The Egyptians had cat cemeteries.

Cats, dogs, hippos, and falcons were among the many pets owned by the ancient Egyptians. As previously stated, domestic pets were mummified and buried alongside their owners. However, animals were also mummified on a large scale. This massive cemetery was discovered at Berenike, a port town on the Red Coast, and is thought to be nearly 2.000 years old. It dates from the pre-dynastic period, when the Roman Empire ruled the region.

Cats made up roughly 90% of the animals interred at the site. Many of the felines had iron collars or shell and glass necklaces. One was buried on the wing of a huge bird.

Meanwhile, dogs accounted for around 5% of the graves. The canines had frequently lived into old age, losing teeth or suffering from gum disease and worn-out joints - conditions that would have rendered them unable to fend for themselves. Some of the dogs had also healed from injuries incurred years before they died.

In addition to the cats and dogs, monkeys smuggled from India were buried at the location. Nonetheless, the monkeys, like the cats and dogs, were buried with great care. One was wrapped in a woolen blanket, while others were discovered with amphoras and big shells buried beside them.

There were 100 complete animal skeletons discovered, including 86 cats, 9 dogs, and 2 monkeys. Though not the first find of mummified ancient pets, it highlights the enormous lengths Egyptians and Romans went to care for these creatures.