Why Cats Were Worshipped in Ancient Egypt 🐾
By Wise Cat Sid
At last, a civilisation that understood cats.
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians had enormous respect for cats. There were cat paintings, cat statues and even cat-shaped jewellery.
Humans looked at a cat and apparently thought:
“That magnificent creature deserves our respect.”
Sensible people.
Fast-forward a few thousand years and I’m expected to chase a red dot around the living room.
Where exactly did civilisation go wrong?
Here are five fascinating things you might not know about cats in ancient Egypt.
🐾 Fact 1: Cats Had an Important Job
Cats weren’t simply pets.
Ancient Egyptians stored valuable supplies of grain, which naturally attracted mice and rats. Cats were excellent hunters, so having them around helped protect food stores.
They could also kill or drive away snakes and other unwanted visitors.
Sid says: Protect the house, protect the dinner. I approve.
🐾 Fact 2: Cats Were Connected With a Goddess
Cats became closely associated with Bastet, an important Egyptian goddess.
Bastet was associated with qualities including protection, motherhood and the home, and she was often represented as a woman with the head of a cat.
Her major centre of worship was the ancient city of Bubastis.
Sid says: A goddess with a cat’s head? Finally, someone was thinking clearly.
🐾 Fact 3: Egyptians Made Cat Statues
Archaeologists have discovered many ancient Egyptian statues and figurines of cats.
Some were associated with the worship of Bastet and were left as religious offerings.
Today, examples can be seen in museums around the world.
Sid says: I am still waiting for the first Wise Cat Sid statue. Preferably enormous.
🐾 Fact 4: Some Cats Were Mummified
It wasn’t only humans who were mummified in ancient Egypt.
Animals were mummified too, including large numbers of cats. Many animal mummies were connected with religious practices and were offered to the gods.
Archaeologists have discovered cat mummies at several ancient Egyptian sites.
Sid says: Humans have always taken cats very seriously. Quite right too.
🐾 Fact 5: Cats Appeared in Egyptian Art
Look at paintings from ancient Egyptian tombs and you may spot cats sitting underneath chairs, beside their owners or even accompanying people on hunting trips.
These pictures give us fascinating clues about the relationship between people and cats thousands of years ago.
Sid says: Notice something important? The cat is often sitting comfortably while the humans do all the work.
Some things never change.
🐾 Sid’s Final Thought
Ancient Egypt had pyramids, pharaohs, magnificent temples — and enormous respect for cats.