Vital Pet Health

Cats in ancient Egypt were worshipped and prized for their work as pest-controllers, their high fertility and their resemblance to lions the most powerful beast.

They became increasingly important in religion, with the cult of the cat goddess Bast elevating their status to sacred. During this time it became common practice to keep cats confined for the first time, and they were bred and pampered in temples.

Egyptian people were fiercely protective of their sacred animals and reluctant to ever let them go, but slowly the cat began to spread around the world. The first evidence of the cat being seen outside its native land is artwork showing cats in domestic settings from 1700 BC in Israel. From there they made their way to Crete and Greece and escaped the control of the Egyptians.