India, Feb. 15 -- Deep in the marshes of the Nile, a tawny cat leaps into the air, batting birds away. Nearby, also swatting birds away, is Nebamun, a powerful scribe in the golden era of Ancient Egypt, c. 1350 BCE. The cat's gilded eye tells the rest of the tale. This isn't a pet; it is the sun god, vying to keep light and order by defeating enemies that hover over Egypt's fertile lands. This mural on Nebamun's tomb is gen- erally considered the earliest surviving intact depiction of a house cat (scientific name Felis catus). By the 5th century BCE, the Greek historian Herodotus was reporting that when a household cat died in Egypt, entire families shaved their eyebrows in mourning. Around this time, felines were growing in importance in G...