Ancient Egyptians’ Love of Cats
Ezz Al-Turkey
There’s a hundred percent guarantee you see at least one cat every day while living in Egypt. Whether you’re a cat owner, a cat lover, or even a dog person, you see cats at every corner in Cairo. We all know that cats had a big role in ancient Egyptian mythology and culture. If you’ve ever wondered why, well, ancient Egyptians had solid reasons regarding their appreciation for them, and it’s worth dissecting why our furry neighbors were associated with gods.
A 4,500-year-old tomb at Saqqara, just outside of Cairo, uncovered an unexpected find; hundreds of mummified cats and cat figurines. It is generally known that the ancient Egyptians had a deep love for animals. Private zoos and even well-maintained pets have been found by archaeologists. But in ancient Egypt, cats had a unique place.
Cats have been present in Egypt's archeological record from the predynastic period. Practical factors played a role in cats' close connection with Egyptian culture. Agriculture came with rodents, which in turn attracted wild cats. People discovered how important and protective these animals were to keeping rodents out of their granaries and fields. So while the stereotype of cats chasing mice is funny today, people used to depend on cats to rid their lands of rodents.
Interestingly enough, some cats and humans were discovered buried together, proving that cats were very important to a person’s daily life. A few cats had offerings buried alongside them, suggesting that someone was thinking ahead to the animals' afterlife, which was the ultimate end-goal for ancient Egyptians.
Ancient Egyptians may have found cats to be sacred because of their admiration for their elegance, stealth, and night vision. Because cats love to sunbathe, there have long been connections between cats and the sun god Ra. Goddesses of the lion and panther were significant, but Bastet, was the most significant cat goddess. She was formerly a lion as well. Nonetheless, she was portrayed as a household cat by the time of the cat cemetery.
Symbolic of birth, fertility, and protection, Bastet was both savage and caring. She was worshipped at the site of the present-day city of Zagazig, where a vast cult for her, and therefore cats, emerged in the city. Hundreds of thousands of worshipers flocked to her shrine, leaving little figurines of cats as gifts. A lot of us see cats as fierce creatures, well, apparently so did ancient Egyptians!
Not to mention, representations of cats were thought to have protective abilities. So much so that people wore or stored cat amulets inside their homes. So while we love cats as pets today because of the comfort and love they add to your day, know that our ancestors felt the same way about them, if not more. So next time you see a stray cat wandering the street scouring for food, make sure to give it a pet (if it lets you) and give it some food if you can!