Cats kept as pets in Ancient Egypt were doted on by their owners. The wealthier the cat's owner, the more lavishly they lived and died. Domestic cats lived into old age and were buried with their owners to protect them in the afterlife. This sarcophagus for a cat is an example of the care taken in cat burials. The small, limestone box is painted with hieroglyphs and scenes. On one side a spotted cat is flanked by attendants, indicating its high status. On another side is a winged figure. The figure could be Horus or Isis, both winged deities. Isis was an emblem of rebirth as well as the mother of Bastet, the goddess associated with cats.

Rectangular limestone coffin, missing lid, containing a mummified cat.

Mummies of animals, the most numerous type of artifact from ancient Egypt, number in the millions. The animals mummified represented a god or goddess, such as the cat belonging to the goddess Bastet or the ibis belonging to the god Thoth. Some animal mummies contained a papyrus with a request to the god written on it. Animals were mummified using the same techniques as with humans.