| The cat has developed an intimate relationship
with mankind whilst still having its own independence. The
cat leads a double life. Out of the home the cat is its
own boss, alert and free living wild creature. In the home
it is an overgrown kitten. The cat manages to remain tame
because of its upbringing, being with humans and other cats
from an early age it considers itself both.
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Cats have been domesticated for more than
3,500 years. Remains dating from 9,000 years ago have been
found at a Neolithic site at Jericho, but there is no proof
that these were domesticated cats. The only proof we know
that the transformation from wild cat to domestic animal
took place, is that from specific records and detailed pictures
from ancient Egypt.
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| Cats were of little value to early man until
he had progressed to the agricultural phase and was starting
to store large quantities of food. This attracted rats and
mice and any carnivore that preyed on these pests would have
been a godsend to the harassed food storers. So from here
on the keeping and breeding of cats for the vermin destruction
must have been a simple step, since it benefited both sides.
Because of the importance placed upon the cat the ancient
Egyptians considered the cat sacred and thepunishment for
killing one was death. If a cat died naturally ina house
the occupants would go into mourning by shaving off their
eyebrows. The body of the Egyptian cat was then embalmed
with full ceremony, |
| the corpse was bound in wrappings of different colours,
its face covered with a sculptured wooden mask and then
buried in a cat shaped wooden coffin or encased in plaited
straws.
The cat Goddess was called Bastet, meaning She-of-Bast.
Bast was the city where the main cat temple was situated.
Here as many as half a million people would meet every spring
for the sacred festival. About 100,000 mummified cats were
buried at these festivals to honour the feline virgin-goddess.
The cult of the cat lasted for nearly 2,000 years and was
officially banned in AD 390.
For more information on the history of the cat and questions
like why does a cat purr and why does a cat have a nine
lives then Desmond Morris's book Catwatching answers these.
Moving on to present day, the continuing popularity of
the cat can be seen in the numerous children's illustrated
books featuring cats and kittens. |
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My personal favourite is the illustrator Nicola Bayley who
is well known for her pictures of cats and who has established
a reputation for herself as one of the most gifted and imaginative
contemporary illustrators. Her most popular books include
The Patchwork Cat and the Copycats Series |
| Nicola Bayley was born in Singapore and studied art
at St Martins and the Royal College of Art. She now lives
in London with her husband, son and famous tabby cat Bella.
Illustrator/artist Martin Leman has an international reputation.
His paintings have been exhibited in Europe and America
and also hang in private collections and galleries throughout
the world. He has illustrated many books including Martin
Leman's Painted Cats, The Perfect Cat, The Little Kitten
Book and The Teeny Weeny Cat Book.
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Contributed by Fiona Lane
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