adopt a pet...mummy

Wouldn't you be sad if you'd carefully buried your beloved pet, only to find out someone had carelessly destroyed the place where you meant them to rest forever?

Now how do you think an ancient Egyptian would feel to find out they have to spend eternity without their favorite kitty or monkey or (what the?) crocodile, after going to all the trouble to mummify them? To the Egyptians, no mummy = no seeing ever again. And that's doubly sad when you reflect that they were a happy civilization, generally kind, orderly and thoughtful, and they truly loved their pets.

Yet over in the Cairo Museum, a large collection of pet mummies are crumbling away for lack of conservation funds. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.

But perhaps, say, you are allergic, and a live cat will not suit. (kidding) Or perhaps you love Egyptian things and want to help. You can...

go to the Animal Mummy Project and adopt a mummy.

You should go anyway just to look. The project is fascinating, and the illustrations of pets in Egyptian art are charming. Look for the kitty stropping its claws on a nice chair. Some things never change.