Over the centuries, people and cats have developed a special relationship. In China, it is believed that markings on a Tiger’s forehead are sybols of kings. In Japan, fishermen once kept cats on board ships to protect them from ghosts. And in ancient Egypt, a cat goddess named Bastet was worshipped during celebrations each year. Cats were featured in ancient Greek mythology, too. The Greeks believed that Apollo, the sun god, created the Lion, and that Diana, his sister, made a miniature copy of it, just to make fun of him. Even then, people knew the difference between big and small cats.
For many years, cats have been featured in art and literature. Famous artists such as Rubens, Rousseau, Delacroix and Dali have all depicted cats in their work. Writers like cats, too. In Lewis Carroll’s story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a fictional Cheshire Cat became famous for its wide grin, which floated in the air long after the cat itself had disappeared.
Today, our fascination with cats continues. Images of wild cats are often used to advertise commercial products such as cars, beer, snowmobiles, clothing, professional sports teams, and Hollywood movie studios.
