Sorry China—the Cat thing is Egyptian—they have the cat mummies to prove it and the literature to back it up. They worshipped cats—FYI: The name for cat in Amcient Egyptian is “Meow”.
For all the world as though Ptah-Ankh-Pu-Bah (or whatever that Egyptian’s name was) asked a cat what its name was, and believed the cat answered.
By the way— are you doing anything for the 160th anniversary next October 25?