The Cat was a pet at least eight thousand years ago because bones of cats, mice and humans were found buried together on the ancient island of Cyprus. In ancient Egypt, the cat was a pet at least five thousand years ago. The cat was considered to be a sacred animal in ancient Egypt. Cats are held sacred in Buddhism. Much appreciated by the Buddhists was the capacity of cats for meditation which they sensed in cats. The Birman cat descends from cats that were venerated as gods in the Buddhist temples. In Burma, the Burmese cats are held to be sacred. The Birman cat descends from cats that were venerated as gods in the Buddhist temples. The Buddhist priests believed that the faithful returned to earth in the form of a cat. In Buddhism, it is believed that on the death of a person who had reached the highest levels of spirituality the soul entered the body of a cat. It remained there until the cat died, when the soul entered paradise. Even today, in some Asiatic sanctuaries, divine powers are attributed to the cat and it is believed that in the hereafter the soul of cat speaks to Buddha in favor of its owner that still lives on earth. In Buddhist temples across Asia, cats are kept as mousers. Among the most charming of Japanese cats is Maneki-Neko, a small cat believed to ensure happiness and good luck. Japanese Buddhists venerate cats after their death. The temple of Go – To – Ku – Ji in Tokyo is dedicated to cats. Vested priests serve the temple and intone chants for feline souls. Crowded into the temple are sculptures paintings and relief carvings of cats. In each of these, the cat has a paw raised as if in greeting, the classical pose of the cat Maneki – Neko. Cats continue to be worshiped as deities in countries such as Thailand and China. The power of cats to see in the dark was also considered useful to hold evil spirits at way, since it was usually thought that eyes of cat were more active at night, the walls of many Asiatic houses were adorned with images of cats. In England, a black cat sitting in a house on a wedding day is thought to bring good luck. In Thailand, a Diamond eyed cat is believed to be a symbol of good luck. In South America, the Incas revered sacred cats, representations of which can be seen in pre-Columbian Peruvian artifacts. The earliest representations of domestic cat were Egyptian tomb paintings and sculpture. By the 5th century B.C., images of cats appeared on Greek coins, and later they were depicted in Roman mosaics and paintings and on earthenware, coins and shields. Cats have reputation for having nine lives. Cats are very affectionate towards human beings. The Siamese breed of cats are very affectionate towards people.  travel tips