"The idea that cats are uncaring 'evil' animals feeds into cruelty -- kids tying firecrackers to their tails, for example," anthrozoologist John Bradshaw told The Huffington Post. Evil Symbols – The fate of cats in Europe are not as lucky as a cat in Egypt. But in Ancient Egypt, and somewhat even today, cats were considered to be gods. Animals commit murder every day but they are not evil, they are just hungry and doing what God programed them to do. Pet owners like to say that caring for their dog or cat confers health benefits, mental as well as physical. Cats in Ancient Egypt. Several Ancient Egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility and power. Several archaeological remains point towards the domestication of cats in Ancient Egypt. While cats were popular pets in Ancient Egypt, it appears that the domestication possibly goes back much further to Cyprus 12,000 years ago. You can google cats for almost any culture (African, Irish, Celtic, etc) and find specific folklore. In Europe and early America, black cats were especially feared because black was the color of night and darkness — and therefore associated with all things evil. Dogs had already been domesticated for over a thousand years by this time. Cats were called Mau in Ancient Egypt, and initially the animals attained an important place as the protectors of the country’s grain, as they killed rodents and snakes. Next time, the cat wouldn’t share its astral force field with you, as a matter of fact, it may even take some of yours. "Unlike some other animals, the cat was not primarily associated with an important local deity at the beginning of Egyptian time. Cats as sacred animals "The progress of the cat in Egyptian religion was quite remarkable and in many respects unusual," writes Jaromir Malek, author of The Cat in Ancient Egypt. A whole branch of government was formed to just deal with this issue. It is generally suggested that cats were domesticated in Egypt around 2000 B.C.E. Cats were condemned by popes and massacred by entire villages and would not regain even half their former status until the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century CE. Back then, it was believed that cats could make beer go sour and that they carried souls to the devil. Exporting of cats was prohibited in Egypt. If there is an elderly woman who lives alone with her cat, black cat and regarded as witches. Killing a cat, either on purpose or by accident led to a death punishment. You do not know why cats are not mentioned in the Bible. The cat may not have been domesticated, but was clearly important to the deceased. Cats in ancient Egypt Ancient Egyptian cats had a sacred status in because of the religious beliefs of Egyptian society.