Cat traces the relationship between humans and the cat from its original domestication in ancient Egypt c. 2000 BC, through the centuries as a utilitarian rodent catcher, its gradual acceptance as a charming and amiable pet, and its present status as a companion on a par with the dog. Long before people valued cats, however, they recognized something special about them. Their graceful, fluid movements, and their self-detachment even as they live in our homes, seems to indicate strange, even supernatural powers. The peculiar fascination of the cat, indeed, is the diversity of images it...