The Wild History of the Domestic Cat

For thousands of years, cats have been our friends. They’ve done everything, from being mouse catchers and post office workers to adorable lap cats—the remarkable history of the domestic cat.

The Year 2000

A study comparing the genetics of 79 domestic cats and their wild relatives showed that all modern cats can trace their ancestry to one common ancestor, Felis Silvestris. The “cat of woods.”

The Fertile Crescent in the Middle East is also where domestication began, 2,500 years earlier than previously believed. Those grain stores were a magnet for hungry mice as humans started to settle down and farm. Wild cats in the area followed (hello, food security), and people quickly realized that keeping these mouse hunters around was beneficial.

9500 Years Ago

As the oldest archaeological evidence for the human-feline bond shows, the bond has grown stronger over time. The bones of a human adult and a feline were found in a 9,500-year-old burial site located on the Middle Eastern Island of Cyprus.

It proves that ancient people loved cats so much they brought them to an island they could not have reached alone. They also valued their relationship enough to want to remain together after their death.

Five Thousand Years Ago

The domestication of cats occurred twice! Genetic analysis of small cat bones discovered in three ancient Chinese farm settlements shows that locals lived alongside leopard cats. Researchers believe that these cats may have been domesticated. This lineage did not last, and today, all domestic cats are descendants of Felis Silvestris, except for the Bengal breed, which was created in 1963 by crossing leopard cats with domestic cats.

Four Thousand Years Ago

The painting that decorates the walls of an Egyptian tomb from the Fifth Dynasty at Saqqara shows a small African Wildcat (Felis lybica ) with a gold collar. The earliest evidence that ancient Egyptians kept cats as pets is this painting. However, wildcats were exotic animals owned by royalty. Egyptians’ love of cats exploded after domesticated cats from the Middle East arrived. They were used as pets, hunters, and even as gods.

1500 Years Ago

When the Roman Empire took over Egypt in 31 BCE, domestic cats migrated from Africa to Europe. The cats spread quickly across the continent but had a somewhat composite image by the Middle Ages.

Genetic research indicates that humans were the first to breed cats with different fur colors intentionally. Cats were falsely blamed for various sins – from spreading the Black Plague to being agents of Satan. People didn’t realize how cats reduced rat populations!

500 Years Ago

When European colonists brought their ships into the Americas, they also brought cats. The cats were vital for pest control aboard sailing vessels, where food was a valuable commodity. They were also useful in the New World. Spanish conquistadors purposefully imported cats to Puerto Rico to solve the island’s rats problem. Legend has it that Columbus’ ships brought cats to North America.

154 Years Ago

In 1868, the London Post Office hired three cats as employees with a weekly salary of one shilling (for their care). The cats were hired as probationary employees for six months to help solve the Money Order Office mouse problem. The program was so successful that they were kept and spread to other offices. In 1873, the post office cats were given a well-deserved raise of sixpence a week.

151 Years Ago

The first cat show in the world was held at London’s Crystal Palace on April 18, 1871. The first cat show was held in 1871. Only 65 cats participated, but the event became a hugely popular annual event that attracted hundreds of participants. Cat shows started popping up worldwide, and their popularity spread quickly.

75 Years Ago

Pet cats were almost exclusively outdoor cats until the 1950s. There was no easy way to handle the excrement of house cats, so it was hard for them to become indoor pets. Some cat owners use boxes with sand or dirt as indoor potties, but it is messy, and the cats track dirt around.

In 1947, Ed Lowe gifted his neighbor with a bag of mineral clay for her cat’s box when her sand froze. He traveled across the country to promote his product until he finally introduced Tidy Cat Litter in 1964.

21 Years Ago

Science can now allow people to stay with their cats after they die, as our ancestors used to do. In December 2001, a mother surrogate named Allie produced a baby, CC, a clone or carbon copy of Rainbow’s genetic donor.

CC, a tabby cat with brown and white stripes, was a different color than her calico-donor due to epigenetic modifications that occurred in the womb. She was a beloved pet cat and had her healthy kittens in later life. This marked a breakthrough in the field. CC died in 2020 at the age of 18 years.

Twelve Years Ago

The United States federal government took notice of cats in a new light when a group of fifteen cats was the defendant in a case brought before the Supreme Court of South Dakota.

Officers quickly recognized that the 15 cats inside the car obstructed the woman’s view when she reversed out of the parking spot and almost hit a police vehicle in 2009. The cats were confiscated, and the owner went to Court in 2010 to get them back. The cats lost their case because the Court decided that confiscating them was best for the public and the cats’ safety.

Our feline friends have been part of human civilization for thousands of years, and they will continue to keep our laps and barns free of pests for many more. We don’t care if the jury is still out about whether cats are domesticated. They have certainly domesticated us. Break out the goodies, or open up a tasty tin for the best cat in the world: yours.