THE SHORT-HAIRED DOMESTIC CAT. The domestic cat in history and legend. Part 8.

   Domestic cats were comparatively rare in Greece and Rome until approximately the beginning of the Christian era. The Greeks and Romans preferred the weasel for dealing with rodents. Admittedly, furriers everywhere included cats' fur in their wares as we learn from the writers og Greek comedies. The Gree goddess Artemis later succeeded to the place of Bast, as protectress of women and goddess of childbirth. The celebrated Artemis grotto near Beni-Hassan-el-Amar contains numerous cat burials and images of Bast.