Ancient Egyptians revered cats, believing they saved their civilization from starvation by killing vermin. When a cat died, it was mummified and buried with milk and mice. Cat smuggling was illegal, and killing a cat was considered treason punishable by death.
Ancient Egyptians mourned their cats by shaving their eyebrows. It is thought that cats were worshiped by some ancient Egyptians and possibly associated with deities because cats preyed on many of the creatures — such as vermin and insects — that threatened Egypt’s food supply. By killing their prey, the Egyptians credited cats with saving their civilization from starvation. When a cat died, its human Egyptian family mourned and ritually buried it by mummifying it and burying its body with milk, mice, and other items thought to be needed by the animal in the afterlife.
Read more about the ancient Egyptians and cats:
Cats were so loved in Egypt that it was actually illegal to export them to other countries, which led to cat smuggling and Egyptian military forces being deployed on cat rescue missions.
Research suggests that most modern cats have Egyptian ancestors.
Some historians believe that there is evidence that in ancient Egypt, killing a cat, even accidentally, was considered treason and could be punished with death.
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