Kittens in Thebes

KITTENS IN THEBES

The two kittens stayed close to the wall, edging their way closer to the door. The door should have been closed, but it wasn’t, so the kittens saw their chance for escape. When the human standing at the door turned away, they made their move, dashing for freedom. But the human caught movement in the corner of his eye.

“Hey! Stop!”

He made a grab for the kittens, but they were faster. They ran down the alley, the human in hot pursuit, bellowing after them.

"Stop, kittens! Stop!"

The kittens had never been outside before, and were completely lost and confused. They looked back. The human was gaining on them.

“Pssst! In here!”

The kittens looked to their left. There was an older cat, wedged in a small crack in the wall. The kittens had no choice. They squeezed themselves into the crevice, and watched the human run by.  

One kitten, the tiger-stripe, turned to the older cat.

“Thank—“

“Shhh!” hissed the older cat. “He’s coming back.”

Sure enough, the human walked slowly by the crevice, looking intently for the kittens. But he didn’t see them in the crevice, and headed back to the catatorium.

“Okay, it’s clear,” said the older cat.

“Thank you,” said the tiger-striped kitten.  

“You saved us,” said the spotted kitten.

The older cat looked at them.  

“You escaped from the catatorium. You’ll be safe now.”

“Catatorium?” asked the spotted kitten. “What’s a catatorium?”

“That’s where you were living.”

“I don’t understand,” said the tiger-striped kitten.

“It’s where humans breed all kinds of cats, and then kill the kittens when they’re about half a year old. Then they mummify them, selling them to humans so that the mummified cats can be buried with the human dead.”

Both kittens looked at the older cat, horrified, but not really understanding.

“Mummification — you know, wrapping the dead up in cloth before burial?”

Both kittens nodded their heads.

“We saw that happen to our friend. I just thought he had died.” The spotted kitten hung her head.

“I miss my friend,” said the tiger-striped kitten.

“Well, you are free now. The people of Thebes will be good to you. Follow me.”

The older cat stuck his head out of the crevice, looking up and down the alley before stepping out. No human looking for lost kittens. The kittens followed him out in the alley.

“Where are we going?” asked the tiger-striped kitten.

“To the Temple of Bastet, Goddess of Cats. It’s not far.

The kittens followed obediently. Both were overwhelmed by what they saw. So many humans. So many new and exciting aromas. The tiger-stripped kitten stopped to sniff the air in front of a market stall.

“What am I smelling?” asked the stripped kitten.

“Fish,” said the older cat. “Watch!”

The older cat moved closer to the stall.

“Meow.”

The stall owner looked down and spied the cats.

“Here you go!” he said, throwing small pieces of fish at the felines.  

The kittens pounced on the food. Up until very recently they had been nursing at their mother’s teats, and had only tasted mouse, because their mother had caught it for them. They missed their mother.

But this new food -- fish -- was delicious.

“Why are they giving us this fantastic tasting food?” asked the spotted kitten.

“Because in Egypt we are seen as gods. We are revered. No one hurts cats … well except for those at the catatorium. But in the city, people take care of the cats.

They continued to follow the older cat, and in a short while arrived at the Temple of Bastet, north of the Temple of Karnak. Both kittens stopped to take in the sight. There were hundreds of cats roaming around the temple. Some hiding in dark corners, others sleeping in the sun, still others curled up on the steps leading to the temple.  

“Wow!” said the tiger-striped kitten. “Look at all these cats!”

“And look at the humans!” said the spotted kitten.

There were dozens of humans on the site. Many were leaving food offerings for the cats. Others were walking around, looking at the cats, or bending to pet those close at hand. All the people were smiling. All the cats contented.

“The people leaving the food do this to please the Goddess Bastet. She is the goddess of protection, pleasure, and the bringer of good health. She also had a cat’s head, and at night she would turn into a cat completely so that she could protect her father Ra, the Sun God. So cats are seen as gods because of Bastet’ ability to transform into a cat.”

“What about the other people? The ones without food. Are they dangerous?” asked the spotted kitten, thinking of the human that had chased them.

“No. These, mostly, are people who like cats, and like to spend time amongst us. Some cannot have a cat in their home, so they come here to spend time with us. But others, if they don’t have a cat, hope that one will follow them home, and bring luck to their families.”

Both kittens nodded.

“There,” said the older cat, nodding his head towards a man not far from where they stood. “See his eyebrows? How they’re not there?”

Both kittens nodded.

“Well, that means that his cat has recently died. When a cat dies, members of the family shave their eyebrows, and are in mourning until the brows grow back.”

Both kittens nodded again.

“This is important, little ones, because if you see a person whose eyebrows are almost filled in, they may be looking for a new cat — preferably a kitten. If you follow them home, you could become the house cat.”

“Can they only have one cat at a time?” asked the tiger-stripped kitten. “Because I think that we would want to stay together.”

The spotted kitten nodded her head.

The older cat thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. I know that in many rich families each family member has their own cat, but I’m not sure about the poorer people. Many people don’t have the means to feed more than one cat. Plus, if you’re a house cat, you are expected to catch mice and snakes, ridding the house of all pests, making it safe for humans.”

“We never learned how to catch anything. Our mother did it for us.”

The older cat nodded, and swished his tail. “It’s easy. All cats are fine, natural born hunters. You will do well.”

“Why aren’t you a house cat?” asked the spotted kitten.

The older cat looked at them. “I was. But my mistress married, and her husband’s family already had a cat, so I was released. I never thought about getting another master. I like living free. But my mistress visits me, bringing me tasty morsels.”

“Did you have a name?” asked the striped kitten.

“Amun.”

“Thank you, Amun. You saved us from the catatorium. And you’ve helped us find the our way in the city of Thebes,” said the tiger-striped kitten, bowing her head.

“Yes! Thank you so much!” said the spotted kitten, pawing gently at Amun.

“I’m glad that I was able to help you escape. We are gods, and should not be killed to appease the humans need for companionship in the afterlife.”

Amun looked around. “Go forward, kittens, and make your new life!”