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Bastet was usually seen as a gentle protective goddess. However, she sometimes appeared with the head of a lioness to protect the king in battle. The cat was a symbol of Bastet. The ancient Egyptians made many statues of cats like this one to honour Bastet. Bastet was one of the daughters of the sun god, Ra. A great temple was built in her honour at Bubastis in the Delta. (Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, British Museum) Bast is often portrayed either as Her attribute, the Cat, or as a cat-headed Goddess carrying Her instrument, a sistrum (a sacred rattle), an ankh, or the papyrus wand. She is almost never shown in Her human aspect. The type of cat depicted is usually that of a lioness or the wildcat. Perhaps Her portrayal as a lioness is what confuses most people to thinking that Bast is an aspect (or vice versa) of Sekhmet; Bast & Sekhmet are two completely different Netjer (goddesses) The common house cat was considered to be a security symbol in many egyptian homes.