Dried cat

In some European cultures it was customary to place the dried or desiccated body of a cat inside the walls of a newly built home to ward off evil spirits or as a good luck charm.

[2] In the British Isles,[3][4] as well as in Northern Europe and North America,[5] the dried or mummified bodies of cats are frequently found concealed within structures and are believed to have been placed there to bring good luck or to protect the building and its occupants from harm.

[6] The North American instances are strongly associated with European households and are most often found in buildings where shoes and witch bottles are also concealed.

[2] Historian Ian Evans stated in an interview that this was part of a secret folk magic practice that may have come from the Romans to the British and then to Australia as well.

Several ancient Egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility and power.