Bubastis was an ancient city in Egypt. The Egyptian people hoped with proper blessings that their gods and goddesses would protect them. Their kings (pharaohs), queens, and citizens of Bubastis believed that common cat held special powers and they created temples and sculptures to glorify these magnificent creatures. Bubastis was known all over Egypt and in other territories as The City of Cats.
Bubastis, also known by the Egyptian name Per-Bastet (the house of Bastet), refers to the goddess Bastet. Bastet had the power to become a cat. She was portrayed as a goddess with the head of a cat and the body of a woman. Her image was found in monuments, pottery, sculptures and wall paintings (hieroglyphs).
The ancient Egyptians recognized that cats could protect them, bring good health to their homes, and promote fertility. The Egyptians believed that cats ate mice, snakes, and other rodents that carried disease, and by keeping their houses clean of these animals, they protected their homes. These ancient people also thought that cats made people happy and brought them together.