What animal is Bastet associated with?

The story behind the answer

Bastet is associated with the cat. In Egyptian art she appears as a sleek domestic cat or a woman with a cat’s head, embodying protection, grace, and the gentle power that guarded households. Because cats controlled vermin and snakes, Egyptians revered them, and Bastet became a beloved goddess of home, fertility, music, and joy.

Her major cult center was Bubastis, where cat statues, amulets, and even mummified cats honored her; harming a cat was taboo. Memory tip: Bastet = “Bubastis’s cats.” The other animals point to different gods—falcon to Horus, dog/jackal to Anubis, and monkey/baboon to Thoth—so the cat clearly marks Bastet.