Cats in Ancient Egypt

Sacred Animals Animals were believed to be in close contact with deities and Gods. They held great importance in Ancient Egyptian society. Eventually cats were used to represent different Gods, such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet.

Domesticating Cats Cats first became pets during Ancient Egyptian times, 4000 years ago. Originally they were tamed and kept in houses to ward off asps, mice and rats but eventually they were worshipped.

Mafdet Mafdet was the first feline deity. She was sometimes represented by a lynx or a woman with the head of a cheetah. She was the Goddess of Execution. She was also associated with the protection of the king's chambers and other sacred places, and with protection against venomous animals

Bastet Bastet was probably the best known of the cat Gods. She was the daughter of Ra, the sun God. She was the protector of pregnant women, children and all cats.

Sekhmet Sekhmet was the feline God of war and pestilence. As the opposite of Bastet she represented a destructive force. She was mentioned several times in the Book of the Dead and was the patron of Physicians and healers.

Bubastis Achaeologists have found a number of feline tomb cities containing many mummified cats. Bubastis is the most famous of these and over 300,000 cat mummies were discovered there. Cats were so important to their owners that they not only mummified them but also mourned them by shaving off their eyebrows as a sign of respect.

Protected by the law Cats became so sacred to the Egyptians that it was against the law to kill or hurt a cat, even if it was an accident. Those who did were sentenced to death. Exportation of cats to other countries was also illegal and armies were sent out to retrieve animals.