What does "Pigs come to make you poor, dogs come to you rich, and cats come to cover you with white cloth"?

There are many proverbs circulated among the people. These proverbs are based on the folk customs or living conditions of the time and were passed down orally by the common people. It's like "Take a three-layer quilt with wheat this winter, and sleep with steamed buns on your pillow next year" etc. These are based on science. Some of them are simply unfounded, such as "If you are not afraid of the hoot of an owl, you are afraid of the owl's laughter." There is also a proverb about the hoot of an owl: "The east calls old, the west calls little, the south calls coffin, and the north calls good."

The saying today that "Pigs bring poverty, dogs bring wealth, and cats bring white cloth" is also a proverb that has no scientific basis. Pigs, dogs and cats are all animal friends living around us, and they are also described in various colors in this proverb. However, proverbs were all passed down by word of mouth in the past environment, and many people at that time believed them firmly.

Let’s talk about “Pigs come to poverty” first. Everyone knows that pigs are big eaters, but in that environment in the past, pigs had no pig feed to eat. What we eat is food grown in the ground. At that time, it was not like now when grains are also injected with "oxytocin" and the yields were very high. At that time, the grain yield in farmers' fields was very low. All year round, there is not enough food in the fields for people to eat. How could there be any extra grain to feed the pigs with such an astonishing appetite? Moreover, at that time, a pig had to be fed for at least a year before it could be killed and eaten. It doesn't take long to eat the meat of a pig. In times of famine, food is even more precious. The food a pig eats in a year can feed several people. So in that era, people would rather ask for the rations that a pig could eat for a year than ask for the meat of a pig. People no longer have a good impression of pigs, animals that can only eat and sleep and cannot contribute to the family. In that era, if a family raised a pig, it could really make the family poor. Therefore, "pig comes to be poor" was spread like this.

Let’s talk about “dogs come to riches”! Dogs have always been called humans' most loyal animals. Dogs are not as good at eating as pigs, and dogs can look after homes and courtyards and protect wealth. There are many hunting dogs, which can also accompany their owners on hunting, bring them a lot of game, and bring them wealth. Even in lean years, when you really can’t afford to feed your dog, as long as you adopt it, it can still go out to find food on its own. So dogs at that time were not only friends of the rich, but also friends of the poor. So people at that time preferred to keep dogs than pigs. If a dog comes to the house, people will feel that wealth is coming. I guess this is how "dogs come to riches" became popular.

Finally, let’s talk about “The cat comes to cover with white cloth”! Cats are seemingly docile and cute animals. No one would have thought that people would call them so unlucky. Because cats have such a habit of calling spring. The sound of a cat meowing in spring is pitiful, sometimes like a child crying. Superstitious people feel that a cat’s cry is unlucky and will bring some unlucky things to the home. Even in those days, if a family had a tragic incident, it would all be attributed to the poor cat. The cat was so innocent and took the blame.

In fact, in our eyes today, these animal friends are all the same, and there is no such thing as good or bad luck. The proverbs of the past were just jokes and should not be taken seriously.