The ancient Egyptians may have been the biggest cat fans in history. They believed cats were magical creatures who could protect homes from evil spirits, snakes, and bad luck. They were so important that there was a goddess called Bastet who was usually shown as either a sleek black cat or a woman with a cat’s head.
Bastet was the protector of homes, families, and especially of children. According to Egyptian myth, she also defended the sun god Ra by fighting off evil snakes at night. A whole city in Egypt called Bubastis was built in her honor, and once a year hundreds of thousands of people traveled there for a giant cat festival.
Killing a cat in ancient Egypt could get you the death penalty, even if it was an accident. When a family pet cat died, everyone in the house would shave off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. Many cats were mummified just like people, and archaeologists have found tombs filled with thousands of tiny wrapped cat mummies.
