
On a more serious note, if your animal friend has particular issues, it can really help to have a birthday on hand, so I can look up the chart. I’ll happily take your questions, with Boo and Kipper by my side.
Below is the extract from The Guardian, just in case you’ve missed it. I think it proves that not only is animal astrology gaining interest – we also think our animals are part of the family.
Now read on.
“It was only a matter of time, I suppose. Astrologer Jessica Adams has now started doing horoscopes for pets. The Taurus cat is apparently “a dribbler who loves its breakfast and will lick empty food bowls in the hope of finding the last scrap”.
Which pretty much describes every cat I’ve ever come across, though it’s possible that every cat I know was born between April 21st and May 21st.
Meanwhile sociable Libra dogs “like to perform duets with other dogs.” Really? I must have missed that karaoke night. Still, any port in a storm and all that, for me and Herbert Hound have had a falling out. Or rather I have had a falling out with him; he’s totally unaware there’s a problem.
When my wife was away on holiday recently, Herbert couldn’t get enough of me. He snuggled up to me in bed and was utterly devoted as we watched TV together. But ever since my wife came home, he has pretty much given me the cold shoulder, only bothering to be nice to me if Jill is out or doing something else.
I’ve tried reminding him that without me, he would have been utterly miserable but he’s completely unmoved. So, in desperation I’ve checked his horoscope. Born on 17th September, Herbert is a Virgo which means “he loves routines and will stand on you five minutes before the alarm”.
There is a caveat, though. Mercury is now retrograde – me neither – so Adams reckons his timings will be an hour out. So, I had better get used to being ignored an hour earlier.”
Virgo and its natural house of the horoscope, the Sixth House, have long ruled pets. In fact, William Lilly used to find missing animals using just this astrological clue. If you are curious about Lilly, the classic book, Horary Astrology – Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis – is here.
Image Credits:
Featured Image by Danae Callister on Unsplash
Laptop Cat Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Taurus Dog Photo by Duffy Brook on Unsplash
Scorpio Cat by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash
Pisces Dog by Alan King on Unsplash
Aquarius Dog by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
Mercury Petrograde black and white dog by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash
Mercury Petrograde black and white cat by Taylor Rogers on Unsplash
If you have a stellium in Aquarius (more than three factors in that zodiac sign) then your Eleventh House of friendships and groups is unusually packed. What happens to those friendships when Saturn, Jupiter and then Pluto all pass through Aquarius? Have friends been lost, or has the friendship changed? That’s typical of this long cycle.
The NHS was founded on 5th July 1948 in London with an astrological chart that shows a complete replacement in 2022 and 2023. The horoscope for the National Health Service reveals a perfect storm that will affect nurses, doctors and patients.
Astrology forecasts made before an historic chain of eclipses chimed with predictions of drama for the Royal Family, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump – and a strange twist of fate involving Lolita. Published so long ago that Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were still unknown to the public, they now suggest July-August 2021 is a time of reckoning. Meghan, Harry, Kate and William have also been drawn into the astrological timeline. How do the Leo eclipses pan out in 2021 and 2022?
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6 Responses
I am so intrigued by pet astrology. On 3rd March – Psyche 29 Pisces opposite Diana 29 Virgo. I have North Node Taurus. In March I want to do two things. Go to pet shops to adopt a dog. I love a Greygound! And in March I must push for clear conversations with my boyfriend…who…guess what is a March 12 Pisces. Ugh… why is always so confused? Lol.
Adopting a greyhound is a classic outcome of the asteroid Diana in your chart. The time is right in 2020. Diana always ran with greyhounds. You need a clear conversation with Pisces in March? It’s about babies for him and the karma is pretty strong there from past lives. The closure comes in May.
I love this post. I’m currently looking at finding a new place and one of my main prerequisites is it has to allow pets which can be a problem. I don’t have any pets at present but I’d love to be a cat mama again. I could have sworn my cat, who’s since passed, was a Leo as she used to strut around like she owned the joint. She arrived during Capricorn season, came again in Pisces which is when I adopted her and the previous owners had her registered as a Gemini. It’s a mystery when she was born so maybe she was in fact a Scorpio.
Thank you. Your cat was multi-faceted! Some cats are like that. I think you’ll dangle for a while while you figure out where to live and how to live. When you do finally make a move, you will be in just the right area for tree-climbing cats and will find you have at least one furry visitor. You’ll have a garden, live near a park or have a garden next door.
Hi Jessica
Our cat died in a tragic accident last Monday (23/03/2020). She was a free-roaming outdoor/mostly indoor kitty we adopted when she was 9 months (birth date: 25/11/2012, Sydney). After seven years of bringing so much joy and pure love in our life, she finally did not make it home, and I am devastated and heartbroken and this couldn’t have come at a worst time. I have seen my psychologist to deal with the pain, and the guilt (if only we restricted her movements), but know that we did the right thing, enabling her to be who she was instinctively – a sweet independent adventurous kitty. Her ashes came on Friday, and I wonder if her spirit is dwelling in our house. I know astrology cannot predict death, but is there anything you can tell me? She was missing last year for nearly 7 days from 9 August 2019, and simply reappeared on the seventh day, we never did figure out what had happened.
Thank you, and I hope you may see this question, I have not seen any activity on any of the other articles for a week or so, you must be very busy. I hope you’re staying safe and sane.
Shaolee
I am so sorry about your cat. Cats of course pass to spirit. Shaolee, they are members of the family. As a medium I have seen them (I saw my own cat when I was a child – she followed me home from school but my father told me she had been run over, later). There are some superb books on animals in the spirit world which will reassure you. When the time is right your friend will get a message to you, in a cat kind of way. I recommend looking at books by Margaret Dent, Linda Williamson and Ruth Phillip’s website – for broader answers. I apologise for the delay. Tasmania has had a State of Emergency and Mercury Retrograde at the same time!
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