Why were cats sacred in ancient Egypt?
Short answer: Cats protected grain stores from rodents and snakes, so they were valued as household animals, and they became associated with the goddess Bastet. Many cats were mummified and buried.
Quick facts
- Bastet. This goddess, associated with the home, protection and fertility, was often shown as a woman with a cat's head, or as a cat.
- Cats at home. Cats appear in tomb paintings and household scenes, which suggests that they were kept as companions as well as for pest control.
- Mummified cats. Archaeologists have found very large numbers of cat mummies. Many were likely offerings connected with the worship of Bastet.
- Bubastis. The city of Bubastis, in the Nile Delta, was a centre for the cult of Bastet.
- Ancient accounts. Greek writers such as Herodotus described the Egyptians' respect for cats. Some later writers claimed that harming a cat was severely punished, though historians treat such accounts with caution.
Student report
I travelled to Egypt to study my own heritage, which I was told is considerable. The museum guides were very respectful, and I was addressed as a goddess on three occasions. I did not correct them.
The cat mummies were of particular interest to the Department of Enclosure Studies, since they were, in every case, very well wrapped and very comfortably enclosed.
I did not, in the end, find any evidence that my ancestors were consulted about being made into statues. I have raised the matter with the Chancellor.