The first reference to the domestic cat appears in the eleventh
dynasty. Because it was hostile to snakes, it became a sacred animal
of the Sun God. In the New Kingdom, the male cat was regarded as an
incarnation of the Sun God and the female cat was equated with the
solar eye. Feline figures may display a scarab, the symbol of the
rising sun, engraved on the head or breast thus showing their solar
significance. The domestic cat attained special significance as the
sacred animal of the Goddess Bastet. Hundreds of figures were set up
as votive offerings in the temple at Bubastis in order that the donor
might share in the Goddess's grace. Actual mummies of cats were
buried by the thousands in special cemeteries in the area.

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