The most fundamental of Hindu deities, is the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - popular deities include Ganesha, Krishna, Hanuman and goddesses like Lakshmi, Durga,Saraswati.
As a child, Ganesha teased a cat by pulling its tail, rolling it over on the ground and causing it great pain, as naughty young boys are wont to do. After some time, tired of his game, he went to Kailas to his mother Parvati. He found her in great pain and covered with scratches and dust all over. When he questioned her, she put the blame on him. She explained that she was the cat whom Ganesha had teased This story is to teach us that all beings are part of divinity. Hurting one's fellow-creatures, human or animal, means hurting God himself just as Ganesha hurt Parvati by hurting the cat.Ganesha learnt his lesson just as we need to do so here on earth.