Bronze idol of the goddess Bastet in the form of a cat, bronze, Egypt, 664-332 BCE

Wasn’t Bastet a goddess?

It’s been patiently biding its time for the opportunity to bite my shin.

So does anyone know how we know that it’s a depiction of Bastet as a cat, and not just a regular old cat?

I like how the metal on the head is all smooth from people petting the little cat :)

I wonder what the religious ceremonies were like, to revere the goddess Bastet in the form of a cat. Would everybody lounge about, play with pieces of string, and snack on fish?