Our love of cats can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians, who tamed the first domestic cats in around 1500 BC. Since then, we’ve found reasons to love them and to kill them.

Black Cat, Better Watch Your Step: Fear and Superstition

Basement cat is not to be trusted.      by Il conte di Luna via Flickr

In Belgium, as recently as 1871, it was common for cats thought to belong to witches – and, therefore, naturally possessed by evil spirits – to be thrown to their deaths from the tops of high buildings, during public rituals. In the Middle Ages cats were thought to be “agents of the Devil”, having had their souls snatched away by Satan! Even today some people believe a black cat is unlucky, or evil.

Meow Meow Meow Mau: The First Housecat

Purebred Egyptian Mau      by Muffet via Flickr

Our love of cats can be traced back to the Mayans, who worshipped the elusive Jaguar long before the cat was domesticized, and the ancient Egyptians, who were responsible for taming the first domestic cat, known here in the West as the “Egyptian Mau.”

It is the oldest naturally spotted cat breed and has been used in the breeding programmes of other pedigree cats, such as the British Shorthair, to provide the spotted gene the breeders require in order to introduce the pattern to another breed.

Street cats in the Cairo Bazaar      by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

Here in the West these elegant and beautiful cats command the same price as any other fairly common pedigree cat, but in Egypt they can be found in their thousands, living on the streets, where they are fed and treated kindly by the locals.

We Love You, Bastet: Cats as Ancient Gods

“Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten this.” – Anon.
by soham_pablo via Flickr

In ancient Egyptian times the cat was worshipped by a cult which existed for over two thousand years. Bastet was the gentle aspect of the Goddess’s personality, and was associated with love, beauty, music and self-indulgence, while Sekmet was the warrior side of the personality, believed to protect women – bringing famine and warfare.

There were two statues/idols to represent the dual aspects of the personality and the ancient Egyptians regularly mummified cats and gave them, as offerings, to their Goddess. If no dead cat was available they would simply take a live one from a cattery, where cats would have been bred for this exact purpose, and sacrifice it prior to mummification and burial. These cats, it was believed, would relay their messages to the Goddess far quicker than any other method.

We Love You, Fluffy – Now Put On This Outfit and Dance: Cats as Modern Gods

Our fascination with the cat continues, to this day, and there are now so many breeds of domestic cat it’s difficult to keep count.

New breeds are created regularly and the latest arrival in the world of domestic cats is no less than a miniature tiger!

How dare you invoke my wrath!      by ronnie44052 via Flickr

People take their cats to shows, walk them on leads, and even dress them up in miniature clothing ranges, especially designed for fashion-conscious felines.

Cat Show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida      by jilbean3 via Flickr

Luckily, the persecution of cats seems to have stopped, although it is said that black cats are the least popular, even now.

Long live the cat!