Who Considered Cats Sacred?

As paradoxical and implausible as it sounds, one of the greatest and the most powerful civilizations of history, the Egyptian civilization, who lived three thousand years ago considered cats as sacred animals.  They were paid the highest regard and respect and were worshipped in temples and adorned with jewels in their ears and with necklaces too by the Egyptians.  The extent of reverence of Egyptians for cats was such that figures were kept in people's homes and buried in their tombs when they died.

When cats died, they were buried with great respect amidst formal and ceremonial public mourning.  Even their bodies were mummified to preserve them for the Day of Judgement.  

Special devotion was proffered to the cat in the temple of Bubastes where Pasht, the local goddess of the city was represented as a woman with a cat's head.  A festival was held in her honor every year.