Cats have been part of human households for almost 4,000 years. Known today for their regal postures and aloof attitude, they were treated as sacred animals by the ancient Egyptians. They’re also instinctive hunters. Like their relatives in jungles and forests, domestic felines stalk through their surroundings, ready to pounce on their prey. Of course, their prey is often a toy, a shoe or a foot.

Here are some quotes about cats for you to enjoy:

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"If we treated everyone we meet with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat, they too would purr."

-- Martin Buxbaum

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat."

-- Ellen Perry Berkeley

"The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look whether they see a moth or an axe murderer."

-- Paula Poundstone

"You can not look at a sleeping cat and feel tense."

-- Jane Pauley

"Any cat who misses a mouse pretends it was aiming for the dead leaf."

-- Charlotte Gray

"A cat is there when you call her - if she doesn't have something better to do."

-- Bill Adler

"If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?"

-- Steven Wright

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."

-- Terry Prachett

"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow."

-- Jeff Valdez

"Garfield's Law: Cats instinctively know the precise moment their owners will awaken ... then they awaken them ten minutes sooner."

-- Jim Davis