the egyptian cat god was called 'bast'
wild desert cats were good rodent catchers but specialized in killing and eating poisonous snakes
the egyptians being residents next to the only water source surrounded by desert, both rats and snakes were serious issues, and when a desert cat condescended to hanging around your hut, it was a blessing
so bast became a protective goddess
also a goddess of perfumes, in egyptian culture bad smells were a sign of evil spirits and perfume was supposed to protect you
sacred perfume was put in ala-bast-er jars (stone sacred to bast)
a few more tidbits
cat in ancient egyptian is 'kutti'
during the alaskan gold rush a housecat was more expensive than a sled dog because during the winter every field mouse figured out there was food and heat inside your cabin (see the movie 'Never Cry Wolf' and theres a scene you'll never forget)
the chinese are well known for their tiger and leopard kung fu styles, but there is also a rare housecat style, interestingly it is often held as a counter to the snake style
and the chinese hold the tiger to be the 'emperor' of cats because tigers are regularly seen with stripes on the forehead that form the chinese pictograph meaning 'emperor'
i love dogs and cats, but i live on a boat, so i've become the local stray cats benefactor...and i love tiger kung fu (huquan)
my brain loves weird information but its kinda disinterested by anything practical ;^)
