Cats were vessels of the Egyptian gods.

Cats were initially regarded as receptacles for gods rather than as gods themselves. Cats were considered by the ancient Egyptians to be inhabited by gods, and some of the divinities even adopted their likenesses. For example, Bastet (also known as Bast) was the sun deity Ra's daughter. Bastet was revered as the goddess of protection and was connected with the house, domesticity, women's secrets, fertility, and childbirth as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE). She was an important goddess in the Egyptian pantheon, and she was initially represented by a lion. Later, she was represented as a person with a cat's head, and it was believed that she could transform into a cat at will. The gods and goddesses of Egyptian mythology had the ability to change into various animals. The power to transform into a cat belonged to just one deity, the goddess Bastet.

The goddess Bastet was frequently shown as having a feline head and a pair of golden ears. One of the ways humans may insult the goddess was to harm one of her cats. She could turn into a bloodthirsty, frightened lion when she was really angry, and the only way to calm her down was by giving her beer. She served as the guardian of people and was a symbol of beauty, pleasure, love, and happiness.

Egyptian women and men would wear amulets depicting Bastet during times of fertility, such as harvest and childbirth, in the hope of channeling some heavenly feminine energy. In her honor, various paintings, sculptures, architectural monuments, and other exhibitions have been made. The city of Bubastis served as the focus of Bastet's religion during the second dynasty (2890–2670 BC) when she was very well-liked. A mummified cat was allegedly buried inside the goddess' temple, which was constructed in the city in her honor. People flocked from all around to see the magnificent temple that had been built in the city of Per-Bast.