Cats in ancient Egypt
All modern domesticated cats owe their Royal lives to the wild Egyptian cats. About 4,000 years ago, this animal conquered the hearts of mankind and for the first time, was kept as a pet. But how?
Domesticating the wild cat
The Egyptians owned enormous supplies of grain, stored in sheds. This grain was meant to feed the tens of thousands of workers responsible for building temples and pyramids. The guardians of these grain sheds often complained about mice infestations. The gluttony of these little creatures caused great losses in food supplies, until the Egyptians found out that wild cats were excellent hunters. They began breeding cats until they formed a small, brave cat breed. It was also very important the cats had a pleasant character toward humans. These cats were used as a weapon against the mice and the grain supplies were saved. This breed of cats was the first domesticated cat in the world and still exists: the Egyptian Mau.
The Egyptian Mau
This cat breed is a gorgeous looking cat with an elegant body and grey spotted coat. The hairs on the coat are short and silky and the cats own a pair of beautiful green eyes. Cats belonging to this breed are very active and playful. They are social toward other cats as well.The sacred cat
Cats slowly gained favour in the Egyptian culture. At about 1000 BC, the cat was named a sacred animal in Egypt. Egyptians even worshipped a cat shaped goddess named Bastet. She had the power to evoke eclipses and was associated with fertility. She took in a prominent place in Egyptian religion. The temple of Bastet, near Bubastis in the Nile delta, became the centre of cat worshipping. The cat conquered every man’s heart, even pharaohs kept cats in their palaces. Neglecting or abusing this ‘sacred animal’ was severely punished. There are reports of a soldier who was punished by death after he ran over a cat with his chariot.Cat art
Wall paintings are found with images of the Egyptian cats. Also, a lot of impressive cat statues have been found in and around the pyramids.
Death of the Egyptian cat
In Egypt, it was a custom to shave off one’s eyebrows as a sign of mourning. When a cat died, this custom also applied. Some cats were even mummified to grant them a place in the afterlife. They received various gifts to take to their graves. They were buried in special graveyards. Prince Tutmoses, brother of pharaoh Akhnaton, laid his cat to rest in a gilded chest and had this chest put away in his brothers pyramid. Near the great Cheops pyramid, a smaller pyramid was built. This was the grave for the pharaoh’s 17 cats.
Spreading to Europe
The Egyptians thought they owed their power and prosperity partially to the cats. Exporting this animal was strictly forbidden! The docks were strictly checked for illegal exportation of these sacred animals. Due to this restriction Egyptian cats for long only lived in Egypt... until the Romans conquered the country. The Egyptian domesticated cat was soon introduced in Europe and spread through the continent fast, due to trade and navigation.
The Egyptian Mau never forgot its Royal status. It still behaves as gracefully as it did in ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago and it still loves to be the centre of attention and worship.