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Cat-headed deity Bastet. In ancient Egypt, cats were represented in social and religious scenes dating as early as 1980 BC. [2] Several ancient Egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility, and power, respectively. [3]
The Egyptian Mau is the fastest of the domestic cats, [12] with its longer hind legs, and unique flap of skin extending from the flank to the back knee, which assists in running by allowing the legs to stretch back farther, providing for greater agility and length of stride. Maus have been clocked running more than 48 km/h (30 mph).
All cat breeds were found to have originated in eight different regions and then selectively bred multiple times throughout history and relocated multiple times, leading to the approximately 45 modern breeds. These eight lineages include Europe, Egypt, India, Southeast Asia, Arabian Sea, East Asia, and the Mediterranean. [22]
At the Bubastis temple, some cats were found to have been mummified and buried, many next to their owners. More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered when Bastet's temple was excavated. Turner and Bateson suggest that the status of the cat was roughly equivalent to that of the cow in modern India. The death of a cat might leave a family ...
Cats, known in ancient Egypt as the mau, played a large role in ancient Egyptian society.They were associated with the goddesses Isis and Bastet. [4] Cats were sacred animals and the goddess Bastet was often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the war-like aspect of a lioness.
Interestingly, not all cultures have historically viewed black cats as scary or unlucky. In ancient Egypt, in Japan, and in parts of Britain, black cats were traditionally thought to bring luck ...
The Burmese cat originated in Southeast Asia, specifically Burma (now Myanmar). The breed was developed from a local cat known as "the Wong Mau," which was crossed with Siamese cats in the early ...
Cats were mummified as religious offerings in enormous quantities and were believed to represent the war goddess Bastet. This cult was primarily centered at Thebes and Beni Hasan beginning in the Ptolemaic Period. In addition, thousands of cat mummies have been found at the catacombs of Saqqara. Cats who were bred to become offerings of this ...