When I was a boy growing up in the South Wales valleys, we didn’t need a weather app to tell us when the heavens were about to open. Dark skies rolling over Caerphilly Mountain were usually warning enough. By the time the first drops hit the tin roofs, we were running for cover, muttering, “It’s raining cats and dogs out there!”
But have you ever wondered where on earth that curious phrase comes from? It’s one of those English idioms that makes sense in conversation but sounds completely absurd if taken literally. No cats. No dogs. Just rain. Let’s dig into its history, and along the way, I’ll connect it to something far more useful for us as affiliate marketers — the importance of preparation, structure, and making the most of life’s storms.
🐱 Origins of the Phrase
The exact origin is debated, but most etymologists trace it back to 17th-century England. During heavy downpours, dead animals would sometimes be washed through the streets of London. Grim, yes, but in those unsanitary times it wasn’t uncommon. Jonathan Swift even used the phrase in his 1738 poem A Description of a City Shower:
“Drowned puppies, stinking sprats, all drenched in mud,
Dead cats and turnip-tops come tumbling down the flood.”
Another possibility is Norse mythology. Cats were associated with rain (the cat being a companion of witches, linked with storms), and dogs were linked with Odin, god of storms and wind. Put together, you get an image of chaos in the heavens — a proper tempest.
Whatever the root, by the 18th century, the expression had cemented itself in English as shorthand for a heavy downpour.
🌧️ Life Lessons from the Storm
When you’re caught in one of those downpours, your options are limited. You can moan about getting soaked, or you can put your head down and keep going. Much the same applies to affiliate marketing.
Over the years, I’ve seen new marketers hit their first storm — maybe an ad campaign flops, an email list doesn’t grow, or Google changes the rules overnight. Many quit at that stage, convinced it’s impossible. But the ones who succeed are those who’ve prepared, who’ve got a system, and who know how to weather the inevitable turbulence.
That’s exactly why I like to point people toward structured systems like MAP (Master Affiliate Profits). It’s designed for those times when the skies open and chaos sets in. Instead of leaving you to flounder, it gives you:
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Training — step-by-step guidance so you’re never lost.
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Traffic — built-in systems so you’re not left scrambling.
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Lifetime commissions — so your efforts keep paying long after the initial rainstorm.
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Community support — a group of fellow travellers who know what it’s like to get drenched and keep going.
🏉 My Sporting Parallel
In my schooldays, Saturday mornings were for rugby, and Saturday afternoons for football. If the weather was filthy, the rugby pitch turned to a mudbath, but the match still went ahead. You’d come home plastered in mud from head to toe — boots, kit, even your hair matted.
Affiliate marketing feels much the same. You can’t expect a clean, dry pitch every time you set foot on it. Some days the conditions will be against you, but the game still has to be played. And if you keep playing, you’ll build resilience.
So next time you hear the phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs,” remember — storms pass, but preparation and persistence keep you in the game. If you want to be ready for whatever the digital skies throw at you, I strongly recommend you grab my free guide:
👉 Download Master Affiliate Profits – All You Need to Know
It’ll give you the framework, the tools, and the community to thrive in affiliate marketing — rain or shine.
