The Purrfectly Bizarre History of Cat MummiesAs I delved into the fascinating world of...

The Purrfectly Bizarre History
of Cat MummiesAs I delved into
the fascinating world of
ancient Egyptian history I
stumbled upon a truly
mindboggling fact in one
ancient city alone over 300000
cat mummies were found Yes you
read that right cat mummies
It was as if the Egyptians had
an insatiable appetite for
feline funerary practicesBut
heres the thing Im a historian
not a zoologist The idea of
embalming cats and placing
them in tombs alongside human
remains is simply non sequitur
I mean whats next Mummified
rabbits in pyramids or dog
sarcophagi in temples Its like
the Egyptians decided to go
fullon menagerie with their
afterlife arrangementsAnd yet
as I dug deeper into the
history books I found that
these feline mummies were not
just a quirky anomaly They
were in fact an integral part
of ancient Egyptian funerary
practices The cats it seems
were considered sacred animals
associated with the goddess
Bastet and the sun god RaIn
ancient Egyptian mythology
cats were believed to possess
magical powers that could ward
off evil spirits and protect
the dead from harm As a result
the Egyptians would mummify
and bury these beloved felines
alongside their human
counterparts hoping to ensure
a smooth transition into the
afterlifeNow I know what youre
thinking But why so many cat
mummies Was there some kind of
catastrophic event that
required such mass production
Well as it turns out the
Egyptians had a rather unusual
way of dealing with their
feline friends mortality They
believed that the cats would
continue to roam the earth
guarding the tombs and
providing spiritual protection
to the deceasedAnd so they
mummified them en masse
creating an army of feline
funerary guards Who knew that
the ancient Egyptians had such
a purrsonal connection with
their whiskered companionsIn
conclusion while the idea of
cat mummies may seem like a
non sequitur at first glance
its actually a fascinating
glimpse into the unique
cultural practices and beliefs
of ancient Egypt So next time
youre wandering through a
museum or scrolling through
history books dont be
surprised if you come across a
few furry friends looking
rather wellpreservedSources
The British Museum Mummies of
Ancient Egypt National
Geographic The Secret Life of
Ancient Egyptian Cats
Smithsonian Magazine The
Mummified Cats of Ancient
EgyptJoin the conversation
What do you think about the
ancient Egyptians love affair
with cat mummies Share your
thoughts in the comments below

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.