Cats have been an animal of mystique for centuries.
Perhaps it is their somewhat aloof nature, or maybe it is the mystery in their eyes, but whatever the reason, many ancient religions and myths had cats as a central part of the story.
Egyptian Kingdoms In Egypt, a cat deity called Bast was worshiped starting in the Second Dynasty.
Throughout Egyptian history this goddess had several names, including Bastet, Ubasti, Pasht and Pakhet, but regardless, she was the defender of the pharaoh and Ra.
She was a lunar deity, which is fitting since cats tend to be nocturnal in nature.
At first, Bast was a lioness, but over time the image was changed to that of a domesticated cat with human characteristics.
Soon the Egyptians began to revere the animals themselves, as they pointed to the cat-god Bast.
Some Pharaohs were even found with the mummified remains of their favorite felines in the pyramids with them.
The Sphinx Another place that the image of a cat makes its appearance again is in the Sphinx.
This character in ancient mythology was a composite deity that had both lion and human characteristics, typically the body of a lion or cat and the head of a human.
The Sphinx was part of Egyptian, Greek and Assyrian myths.
Christianity and Islam The cat is not left out of the ancient Christian religion.
Some claim that the tabby cat bears an "M" on its head because that is where the Virgin Mary touched a cat when baby Jesus was born.
The Islamic faith also has a thought about the "M" marking.
They believe it stands for Muhammad, the faith's founder and prophet, who was a cat lover.