Statue of a cat from ancient Egypt made of composite 75mm

In the Predynastic Period, the Egyptians began to establish permanent settlements including grain silos. This was a first step towards interaction with wild cats. The Egyptians got to know the African wildcat (Felis Sylvestris Libyca) as a good hunter. They saw it kill mice and rats, but also hunt dangerous snakes. This was the reason to encourage cats to mingle more with people. There were many rats and mice around the grain silos that ate the grain and dangerous snakes could hide everywhere. It is not known exactly when the first African wild cats were domesticated. This probably happened around 5000 BC, in the Naqada I Period. The domestic cat (Felis Sylvestris Catus) is genetically closely related to the African wildcat. From the Middle Kingdom onwards, the domestic cat grew into a full-fledged family member that acquired both an economic status and a status as a companion animal. There were also many rats, mice and snakes in and around the houses, so the expansion of their working area from the grain silos to the houses was a logical step. From the Third Intermediate Period onwards, the worship of the cat as a divine manifestation increased. This is evident from the construction of several shrines to the cat goddess Bastet. However, at the beginning of our era (from 30 AD), the Egyptian faith lost ground to the emerging Christianity and with it the status of the cat also declined. Sources: – The Cat in Ancient Egypt – J. Malek