Fluffy cuteness is not the only reason the ancient Egyptians kept cats as pet. Like other pets in th

Fluffy cuteness is not the only reason the ancient Egyptians kept cats as pet. Like other pets in the ancient world, pet cats served an important purpose. Because cats are great hunters and could see at night, they protected homes and granaries from vermin. Cats are tender and nurturing with their kittens, but could scratch and kill (if you’re a mouse). The Egyptians did not worship cats. But, they did believe that some gods shared certain qualities with the felines and for this reason represented these gods with cat or lion features. One of the most popular “cat-goddesses,” Bastet had many feline characteristics like nurture and motherly protection. But when she was upset, she turned into the lioness, Sakhmet (bottom, left)—a ferocious and dangerous divinity.The ancient Egyptians created millions of cat mummies to be dedicated in temples to the gods. Some of these are on display in Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt.Posted by Yekaterina BarbashCat and Mouse, ca. 1295-1075 B.C.E. Limestone, ink. | Sakhmet, 664–332 B.C.E. Bronze. | Head from a Statue of a Lion, ca. 3300-3100 B.C.E. Pegmatite. | Cat Coffin with Mummy, 305-30 B.C.E. Wood, animal remains, linen. Brooklyn Museum -- source link

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