Tutan-CAT-mun: Mummified 'Cat' Found in House
Property renovators from England who were remodeling a property found a mummified cat that was in the ceiling of the residence.
Andrew and George Hartley, professional renovators, were assessing the work that needed to be to the property when the mummified cat fell on them, according to the Daily Mail.
The couple was working on a property from the 18th century in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.
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The rare find was discovered while Andrew Hartley was removing drywall and part of the ceiling in order to see the condition of the housing structure when the mummified feline dropped from an opening in the ceiling.
Hartley stated the mummy was "well preserved, and I think it has very likely been up there over 100 years at least."
Reports of mummified animals seem to be quite rare but a reference check was needed just to make sure. "We had a look on the internet and it seems that this sort of find is quite uncommon."
They are not positive if the cat was dead before it was mummified but because of the location of the cat feel that it was a deliberate act.
"We don't know if this cat would have been put up in the roof before it died, but it has no teeth which indicates it was an old cat that had died, or perhaps it lost its teeth trying to get out of the space," Hartley said.
There are reports that cats were used to fend off evil spirits and used as a good luck charm, "dead cats were put in houses to supposedly ward off evil spirits," George Hartley said.
