When did China start to keep cats?

The information is unknown at present. It is reported that China began to raise domestic cats as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, and it is also reported that cats were introduced from West Asia only in the Tang Dynasty. Domestic cats were raised in China later than in other places, starting from 1 1 century BC. Cats were recorded in the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, < < The Book of Rites >; ，& lt& lt； There is a description of keeping cats and catching mice. A book named & gt China has collected many cat legends and breeds in detail. In the12nd century, British families liked to keep yellow and white cats, which they called "lion cats".

The first domestic cat:

The history of domesticated cats can be traced back to about 5000-8000 years ago. According to records, the first tamed cat appeared in the Middle East, and ancient Egypt was the first place where cats appeared in large numbers, but at that time, cats were only used as "tools" to catch mice. However, by 3500 BC, cats had a very prominent position in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians revered the contribution of cats, made idols for cats and put their myths in ancient Egypt.

The world's first domestic cat may appear in the Middle East. According to authoritative experts, as early as 2500 BC, libyca, an African bobcat domesticated by ancient Egyptians, should be the ancestor of the first short-haired domestic cat. Its posture is very light and its body is covered with tiger-spotted hair. Judging from the cat sleeve bones dug up from the ancient Egyptian cat tombs, most of them are similar to libyca, and a few are similar to jungle cats and Chaus. It can be seen that ancient Egypt may have domesticated both Libika and Shaws cats. It's just that Libyca may be easier to tame! After so many centuries, the cat's body shape has not changed much. Adult cats weigh about 3.6 kilograms and retain their hunting instinct.

In ancient times, Egypt was a region rich in cereal crops, so there were many barns. In order to prevent mice and other small animals from eating stored food, Egyptians like to keep cats to prevent mice, because cats can catch mice. The ancient Egyptians also revered the contribution of cats, so they did not forget to thank them when offering sacrifices to the gods. And made an idol for the cat and deified it. This god with a cat's head is called Bast or Pasht Oubasted.

In ancient Egypt, Bast symbolized the meaning of love and the moon. The cat's love is to protect the stored grain, because it can catch mice, so that Egyptians can keep their hard-earned grain crops, so it is regarded as a god to protect crops. On the other hand, the cat is regarded as the moon god, because the cat's pupil changes with light, just like the moon's circle. Look at the idol of the cat's head-Baxter, most of the statues, standing straight, smart eyes, as if looking around. One of them has a fork bell in one hand and a tambourine in the other.

In ancient Egypt, the name of a cat was "mau", which was pronounced as "Meow" in Chinese and "Meow" in English, which may be the sound made by a cat. Mau also means "look". Egyptians believe that cats that don't blink not only have the ability to know the truth, but also see the afterlife. Therefore, buster is also the "daughter of truth" god. After death, Buster will also appear in the mummy ceremony to ensure the afterlife of the deceased.

From what has been said above, we can know how much the ancient Egyptians respected cats. Cats played an important role in the life of ancient Egyptians. Most people mourn their cat after it dies. And the cat's body is well preserved with spices and antiseptic drugs. After choosing an auspicious day, put it in a sacred cave. So now in Egypt, we can see many cat mummies, which are still intact after so many years.