In an April 8, 2004 article in National Geographic magazine, archaeologists from France found the remains of a human and a cat buried in a 9,500-year-old grave site on Cyprus, a Mediterranean island.

People honor their beloved cats upon their passing, according to Peternity.com.com Founder Colleen Mihelich. Her company offers hand crafted, cremation pet urns, grave markers and engraved pet memorials for cat-lovers who have lost a beloved pet.

Cat domestication appears to be ancient. Many experts believe that the Egyptians tamed and bred felines to produce a distinct species by around the 20th century B.C.

Ancient Egyptians Cats were revered by ancient Egyptians more than in any culture in history. Because they were so respected, cats were often mummified and buried in tombs along with their human owners.Back then it was also considered a high crime to kill a cat, and it was punishable by death. Families that owned cats made shrue their felines were respected long after their death. The family would go through a period of grief after a pet cat died, and they even shaved their eyebrows to express grief. Cats were often mummified after they died and then entombed with fine jewelry and treasures; a custom that was reserved for the most wealth and powerful. There is also evidence of mummified rats and mice in tombs. All of this signals that the Egyptians believed in life after death.

Bast, the Egyptian Goddess with the body of a young woman and the head of a cat. (The Book of the Dead, 3000 B.C.)

In ancient times, the cat, or miw, which means "to see," was a sacred companion. Domesticated Egyptian cats were used for warding off rodents and even snakes. As time went by cats became more important to the Egyptians, and almost like a God. Cats were also represented in Egyptian mythology as the feline goddesses named Bastet, Sekhmet. In early times Bast, also written as 'Bastet' by the scribes, was a goddess that was shown as a woman with the head of a cat or lion.

In an April 8, 2004 article in National Geographic magazine, archaeologists from France found the remains of a human and a cat buried in a 9,500-year-old grave site on Cyprus, a Mediterranean island. Unearthed in 2001 in the Neolithic village of Shillourokambos, the mummified remains were found along with seashells, polished stones and offerings such as ochre and flint tools, axes, and other decorative artifacts. This predates the known early Egyptian art that depicted cats by more than 4,000 years.

Archaeologist Jean-Denis Vigne of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris said that human and pet cat burials indicates a strong association between the human and cat and that the feline is possibly the world's oldest known pet cat.

Other researchers have found hints that cats were domesticated even earlier than this, with experts who have found 10,000-year-old engravings and pottery depicting cats that actually date back as far as Neolithic period, or the late Stone Age, which also provides evidence that cats had a spiritual significance.

The world today is still fascinated with cats, and why pet memorials are growing in significance. Mihelich is always on the lookout for unique, handcrafted pieces of art to help her customers express their love, joy and memories.