Ancient Egypt: Fido Or Kitty?

Cats entered the New World on the Mayflower. A new breed called the American Shorthair was created. This tame cat would have been distinguishable from the wild cats by their color patterns, hair length, and size. The tame cat could help hunt for birds and rodents because they are hardy, tough, and athletic. It is also likely that the tame cat bred with the wild cats, so new breeds that had the characteristics of the wild ones entered the domestic stock. Cats were not always liked though. There were many superstitions about cats, which made people afraid of them. The cat became known as an indispensable pet for all the genuine witches. The black cat also became known as one of the symbols of Satan. These superstitions may have started because nightly, silent expeditions of feral cats, or their weird cries and shining eyes in the dark. So, cats have not always been accepted as a domestic pet.

An animal can be the best thing to happen to a person. As the old saying goes: a dog is a man's’ best friend. People share their homes with their furry friends and gain relationships that are remembered until, perhaps, the rest of their days- just like an old friend. In Bilger’s article, he mentions the relationship between Lady, the sick cat, and her owners, Karen and Shawn Levering, and why the couple was so willing to give up so much for her. “If they were willing to go this far for a cat, it was partly out of a sense of misfortune. But mostly it was a matter of love” (Bilger, part 1, paragraph

The effects of pet ownership have been shown to be beneficial for humans as well as animals in need of a home. People purchase pets for a variety of reasons, spanning from a need to get more exercise, a desire for companionship, to a desire for unconditional love. Other people simply just love animals and their lives feel complete without a furry friend. However, not all of the causes of pet ownership are positive. Some people purchase a pet because they think the animal looks cute but abandon the pet after they discover the hard work it requires to train it and keep it healthy. Other people do so out of ego, such as purchasing a large, vicious pet they hope will intimidate others and later find they cannot control. The motivational causes of owning a pet will determine the eventual effects of ownership.

Why are humans so attracted to cats? Cats like dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, adapting to humans and being part of our everyday lives. In many civilizations cats have even been negated as divine. In ancient Egypt for example they were worshipped like gods and deemed holy. The position of cats in society varies on the civilization and the time period, but they nonetheless exist next to humans to some extent. This bond is unique because cats are independent, and are individualistic creatures. More than dogs, cow's, sheep’s, or any other domesticated animal cats are the closest to being equal independent companions. There is a unique bond between cats and humans that does not exist between any other animal and our history together is one of compatriots rather than dominance.

The first reason I think that cats make the perfect pet is because they are self sufficient. Cats can take care of themselves. When we take cats into our homes as pets, they don’t require much attention. Another good example of why cats are self sufficient is because they are clean animals and they bathe themselves quite

Naturally, cats were sacred to Bastet, and to harm one was unlucky and a crime against her. Bastet’s priests kept sacred cats in her temple, which were thought to be incarnations of the goddess. When a cat died, they were mummified and would be presented to the goddess as an offering, sometimes in carved cat shaped vessels.

The ancient Egyptian cats were held in the highest esteem; the penalties for harming or killing a cat was death. They worshipped a cat as a goddess often represented as half feline, half woman, whom they called Bastet. The main center where they worshipped Bastet was in northern Egypt at the city of Bubastis. The cat became a symbol of grace and poise. Some cats received the same mummification after death as humans. During the new kingdom, the Egyptian cats were sometimes painted in the paintings. Cats were also important in interpreting dreams, because if you would see a cat in your dreams, that meant you have good harvest. The two main breeds in Ancient Egypt was the Jungle cat ( Felis chaus ) and African wildcat ( Felis silvestris

Ancient Egyptian cats were very beloved in their land,since people strongly believed they were related to their many gods.It was considered illegal to give a cat to someone out of town;however Greeks and Phoenicians often robbed the Egyptians of their pets.The murder of this rare animal was treasonous. The cats so loved that the Goddess,Bast,was named after them.These felines were sacrificed so that Bast could receive them in another life.

