When were cats sacred?

 Sacred cats - were regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians 3,000 years ago. They were worshipped in the temples and adorned with jewels in their ears and with necklaces. Figures of cats were kept in people's homes and buried in their tombs. When cats died they were buried with great respect amid public mourning and their bodies were mummified to preserve them for the day of judgment. Special reverence was paid to the cat in the temple of Bubastes where Pasht the local goddess of the city was represented as a woman with a cat's head. A festival was held in her honour every year.

 A curious custom which may have had its origin in pilgrimages to the goddess's shrine survived until recent years among Egyptian Mohammedans. Before starting on a pilgrimage to Mecca they would set apart a camel for the conveyance of cats.