Sir Richard Arcos talks about cats.

In the Middle Ages the French seem to have believed that all heretics worshipped cats. If we take Dr. Langdon's view that allegations of heresy mean the person was a heretic, then we ought equally to note that Templars are only connected with the Grail in fictional stories of the Grail, and equally that the Grail Templars in Parsival are as connected with the real Templars as Simon Templar (AKA 'The Saint'). Furthermore, their role in fiction as facillitators of elopements and romance has nothing to do with the Sacred feminine, but the notion that the Templars were, on the whole, 'good eggs.' This role would later be taken by the Franciscans, on which see Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet, not to mention Friar Tuck in just about everything.
So, what do we have then? Cats. Why cats? And don't say 'the sacred feminine.' Cats are associated with the Egyptian Goddess Bastet, but the Sacred feminine is associated with Isis, who has o to do with cats. So, why cats? Well... Take Cathar, remove 'hars and what do you have? Cat. Yes, it really is that simple, some bright spark decided that as the word Cathar contained the word cat, they had to worship cats. I am not making this up, they really did! Ah, the joys of ignorance...