Cats are interesting little creatures that often leave us scratching our heads because of their bizarre behavior or clutching our chests in pure joy over how cute they are. It's no secret that when you walk into a pet store, the majority of the focus is on dogs, and it's not hard to understand why. Dogs are unconditionally loyal and loving; they are "man's best friend" for a reason. The emotional reciprocation from dogs is obvious, where with cats ... it's not always so obvious. Some cats couldn't care less about the human species, while others are wonderfully loyal to one person. Then there are the house cats that migrate between family members because attention is attention no matter whose hand offers it. Cats are incredibly self-reliant and not always blind in giving out affection.

There was a time in history when cats were the top dog, so to speak; when our feline friends were worshiped even. Ancient Egypt has a rich and endlessly fascinating mythology that includes deities that take feline forms. Mafdet was a goddess in the Egyptian pantheon who protected against venomous creatures such as snakes and scorpions; the feline likeness came from the fact that cats are common hunters of such venomous crawlies, and a goddess as such would look like a cat. While Mafdet made her appearance during the first dynasty in Egypt, Bastet was worshipped during the second. Initially, Bastet was a protector of the lower regions of Egypt and of the pharaoh; a ...