Cat (zodiac)
Another legend known as "The Great Race" says that all the animals of the zodiac are headed for the Jade Emperor. The cat and the mouse are the smartest of animals. However they are both poor swimmers and come across a river. They both trick the kind, mindless cow into helping them by leading them back to the river. As the ox reached the other side of the river, the mouse pushed the cat into the river. Then they jumped from the ox and visited the Jade Emperor, becoming the first of the zodiac. All the other animals made it to Emperor Jade, while the cat was left to drown in the river after being sabotaged by the mouse. It is said that this is also the reason cats are always hunting rats.