This tie-in with a BBC2 series in the autumn of 1991 tells the story of the domestic cat from its origins in Ancient Egypt to its fall from grace in medieval Europe and its rise again to become one of today's most popular pets. Roger Tabor visited the ancient tombs and temples of Egypt, exploring the early fertility cults of the cat goddess, Bastet, and made discoveries about the domestication of the cat. From their confined origins, cats have spread worldwide, and many survive relatively independently of man. The book looks at ancient breeds such as the Angora, the Siamese and, in America, the Maine Coon. With the advent of cat shows in the late 19th century, the household animal became the pampered pet, and the author's view is that man's present obsession with the cat has produced attitudes which are now threatening the very nature of the independent animal. Roger Tabor's other books include the award-winning "The Wild Life of the Domestic Cat".