3 Facts About Cats In Ancient Egypt

 Very few historic empires have an affiliation with cats like the the ancient Egyptian empire. We all know that cats were taken seriously there, but how far would their devotion go?

Here are 3 facts about cats in Ancient Egypt which you may not be aware of:



3 Facts About Cats in Ancient Egypt


Egyptians Worshipped Cats!


As hard as it is to believe, cats were actually worshipped in Ancient Egypt! Of course, look at any cat today and you will see the self confident look that makes you feel that our feline friends demand our devotion. However, the Egyptians readily succumbed to this, and viewed cats as sacred...worthy of their worship.

Ancient Egyptian deities were thought to have the power to transform themselves in animals. So, you may wonder, which deity could be come a cat? The answer is that the Egyptian goddess Bastet had the power to transform herself into a cat.




Cats Were Masters of Bling!


It is hard to think that a cat would need any kind of outfit. After all, they have a fur jacket to be proud of! This, however, did not stop the Ancient Egyptians.

Now, the kind of outfits that were bestowed to cats were not everyday fare. Such was the degree that Ancient Egyptian society adorned their felines that only wealth Egyptian families could afford to do this. However, for those families, their adoration of cats caused them to place expensive jewellery on them, and to give them a diet to die for...one consisting of a diet garnished with 'Royal treats'. Oh to be a cat!



Stone The Crows...But Not The Cats!


Of course, if you are going to make an animal a god, you had better treat that animal well!

The Egyptians so honoured their cats that they would punish...severely punish anyone who mistreated our feline friends. So, if you killed a cat, even accidentally, you had better run..and run fast! The penalty for killing a cat? Death by stoning!

Now, of course, it is not rare to have animals treated worshipfully, even in modern society. Take for instance the way that cows are honoured in the Subcontinent. However, when it came to cats, the Ancient Egyptians took veneration to a whole new level!

So, next time that your cat gives you a withering look, remember the Ancient Egyptians. Such a look, in their society would have meant the displeasure of the gods...not a welcome fate!

They say that Dogs have masters, and Cats have servants. In Ancient Egypt, this was a fact beyond dispute!


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