The Egyptian culture made a goddess called “Bastet” who was a cat or a woman with a cat head. She was the goddess of all cats, guardian against sickness and evil spirits and protector of women’s secrets. This was one of the popular gods that are seen in today life and are talked about. The Egyptians were also very strict with how cats were treated, “the penalty in Egypt for killing a cat was death”(Mark). Cats were seen as gods and goddesses and the Egyptians took their gods seriously, so a punishment of death was seen as acceptable. I think it’s pretty cool that a non human was seen as superior to the human race and was treated as such. Cats were so important to the Egyptians that they surrendered Egypt to Persia. They did this because the Persians painted, “images of cats on their shields, and may have held cats in their arms”(Mark) and the Egyptians saw that as demoralized. Mark also talks about how the Egyptians didn’t want to fight because they feared they would kill a cat in battle and if they survived would be killed for slaying a feline. To me that shows true devotion to a god and I believe the Egyptians had the right morals when it came down to the battle. Yes, it probably wasn’t worth surrendering Egypt, but they were strong willed and fought for their beliefs. Cats have been close to humans for centuries, so it makes sense know to have them as pets. It’s almost like we’re giving the cats their well deserved award by taking care of them as

Most cats are very clean, and will use their litter boxes faithfully, but there are times when they do pee elsewhere.

Cats are everywhere we go. We see them in the homes of our friends, relatives, and maybe even our own. On the way home from work I see them running across the street in front of the car. On my early morning runs they scurry into the bushes as I approach. They are constantly popping up on our computers or phones, whether in a funny video shared on Facebook or a cute meme a cousin posted on Instagram. In America, cats are a beloved pet, competing only with dogs for the number one spot of most popular pet in America. In several countries I’ve visited in Europe however, I noticed some different attitudes. In Spain and Croatia, on several occasions I saw massive cat colonies congregating on the beach or in

The unusual behaviour in the peeing habit of the cat is an indication of a health related problem he/she is facing. Cat peeing everywhere is not only bad for your cat but for you and your household as well.

At this point, you might feel that I am exaggerating the negative aspects of pet-keeping. After all, pet-keeping is so common in North America. It is really part of the American culture. In fact, you mentioned how playing with your neighbor’s dog made you feel even more eager to adopt a pet yourself. This is exactly what the anthrozoologist, Herzog describes as a “meme” in his book Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat. A meme is essentially a “mental virus” that affects people in the culture where it originates from (Herzog 93). It basically means that “ideas and behaviors are contagious” and that people adopt pets by “imitation” (Herzog 93). While you might think that pet-keeping is universal across the world, it is not true. Even within the same country, your religious beliefs can change how likely you are to own a pet dog. Herzog illustrates this phenomenon using the example of Sri Lanka, a culturally diverse country. In Sri Lanka, “89% of Buddhist homes include a dog, as opposed to 4% of Muslim households” (Herzog 94). In essence, humans have the tendency to copy each other’s behavior and therefore, the environment you live in affects the way you do things. The idea that the societies we live in affects our beliefs is one of the central themes I studied in my course. A scholar named Berger coins this phenomenon “the social construction of reality” which essentially states that everything that we take for granted is derived from our culture. In essence, “there is an

Some of the cats cannot undergoes the neuturing process because of allergic reaction to the anesthesia,size of a cat or suffered from disease that require to recover before surgical process of neutering. There are also alternatives that can be taken beside of neutered the cat (VetInfo, 2012).

I have had joy and stress with dealing with cats and computers. I work in a rescue and for the most part, only a small portion of our cats care to entertain themselves with the computer and me whilst I am using it. Those that do, it seems, only venture after the mouse. Okay, there has to be a reason for that name so all righty then, I deal with it. However, we have started intaking some cats that have taken to playing with me by walking up and down the key board- some words even spell check could not figure out. But all this was well and fine as it would only be for short bursts of time. As long as I give equal attention to the felines as well as the computer, a happy medium exists and work can continue. However, some of them (one in particular) have begun to sit atop the monitor and bless Merlin 's heart- he 's not graceful. Down he falls onto the keyboard and oh- what was I writing? Where did it go? A computer is not graced with the programming to adjust for cat flight or drop. Well, dealing with that "bump" just takes finesse. Pet Merlin as well as placing him on my lap takes care of his desire to take flight. We have several that prefer not the hum of the computer screen but the warmth of the tower and they will wrap themselves around it. We have started dusting back behind there with much more frequency. Luna has decided that the top of the tower is her personal perch. This way she can be near, yet still in queen mode, to be revered from down below. A laptop has