Cairo Cats

Far from being pampered house pets, the cats of Cairo are street-smart survivors who roam freely throughout the city. However, their ancestors in ancient Egypt were revered as gods and were so beloved that they were portrayed in statues and jewellery. In subsequent centuries, the tradition of adoring cats continued and today, as Lorraine Chittock's captivating photographs display, the mystique of the cat lives on. Discover your cat's Egyptian heritage in this delightful gift book, which pays homage to the special and timeless bond that Egyptians have with the cat in the everchanging city of Cairo. Rambling through mosques and markets, Lorraine Chittock, a cat-lover-cum-photographer, searched Cairo's nooks and crannies for city-savvy felines, becoming a wildlife tracker in an urban environment. The resulting photographs are remarkable for their spontaneity and often whimsical sensitivities to both feline and human body language.

Each intimate and thought-provoking photograph is complemented by an apposite literary passage, tempting the reader to explore tidbits of folklore, religion, and poetry from Egypt and the Arab world, while giving insights into an animal that has inspired fascinating tales for at least five thousand years.