Yes they did. You could even get the death penalty if you killed a cat. They treated them so well because they protected their grains and other foods from rodents Cats also helped protect their ancient libraries.
In a way, they did. Later in Egyptian history, the goddess Bastet (sometimes just “Bast”) replaced Mafdet as the feline goddess of choice. Egyptians began regarding their cats as loving, important members of their families, and treated them with as much respect and dignity as their own children.
In Part I we learned that sickle cell anemia was recognized to be the result of a genetic mutation, inherited according to the Mendelian principle of incomplete dominance.