Cats represented the goddess Bastet and were venerated as sacred animals. Cemeteries of cats mummified in honor of Bastet have been found at her major cult sites, such as Bubastis. Bastet was associated with fertility, festivity, and intoxication. Cats were first kept as domestic pets in Egyptian homes in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030 BCE - 1640 BCE), where their mousing capabilities were admired.

Note the pierced holes that would have held earrings (now lost) and the linear details such as the whiskers, fur on the ears, and bead-like ornamentation around the neck, representing a necklace.

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Sources:

Andrews, Carol. Amulets of Ancient Egypt. 1994 (British Museum Press). University of Texas Press, 1998.

"Cat Statuette." Metropolitan Museum of Art. Collection Catalogue Entry for Object 56.16.1.

Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, 2003.
Cracow, Poland: 28th August - 1st September, 2002.

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