Other Feline Gods in Kemet

Cats who appear in Kemetic stories include Ra as one who slays the chaos entity Apep, and two lions who stand at the back and prow of Ra's bark (or boat) and are named "Yesterday" (Shu) and "Tomorrow" (Tefnut). One of the (many) manifestations of Ra is as a cat-headed man or a full cat (although by far His most common expression is full falcon/falcon-headed man rather than the cat). As well, Heru-em-Akhet ("Heru-in-the-Horizon"--better known as the Sphinx of Giza) is partially a lion.

Small statues of cats were used as "gifts" to Bast in lieu of the real thing; a state statue of Bast in the ancient Egyptian faith was the cat- or lion-headed woman. One of the most popular of these statues shows Her wearing a gown and holding a sistrum (a sacred rattle used by both male and female priests of Bast and Het-Hert) and/or Her protective aegis.

The obscure god Maahes (Greek: Mihos) is regarded as Bast's son and was worshipped alongside Her and Tem in Bubastis. Maahes may be a form of the gods Nefertem (Who is also sometimes shown with a lion's head), Montu, and Hor-Hekenu, all of whom were worshipped in Bubastis. Maahes was also worshipped in Leontopolis, located near Bubastis, along with Tefnut and Shu [24].