Cats and More Cats!

For the past 14 months, we've lived in Israel and during this time we've never seen so many cats!  Street cats were born in the streets so that is where they live.  You will find them virtually everywhere roaming the streets, jumping in and out of trash bins and  waiting forlornly for scraps from kind-hearted souls at cafes, restaurants and outside the patio doors of the Jerusalem Center. Every day  we see cats and I can count on my right hand the number of times we've seen a dog so I figured there must be a reason. 

The British imported boatloads of cats to the country in the 1930's in order to combat a major rat epidemic.  The cat population exploded to over 2 million due to the mild climate and people's willingness to feed stray cats. It has been estimated that over 20% of Israeli households do so.  It is also illegal to kill a cat so they are everywhere!

When we went to Egypt, we learned that cats were one of the most recognizable species in Egyptian culture and were domesticated as far back as 10,000 years ago.

Cat Facts:

Cats have an incredibly acute sense of smell, with some reports indicating that they smell up to 14 times more effectively than humans.  

A cat's whiskers contain sensitive nerves that allow the animal to judge distance and space effectively and to sense objects in the dark to avoid danger. By gently brushing the whiskers against an object, a cat gains an extra sense of what's nearby as a means of protection.

Did you know that cats are notorious spider killers and will keep a house's spider population under control? 

Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only about 10.

According to Hebrew legend, Noah prayed to God for help protecting all the food he stored on the ark from being eaten by rats. In reply, God made the lion sneeze, and out popped a cat.

A cat can jump up to five times its own height in a single bound.

Cats sleep up to 16 hours each day.  

Unlike other ancient cultures whose gods looked somewhat like people, most ancient Egyptians gods had animal heads but CATS especially were held in high esteem.  

The Pharaoh cat, also known as an Egyptian mau, is a breed of a domestic cat.  All domestic cats share the Latin name of Felix catus while the wild cat has the Latin name of Felis silvestris.

The ancient Egyptians believed that cats had magical powers. They believed cats protected their home and children from danger and helped their crops to grow. The ancient Egyptians carefully protected their cats. Any person who killed a cat paid for that crime with their life!

Ancient Egyptians worshipped a cat Goddess which was often represented as half feline, half woman and whom they called Bastet.  The main center for the worship of Bastet was in northern Egypt at the city of Bubastis.

The festival honoring Bastet has been described as one of the largest and most celebrated in all of Egypt.  Large catteries were maintained by the Temple priests and a huge cemetery of mummified cats was excavated outside of Bubastis.  Thousands of small cat sculptures, probably left with offerings to the temple have been recovered at Bubastis. 

Egyptians no longer worship cats with the same religious fervor of the ancients but they still hold them in very high regard. The Goddess Bastet is still considered by many to be the protectress of felines and those that care for them.

This seated cat has golden earrings, a golden scarab inlaid on the forehead and a necklace with a pendant in low relief.  

When a family cat died in ancient Egypt, family members would mourn by shaving off their eyebrows. They also held elaborate funerals during which they drank wine and beat their breasts. The cat was embalmed with a sculpted wooden mask and the tiny mummy was placed in the family tomb or in a pet cemetery with tiny mummies of mice.

Photo:  Mummified cat

"Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words, and the president of the sovereign chiefs and the governor of the holy Circle; thou art indeed...the Great Cat."  Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes (Egypt)

Smuggling a cat out of ancient Egypt was punishable by death. Phoenician traders eventually succeeded in smuggling felines, which they sold to rich people in Athens and other important cities.

We saw these mummified cats in the Cairo Museum.

Egyptian animals were mummified the  same way as humans.  Animals were viewed not only as pets, but as incarnations of gods. As such, the Egyptians buried millions of mummified cats, birds, and other creatures at temples honoring their deities.

In 1888, more than 300,000 mummified cats were found an Egyptian cemetery. They were stripped of their wrappings and carted off to be used by farmers in England and the U.S. for fertilizer.

Cat with Kittens, dated 664-30 BC or later in bronze and wood.  The Egyptians associated the female cat’s fertility and motherly care with several divinities. The base of the statuette of "Cat with Kittens" is inscribed with a request that Bastet grant life, directly linking the cat pictured here with the goddess Bastet. 

The bronze statue of the mother cat and her kittens reminded me of the only cat we've ever owned during our 50 years of marriage. We were living in Michigan and Garth and I were dorm parents to 2,000 boys while he was attending graduate school. Boots, our cat, lived with us in the dorm but when she had kittens, we had to give her away. It was a sad day the summer of 1969 when we drove out into the country and gave her to a farmer. It was easy to hide one cat in the dorm but surely not half a dozen! 

This photo was taken in Boise, Idaho, with my brother when I was 5 years old.  You can see from the photo that we loved our cat!

This photo was taken outside the Cairo Museum with one of the JC students. She couldn't resist picking up this cat despite that wild cats have mites, fleas and whatever.  

This is the only domesticated cat we've seen since we've lived in the Middle East so petting this Siamese cat was a pleasure for one of our JC students.  Siamese cats originated from Thailand, formerly known as Siam. They were first documented in a book to have been written between the 1350 and 1767. 

Since we are the topic of cats, I decided to look up some of the superstitions and sayings associated with cats . . . so have fun!  

Cat Superstitions

Dreaming of white cat means good luck. (American superstition)
To see a white cat on the road is lucky. (American superstition)
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. (American superstition)
If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain. (English superstition)
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. (Scottish superstition)
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it.  (Italian superstition)
A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. (English superstition)

When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave. (American superstition)

When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true. (American superstition)

In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on. 

The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town. (Netherlands superstition)

To reverse the bad luck curse of a black cat crossing your path, first walk in a circle, then go backward across the spot where it happened and count to 13.

Cat Sayings

When the cat's away, the mice will play - Folk Saying
The cat is mighty dignified until the dog comes by. - Southern Folk Saying
Whenever the cat of the house is black, the lasses of lovers will have no lack - Folk Saying
Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o' fur? - Irish Saying
A cat is a lion in a jungle of small bushes. - Indian Saying
Touch not a Cat but a glove.
What can you have of a Cat but her skin?
When the Cat's away the mice will play.
Cat and Fiddle.
Cat and Kittens.
Cat and Mouse Act.
To play cat and mouse.
Cat-o'-nine-tails.
Cat-call.
Cat-eyed.
In Ireland, if something is funny we say: "It would make a cat laugh."
Let the Cat out of the Bag
Put (or set) the Cat among the Pigeons (British Informal)
Rain Cats and Dogs
The Cat's Pyjamas (or Whiskers)
Fat Cat
Look what the Cat dragged in
Curiosity killed the Cat
Nervous as a Cat in a room full of rocking chairs
Like a Cat on a hot tin roof
Cat got your tongue
Not enough room to swing a Cat
To grin like a Cheshire Cat

To be continued . . .