How Cats Went From Egyptian Gods to Pets

Cats were initially considered divinities, treasures of the pharaohs and even became the inspiration of famous artists… by these animals has remained unchanged over the centuries.

O incredible.club has compiled for you different historical moments in which our feline friends played a very important role in society.

According to some studies, the Egyptians are known (even by thinkers like Herodotus) for their custom of venturing into the domestication of animals, and cats (whom they called “meow”) were very important in their culture.

Felines were really necessary for Egyptian culture since, by hunting mice, they protected men from diseases transmitted by rodents and took care of crops. They came to be considered the earthly figure of the cat goddess Bastet, the keeper of the home and patroness of fertility. When she got angry, the goddess lost her maternal aspect, transforming into Sejmet, a temperamental lioness with a hunger for blood. Research shows that the Egyptians even celebrated feasts with music, dancing and large amounts of drinks, to make the goddess happy and thus prevent her from turning into Sejmet.

Egyptian law prohibited the sale of felines or even their being harmed. If someone killed a cat, even if it was by accident, the sentence received was death. When a cat died, its owners organized a funeral attended by relatives, for the solemn farewell.

The Egyptians were so fond of these animals that they were represented on many occasions, both in sacred temples and in their own homes, where statues of feline gods were made and placed on doors to protect the place from evil.

Tradition says that, for the ancient Greeks, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and fertility, originated with the goddess Bastet. At that time, it was not easy to have a cat, because Egyptian laws prohibited taking them out of the country, as they were considered sacred animals. It was only possible to obtain them through Phoenician smuggling.🇧🇷 It was because of this traffic that the feline race spread to all the countries of the Mediterranean.

Although affinity did not become devotion, as in the case of the Egyptians, the truth is that the Greeks enjoyed the docility, beauty and company of cats, something that differed greatly from the rest of contemporary animals. They became so expensive and valued that they were sold as if they were gold or any other treasure among the Greeks.

To refer to cats, the Romans used terms like “Feles” and “Mustela”. The first referred to a species of smaller size and the second to what we know today as cats that capture rodents.

Despite not being animals so close to man, cats were a sign of victory in the Roman legion. Furthermore, whether because of their high cost of this animal in the Phoenician trade or because of the elegant reputation they had gained based on their postures and movements that were pleasing to the eye, they were expensive gifts given to the upper classes of Roman society.

When we talk about the Renaissance, one person that is always mentioned is Leonardo da Vinci, whose works of art and inventions made great contributions to history. A detail that is often not said is that this artist was fascinated and interested in animals. Therefore, in his long career he left many works and sketches of studies of the forms and movements of species. And the animal he paid most attention to was the cat, researching even its muscles and fur. He even made a series of sketches of his agile movements, to compare them with those of dragons. This work is known today as cats and dragons🇧🇷 One of his famous phrases in this regard is: “Even the smallest of cats is a work of art”.

In the field of art, although they did not play a leading role, famous artists such as Jheronimus Bosch and Velázquez knew how to perpetuate the image of felines, in harmony with the other elements of their respective works. At work: The Garden of Earthly Delights, from Bosch, we find on the left side of the screen, next to Eva, a cat hunting and surrounded by other species of creation.

The myth of Arachne (work known as The Spinners) by Velázquez has the image of the cat lying on the feet of a spinner, practically located in the center, almost imperceptible. After finding him, it is noticed that one of the women is interacting with him.

Celebrities such as Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and many others of the time appeared in various productions in the company of cats.

Bardot even said: “You can love a cat much more than a man”.

As you can see, our beloved pets are considered priceless treasures. There was a time when they were only meant to accompany pharaohs or highborn people and they have been prized for their personality and beauty for so many centuries that we must appreciate that we can have them by our side to give them all our love and care and still receive those same feelings from them.

Do you like cats? Do you have this animal as a pet? Share your photos and experiences in the comments section below!