While they have become the stars of social networks today, in ancient Egypt cats were considered sacred beings, associated with Bastet, goddess of fertility, birth and protection.
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In front of the Shanghai Museum, a queue of patient furry VIPs, tails wagging and whiskers quivering, for a visit dedicated to the cats from its exhibition on ancient Egypt. Tickets for the first night of this type, Saturday, were sold out in a few days. Many cat owners see it as an opportunity to share an experience with their four-legged companion and often post pictures of their cat, most of them purebred, on social media.
One visitor told AFP she had postponed a trip to Europe so she could get one of the 200 available tickets for her “son”, a red-haired cat. Mr. Trump, so named because of his physical and psychological resemblance to the US presidential candidate, is dressed as a Chinese emperor and haughtily winks at reporters rushing to photograph him.
“I can’t imagine my life without a cat now”, explains its owner, Amy. “I have the same feeling as the Egyptians who valued cats so much.” The number of pets in China is rising sharply, reaching more than 120 million by 2023, a trend largely driven by young people.
The Shanghai Museum wanted to take advantage of this craze by organizing about ten evenings for cats, which it presents as the first in China. At the exhibition’s opening, furry visitors entered, on their master’s shoulders or in a bag.
Their vaccinations and insurances were checked and they were transferred to strollers specially designed for felines. Claire, like her German Rex cat, came in Egyptian costume. This exhibition shows that “Cats have always been good friends with people”she emphasizes.
“Today, young people are under a lot of pressure, and cats help us free ourselves from this mental pressure (…) probably in the same way as in ancient times”she suggests.
In ancient Egypt, cats were considered sacred animals and associated with Bastet, goddess of fertility, birth and protection, with a feline appearance. “In the modern world, twinks are seen as cute, which is very different from ancient Egypt”observes Feifei, a young woman, as she hugs a ball of white fur named Sticky Rice.
This attraction to the cute side of cats has launched an online phenomenon of “influencer cats,” or others whose owners aspire to become Internet stars. Many cats on display have their own social media accounts, and one or two cats are accompanied by a small team to produce content.
Furry visitors are especially numerous in the section of the exhibit devoted to Saqqara, an ancient necropolis where archaeologists recently unearthed dozens of cat mummies. The furry VIPs are photographed next to a statue of the goddess Bastet, in a heart of meow.
“There are many cat ancestors here, I wanted to bring +Sticky Rice+ to see”, says Feifei. But like most of his peers, the cat seems unimpressed by this historic experience.
