Ancient Egypt: The Cat Lovers Capital

By Vanessa Tolentino

Ancient Egypt, the cat lovers capital: As a kid, I was a bit of a nerd. Often I wondered about life before the modern age. I loved ancient civilizations and poured over books in the library, gawking at the pictures. I was also (and still am) a huge cat lover! Imagine my surprise and excitement when I learned that ancient Egyptians not only loved cats; they worshiped them! There’s even a saying among cat-lovers:

Cats haven’t forgotten that they were once worshipped, and they remind us of that daily.

The Facts:

To be clear, they didn’t actually worship cats. The appreciation for cats stemmed from the deities Mafdet and Bastet. These Egyptian goddesses were often portrayed with cat-like features. It was believed that they brought protection to peoples’ homes by eradicating vermin like rats and insects.

Ancient Egyptians connected their deities to everyday items, so It didn’t take long to make the connection between cats and goddesses.  They both possessed agility, fierceness, docility, and sweetness. All great skills needed for both pets and gods

Many people are familiar with the goddess Bastet. She is the more frequently depicted feline goddess. Bastet was associated with protection and nurture. Those who worshiped her would ask for good health and safety.

There was a sanctuary dedicated to Bastet located in Bubasis, where many mummified cats and cat-related artifacts could be found. It’s believed that cats were buried with their owners so they could be together in the Afterlife.

The Windup:

According to genetic tests and the study of DNA, we might have the ancient Egyptians to thank for giving our cats the personalities they have today. Research shows that it was in Egypt where cats were turned from working animals who chased rats and killed bugs to the prim and proper pampered kitties we know and love today.

In conclusion, we owe a great thanks to ancient Egypt for giving us these amazing pets.  Though I think either way cats would have us humans wrapped around their little paws

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