Late Dynastic Period Bronze Sculpture of a Cat with a Gold Earring

Ancient Egyptians venerated cats for their ability to keep down the rodent population the economically important grain fields along the Nile. They were kept as pets in the home and assisted hunters by retrieving their small birds like dogs do today. Because they were economically useful and believed to ensure many children for a family, cats were so revered that they were mummified and buried either with their owners or in specially designated cemeteries. The Egyptians even had a cat goddess, called Bast or Bastet, who was depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a cat.