cats in ancient egypt were worshipped as deities (powerful spirits). for many centuries, cats have had a reputation as magical animals. many sailors believed myths and superstitions about cats. cats were thought of as smart, lucky animals. sailors usually took very good care of their ship's cats to keep them happy. some sailors believed that six-toed cats were better at catching pests. they may have thought that extra toes give a cat better balance, which would be important when at sea. in some places, all six-toed cats became known as "ship's cats".