The School Room
A Brief History of the
Cat
Cats probably originated as descendants ot the Northern Africa Wild Cat. This is borne out by the close geographical area from which many cat words appear to come. The word cat may have come from the Arabic quttah. The Egyptian cat goddess was Phast from which we get puss or pussy. The word tabby stems from the Turkish name Utabi while the general Turkish word for cat is kedi which must have given us the word kitty.
![[IMAGE]](whtcat.gif)
Around 2000 B.C., in Egypt, the cat was elevated to the status of a goddess. So revered was this animal that it became a felony to kill one. Thousands of cats were mummified and buried in gold caskets when they died.
In the Middle Ages the cat fell to the position of being equated with the Devil. As a result large numbers cats were killed, so many that the rat population increased and caused the Bubonic Plague. Totally black cats were considered to be the most evil, and were destroyed almost to the point of extinction. On the other hand black cats with a touch of white were often spared, which is why even today it is hard to find a black cat without a bit of white on its fur.
![[IMAGE]](gatos.gif)
By the Victorian Era, cats had once again become popular and were a common pet in many households. The first major official cat show was held in 1871 in London at the Crystal Palace. Since that time the number cat fanciers has grown and there are millions of households with cats, currently out-numbering those with dogs.
![[IMAGE]](brcat.gif)
Links to other cat and pet sites:
United
Cats - The Mysterious Cat Site
Electronic Zoo / NetVet -
Cat Page
Cat Fanciers Web Site
Visit The
Wesley Stories for a UK link to some interesting children's books about
cats.
PEACOCK'S
STORY will tell you the story of how love and perserverence kept a young
stray alive and healthy!
Visit another room:
The Portrait Gallery
or
Return to
The Foyer