Image Description: This photograph depicts an Egyptian domesticated cat feeding her two kittens. The cat, or 'mau' as it was known in ancient Egypt, were praised for their ability kill large snakes, like cobras, and because they helped in controlling vermin that would eat from the royal granaries. They became worshiped throughout cities and towns, eventually becoming revered as a symbol of poise and grace. The cat goddess Bast became the deity representing motherhood, fertility, and protection. Some cats were so loved that they were afforded the same mummification after death as their human owners. In 1888, an Egyptian farmer discovered a large tomb outside the town of Beni Hasan, and it contained 80,000 cat mummies dating from 2000-1000 BC.

Image category: Animals (pets, small pets, animals, wild animals, birds etc)

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