| Cats and dogs have long been an integral part | | | | days). Of course, the Egyptians used cats to |
| of many families. Cats are only second to | | | | hunt fish and birds, as well as control |
| dogs in popularity as family pets. But of | | | | vermin populations in granaries. But the cat |
| course, cats haven't always been the | | | | also took on a new place of importance in |
| domesticated household animal that we know | | | | Egypt's religion. An off-shoot of the |
| today. | | | | traditional religious movement developed |
| | | | which worshipped cats. The cat goddess |
| It's difficult to trace the origin of cats, | | | | Bastet (also identified as Bast of Pasht) was |
| but some scientists believe that the original | | | | represented with a figurine of a head of a |
| predecessor of cats was a weasel like animal | | | | cat. Cats quickly became sacred to the |
| called Miacis, which inhabited earth about 40 | | | | Egyptians; they were well cared for in the |
| million or 50 million years ago. Actually, | | | | family home and once the cat died, its body |
| Miacis is thought to be the common ancestor | | | | was mummified and buried in a special |
| of all land-dwelling carnivores, including | | | | cemetery. One cemetery found in the 1800s |
| both cats and dogs. | | | | contained the preserved bodies of more than |
| | | | 300,000 cats. The Egyptian cat is the |
| But apparently the cats were on earth before | | | | predecessor of many of our modern day breeds |
| dogs -- millions of years before the first | | | | of cat. Although the Egyptians had strict |
| dogs. The first appearance of the prehistoric | | | | laws prohibiting the export of the sacred |
| cats is Smilodon, the saber-toothed cat | | | | cat, other cultures quickly came to |
| sometimes called a tiger. Cats were not as | | | | appreciate the cat's rat-catching prowess. |
| easily domesticated as dogs (and I am a good | | | | Cats were soon smuggled or taken out of Egypt |
| example for that..smile smile). These | | | | and brought to Greece and Rome, among other |
| animals had strong hunting intuition which | | | | parts of Europe. |
| didn't easily translate into co-operative | | | | |
| instincts. Initially, cats brought their | | | | At the same time, domestic cats were found in |
| hunting instincts into the home, even | | | | India, China, and Japan where they served as |
| attacking small babies. The early | | | | pets as well as rodent catchers. Overtime |
| domestication of cats occurred primarily in | | | | cat's changed and certain breeds were bred |
| Africa and southeastern Asia. | | | | for ideal characteristics: eye color, hair |
| | | | length, marking patterns, etc. These many |
| In early days, cats served many purposes in | | | | different varieties of cat can all claim |
| homes, none of which were decorative. Cats | | | | ancestors in the wild, even if today they are |
| were domesticated for their hunting skills, | | | | mostly used in homes as a cuddly (well, I am |
| in the hopes that they would control vermin | | | | cuddly, but don't tell my folks. I'll give |
| (rats and mice) in the home, barns and | | | | them about 30 seconds and than I have to run |
| especially in the valuable grain storage | | | | again and do my "chores"), loving pet (oh |
| containers. One of the cultures that first | | | | yes, I sure am loving...or so my mom tells me |
| seemed to accept, and even revere cats were | | | | all the time, even if I don't want to hear |
| the ancient Egyptians (ah - the good old | | | | it...purrh, purrh). |