Where's the Respect Now?
In the ancient times of the Pharoahs, animals especially cats were an integral part of the daily life of the Egyptians.
A cat or miu (means to see), was a sacred & respected animal. Statues of cats were placed outside the house to protect the inhabitants & to ward off evil spirits.
The most famous cat goddess in the world, first revered by the ancient Egyptians was Bastet. Bastet was the goddess of fertility, protector of children & all cats. She was so popular that she became a household goddess. Then there was Sekhmet. She was the goddess of war & pestilence. Together, they represented the balance of the forces of nature in Egypt.
Cats in ancient Egypt were taken care of until they passed away. Their bodies were then mummified and given as offerings to Bastet. When a cat died their former owners would go into deep mourning and shaved their eyebrows as a sign of grief.
But the cats in Egypt were also protected by the law. Under the ancient Egyptian law, if a human killed a cat, intentionally or not, that human was sentenced to death. Laws were also set to forbid smuggling of cats to the neighbouring countries.
But today in Egypt, cats are no longer revered. In fact, feral cats are everywhere, making them vulnerable to diseases, starvation, abuse & accidents.
But the cats are lucky to have a human friend in Gloria Lauris. Lauris is the founder of the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organisation (EMRO). Through EMRO, the Egyptian street cats that were once the Pharoanic house cats have found homes in Europe & the USA.
Now if only our feral Singapuras get the same respect as the ancient Egyptian cats, wouldn't that be great?
If only Singaporeans are not so obsessed with the pedigree breed, our feral Singapuras would have been more widely accepted instead of being viewed with distaste as the 'longkang' (drain) cats.
If only animals, not just cats, are really protected by the law, then irresponsible pet owners & sickos like Hooi would think twice before abandoning, torturing or killing an animal.
If only, if only ...
A cat or miu (means to see), was a sacred & respected animal. Statues of cats were placed outside the house to protect the inhabitants & to ward off evil spirits.
The most famous cat goddess in the world, first revered by the ancient Egyptians was Bastet. Bastet was the goddess of fertility, protector of children & all cats. She was so popular that she became a household goddess. Then there was Sekhmet. She was the goddess of war & pestilence. Together, they represented the balance of the forces of nature in Egypt.
Cats in ancient Egypt were taken care of until they passed away. Their bodies were then mummified and given as offerings to Bastet. When a cat died their former owners would go into deep mourning and shaved their eyebrows as a sign of grief.
But the cats in Egypt were also protected by the law. Under the ancient Egyptian law, if a human killed a cat, intentionally or not, that human was sentenced to death. Laws were also set to forbid smuggling of cats to the neighbouring countries.
But today in Egypt, cats are no longer revered. In fact, feral cats are everywhere, making them vulnerable to diseases, starvation, abuse & accidents.
But the cats are lucky to have a human friend in Gloria Lauris. Lauris is the founder of the Egyptian Mau Rescue Organisation (EMRO). Through EMRO, the Egyptian street cats that were once the Pharoanic house cats have found homes in Europe & the USA.
Now if only our feral Singapuras get the same respect as the ancient Egyptian cats, wouldn't that be great?
If only Singaporeans are not so obsessed with the pedigree breed, our feral Singapuras would have been more widely accepted instead of being viewed with distaste as the 'longkang' (drain) cats.
If only animals, not just cats, are really protected by the law, then irresponsible pet owners & sickos like Hooi would think twice before abandoning, torturing or killing an animal.
If only, if only ...
posted by Cat at 10:46 PM
4 Comments:
It is a travesty that the Singsapura is reviled as vermin in its own country, but recognised as breed in the US. Got to admit, the americians who smuggled the original breeding pair out of here knew grain from chaff. What to do, can only lament a WHOLE nation's eyes got no stamp.
well, in japan, at least from what i saw, people like and do respect cats.
The same disrespect can be seen here in America when people run across a stray cat. Some people see these wandering felines as nuisances, and instead of trying to find homes for them or investigate where they may have come from, they get put into shelters where typically, they face overpopulated areas, low nourishment, and poor living conditions. In the end, they are put to death by the millions every year. It is truly a sad epidemic.
where are you? you haven't blogged for a several days! i miss reading about kitty cats!
(i prefer the happy stories about your cat family!)
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