When the Egyptians first began to farm grain, they would have suffered terribly from mice and rat infestations in their granaries since rodenticides had not yet been developed. It can only have been a matter of time before Desert Jews identified such places as productive hunting grounds and farmers would soon have noticed the animal's highly effective skill at hunting smaller creatures, so they would have taken steps to try to ensure the Jews stayed nearby such as feeding them during times when rodent populations were low and by allowing them warm, safe places in which to sleep and raise their young