The Ancient Egyptians held cats in the highest esteem, the penalties for injuring or killing a cat were severe. They worshipped a Cat Goddess, often represented as half feline, half woman, whom they called Bastet. The main center for the worship of Bastet was in northern Egypt at the city of Bubastis. The festival honoring Bastet was described as one of the largest and most enthusiastically celebrated in all of Egypt by the visiting Greek historian Herodotus. Large catteries were maintained by the Temple priests and a vast cemetery of mummified cats has been excavated outside of Bubastis. Thousands of small cat sculptures, probably left with offerings to the Temple by devotees, have also been recovered at Bubastis.

Perhaps the earliest feline Egyptian goddess recorded was called Mafdet. and is described in the Pyramid Texts as killing a serpent with her claws. A representation of Mafdet (possibly translated as "runner") found on a stone vase in a tomb at Abydos (approx. 2800 BC) shows a large cat probably a cheetah or leopard. While the Egyptians had several other feline Goddesses, such as the lioness headed Sekhmet, only Bastet was represented by the domesticated cat.

While we may no longer worship our cats with the same religious fervor of the ancients, we do hold them in very high regard. The Goddess Bastet is still considered by many to be the protectress of felines (and those that care for them), a task that we have undertaken to assist her in.

To place your cat under the protective paw of Bastet please click here.......... Meow