A line of elegantly dressed visitors gathered outside the Shanghai Museum, their tails swishing and whiskers trembling with anticipation as they awaited entry to the museum's first-ever ancient Egypt cat night. Tickets for the Saturday evening event quickly sold out, as Shanghai's pet enthusiasts jumped at the opportunity to engage in an educational outing with their pets and share the moments on their cats' social media profiles. One owner shared with AFP that she had delayed a European trip to secure one of the 200 tickets for her majestic ginger cat, Trump, who was adorned in Chinese imperial attire and gazed imperiously at the cameras.
"I can't picture my life without a cat now," Amy, Trump's owner, confided to AFP. "It makes me understand why the Egyptians held cats in such high esteem." The pet population in China has skyrocketed, surpassing 120 million in 2023, with cats leading in popularity. This trend is largely fueled by the younger generation, who often view their pets as cost-effective substitutes for human children, according to experts. The Shanghai Museum is tapping into this trend with a series of ten planned cat nights, starting with Saturday's inaugural event.
As the honored guests entered, either perched on shoulders or peeking out of handbags, their vaccination and insurance records were reviewed before they were placed into specially designed cat-eared strollers. Claire, who coordinated her outfit with her German Rex cat Tiedan, remarked that the exhibition highlighted the enduring friendship between cats and humans. "Today's youth face immense pressure, and cats help alleviate a lot of mental stress, much like in ancient times," she observed. In ancient Egypt, cats were revered and linked to Bast, a deity associated with fertility, birth, and protection.
In the modern era, cats are seen as symbols of cuteness, a stark contrast to their ancient Egyptian significance, noted Feifei, holding her white cat Sticky Rice. This perception has spurred a rise in cat influencers and aspiring social media stars. Many of the cats at the event had their own social media accounts, with some even having dedicated teams to produce content. A section dedicated to Saqqara, an ancient burial site where recent excavations uncovered numerous cat mummies and artifacts, featured the visiting cats being photographed next to a statue of Bast, amidst a chorus of curious meows.
"There are many cat ancestors here, I wanted to bring Sticky Rice to see them," Feifei explained. However, much like his fellow felines, Sticky Rice appeared largely indifferent to the historical surroundings.
