I am sitting at my desk typing on my computer, acquainted by my lovely (but crazy) kitten, Kiwi. She is tirelessly trying to run across my keyboard, which almost always adds random characters to whatever document I am working on. Behind Kiwi is my notepad that my sister got me that reads “Crazy Cat Lady” across the top, which is a saying my friends have used to describe me on multiple occasions. As I sit and look at my notepad, I wonder to myself; why are cats often associated with women? I took to Google to find out some answers to my questions, and I thought this would be a perfect topic to write about this week.
While I was searching for answers, I found that there is a deep-rooted history between cats and women, sometimes for good and sometimes for worse. In Ancient Egypt, cats were worshiped and welcomed into society. Wild or domestic, they were seen as divine creatures for many reasons. Individuals invited cats into their homes because they chased away unwanted animals and pests, such as mice and scorpions. Ancient Egyptian royalty often owned cats, which they dressed in gold and let them eat off their plate, so people of the lower class followed suit.
Cats were directly related to Ancient Egyptian femininity. As explained by Faye Sakellaridis in “Cats and Witches: A Magical History,” “Two widely venerated Egyptian goddesses, Bastet and Sekhmet, are feline deities. Bastet is quite literally the goddess of cats, depicted as a cat or a woman with the head of a cat, and presides over the home, fertility, and protection. To harm a cat was considered a crime against Bastet herself.” Similarly, Sekhmet is depicted with the head of a lion and is a fierce hunter. Because of this, cats were sometimes considered to be demi-deities.
In addition to Egyptian deities, cats are linked with other women in power in other cultures. Sakellaridis states “In Greek mythology, Diana, goddess of the hunt and moon and teacher of magic and witchcraft, shapeshifts into Lucifer’s beloved pet cat to gain entrance into his chamber and seduce him. In Norse mythology, Freya, goddess of fertility, war, and death, would lead Valkyries into battle to collect fallen soldiers, riding on a chariot led by two formidable blue cats […] according to Hebrew folklore, Lilith […] shapeshifts into a black vampire cat named El Broosha, preying on newborn babies.”
While cats were admired in Ancient Egypt, they were widely disliked during the Middle Ages. Cats were frequently scrutinized for their unapologetic independence: many people saw cats as a sign of evil or a reincarnation of the devil. Throughout the Salem Witch Trials, cats were often seen as acquaintances to witches. From the 15th to 18th century, numerous women were accused of being witches and were killed, which included their cats as well. Black cats in particular were targeted and tortured. Sakellaridis states, “Despite the lingering traces of black cat prejudice, cats have found their way back in the good graces of social opinion. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the popularity of all things cat on the internet runs parallel to the rise of the witch, and the reclaiming of the divine feminine. Let us witches honor our feline counterparts, who have historically been revered and demonized for our spiritual powers and iron-clad independence.”
Through my research, I found that cats have been linked to femininity and women for as long as time can tell. Although the Middle Ages were a dark time to be a woman (or a cat), many other cultures see cats as magical figures that assist females in power. Today, cats are admired and loved by many as wonderful companions. So, when someone calls me a crazy cat lady again, I’m going to take it as a compliment.
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