10 Facts about Egyptian Cats

Friday, November 24th 2017. | Cultures

Facts about Egyptian Cats inform the readers with a sacred animal during the ancient Egyptian period. They called the cats as Mau. The first domestication of cats took place in the Fertile Crescent dated back 10,000 years ago from the Middle Eastern subspecies of wildcat. The religion, which focused on the worshipping of animals such as cats, flourished in Upper and Lower Egypt thousands of years after cats had been domesticated. Let us get other interesting facts about Egyptian cats below:

Facts about Egyptian Cats 1: the importance of cats

Cat symbolized poise and grace during the ancient Egyptian period because of their ability to kill cobra and other snakes and control vermin.

Facts about Egyptian Cats 2: the rich family

The rich family was very proud if they could have the high quality breeding of cats. They would like to show them to others.

Egyptian Cat facts

Facts about Egyptian Cats 3: Bast

Bast was known as the cat goddess in Egypt. Her role in the ancient Egyptian culture earned more importance than the goddess Mafdet over the years. The latter one had the lion head while Bast has the cathead.

Facts about Egyptian Cats 4: the role of Bast

Bast was known as the goddess of motherhood and fertility. Look at facts about Egyptian music here.

Egyptian Cat

Facts about Egyptian Cats 5: mummification

Mummification was not only applied on human being. Some cats were also mummified due to their importance in the ancient Egyptian culture.

Facts about Egyptian Cats 6: the large tomb

The large tomb, which contained the mummified kitten and cats, were discovered by an Egyptian farmer in 1888. Around 80,000 car mummies were discovered outside Beni Hasan Town.

Facts about Egyptian Cats

Facts about Egyptian Cats 7: the sacred animal

Egyptian cats were considered as sacred animals. The ancient Egyptians would receive severe punishment if they harmed cats.

Facts about Egyptian Cats 8: domestication

Due to the importance of cats in the Egyptian culture, many of them were domesticated. Check facts about Egyptian writing here.

Egyptian Cats

Facts about Egyptian Cats 9: the types of cats

The African wildcat and jungle cat were the two major cats, which occurred, in ancient Egyptian culture. Both had smaller body sizes.

Facts about Egyptian Cats 10: the diet

The primary diet of wild cats includes mice, rats, snakes and pests. Thus, they were considered as the important animals, which protected and save the people. There is no need to wonder that the ancient Egyptian households liked to have a cat at home.