Cats are not directly mentioned in the canonical texts of the Bible (Old Testament or New Testament). While big cats such as lions and leopards are mentioned throughout the Bible, domestic cats as animals are absent by name. The only possible mention of cats occurs in the Apocryphal book of Baruch (Baruch 6:21), where cats are listed among creatures, but this is outside the standard biblical canon. Cats were well known in the ancient Near East and Egypt, but the biblical texts primarily focus on animals with agrarian, sacrificial, or symbolic importance, which could explain their absence. Cats in biblical symbolism are often interpreted indirectly through traits associated with them, such as independence, watchfulness, mystery, and discernment. These qualities align with some biblical themes, although cats themselves are not named in the texts. Early Jewish and Christian writings, such as the Talmud and Church Fathers, also rarely mention cats in a theological or symbolic way. In summary, domestic cats as such do not appear explicitly in the Bible, but they do appear once in apocryphal text and are symbolically linked to traits valued or discussed in biblical literature.
