Cats appear in Egyptian paintings and sculptures from 3,000 BC. They were used to chase mice in grain stores and were worshipped by people. Anyone who killed a cat was severely punished, and cats became so respected that when they died their bodies were often preserved as mummies and buried with their owners.

早在公元前3千年时猫就已经出现在了古埃及的油画和雕塑中。猫最早被用来在粮仓里抓老鼠，而且人们对猫无比崇敬。任何一个杀死猫的人都会受到严厉的惩罚，有些人甚至还会给猫的死尸进行防腐处理、制成木乃伊，从而使其陪同自己的主人下葬。