CATS: KEEPERS OF THE SPIRIT WORLD by John A. Rush

I remember being fascinated by statues of Egyptian cat and lion goddesses which seem to have a hypnotic power over onlookers. Human beings have always had close connections with both cats and dogs, but I don’t recall many dog goddesses or any dog worship in many cultures. What is it about cats? This is what is explored in this book. They prefer darkness and are night-time predators. They don’t seem to need our attention, and these things make us not quite trust them. Yet in addition to their connection to the dark and the shadows, their intelligence, sophisticated physical abilities, and finely tuned senses also led many cultures to view cats as connected to the spirit world. The author examines the spiritual beliefs around cats from Mayan, Aztec, and Native American mythology as well as from ancient India, Babylon, Japan, and Egypt. By the end maybe we are a little bit wiser about them.

208pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99