History shows that cats and humans have been interactive with each other. Because cats have . Skulls of cats found in Egyptian cat burial . The earlier ancestors of today's domestic cats spread from southwest Asia and into Europe as early as 4400 B.C. However, a groundbreaking study published in Science magazine theorizes that the history of cats as companion animals goes back much further, approximately 12,000 years. If true, this would indicate that cats were domesticated more than oncein China, and 5000 years earlier in the Middle East. Domestic cats can now be found all over the world. Domestic cats belong to the genus Felis. Dogs may have begun to be domesticated anywhere from 15,000 to 130,000 years ago. For a long time, people believed that the first cat was domesticated in ancient Egypt about 3,500 years ago. Cats and humans have lived together and cooperated for food and other resources for thousands of years. A theory about these wildcat ancestors, according to Stephen O'Brien of the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, is that they "just sort of domesticated . By analyzing the ancient DNA of cat remains found in port cities, the scientists concluded that cats were brought along on ships, most likely to help protect When did cats begin to be domesticated? Lifelong Companions. The second wave occurred in a much less . The development of true domestication (or perhaps more accurately 'taming' of cats) was previously thought to have occurred in Egypt around 3600 years ago. The species still exists, living in the Savannah in the Middle East and . The relationship between cats and humans Nearly all cats, including lions, tigers and the domestic cat, are descended from one prehistoric creature. If kittens, you build trust with them the same as with any other animal, meaning food and not hurting or scaring them. The cats of this genus are all relatively small, getting to be no larger . However, the theory was challenged about 10 years ago when, with the help of . Dogs may have become domesticated because our ancestors had more meat than they could eat. Cait Sidhe (pronounced "kate shee") is known to be a magical, mischievous creature known as a "fey" or "faerie"; Cait Sidhe is known as the Faerie King of Cats. Mummified cats were worshipped and often placed in the same tombs as their owners. The two main theories surrounding the domestication of cats are that either the original wildcats (Felis sylvestris lybica) were deliberately tamed and selected for friendliness, or that rather than being specifically selected they were more 'tolerated' by humans and gradually diverged from their 'wild' relatives . The human / canine bond is the only time this has been observed between two species. All 600 million housecats in the world can be traced back to five females of this species. Domesticated cats came to Europe from the Vikings, who had had them for a long time, came . All domesticated cats come from the Felis Silvestric typical family in ancient Egypt. Around 8,000 years ago, the cats began hanging around farming communities in the Fertile Crescent, where they developed a mutually beneficial relationship as humans' rodent patrol. In the same way that agricultural developments spread across the world, so did the domestication of cats that resulted from these developments. The oldest known relative, the African Wildcat, first developed over 12 millions years ago. Dogs, it is now generally agreed, arose in the camps of hunting and gathering peoples perhaps 30,000 or more years ago. And a grave from 9,500 BC on the island of Cyprus was recently unearthed: it contained the remains of a person who had been buried with the remains of their cat. The relationship between cats and humans Nearly all cats, including lions, tigers andRead More Cats may have also been domesticated earlier than the cats of Cyprus, some 12,000 years ago. Ancient cats lived in the wild for thousands of years, and when they became domesticated, they became loved and cared for by the modern-day family! Millennia of Feline Friends. Domestic cats are responsible for a significant reduction in numbers of hedge birds, small rodents and other, various, ecological damages in every habitat in which they are present. When did cats first become domesticated? Unlike dogs, however, we can more confidently trace cats to the region of their domestication, namely the Middle East. Domestication of animals was an amazing feat that changed human relationships with the natural world. There were little or no feral cats. The domestic cat (Felis catus) descended from wildcats once found in parts of Africa and the Middle East. [1] These wildcats are still found today in Europe, Africa, and southern parts of Asia. Domesticated cats are the smallest member of the Felidae family, which encompasses all cats. However, during the middle of the 14th century, cats became linked with the devil. The first time a cat was domesticated in Ancient Greece was during the Minoan civilization. Witchcraft. The family Felidae, to which all living feline species belong, arose about ten to eleven million years ago. Nevertheless, we do know that the Ancient Egyptians were obsessed with them. How did cats become domesticated? As simple as the question seems, there is no definitive answer but many clues, and an abundance of theories. Over the next five thousand years, cats became a companion pet because of their budding properties, but that still doesn't hide their importance to the . When it came to dogs, humans deliberately bred dogs to be more adorable and then the other animals came along after that. It was long thought that cat domestication was initiated in ancient Egypt, as since around 3100 BC veneration was given to cats in ancient Egypt. "The process and timing of cat domestication has been terrifically difficult to document," Melinder Zeder, a curator of Old World archaeology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington . The cat has become so popular that there is now around 8.5 million pet cats in the UK alone. Cats were first domesticated in the Near East around 7500 BC. However, they did not find evidence that any present day domesticated cats are related to leopards, so if there was a time that they were domesticated, it did not last (Vigne and others 2016). Ancient Egyptian art depicts cats eating fish underneath chairs. How did Cats Become Domesticated? As early as 4400 B. C., the ancestors of today's domestic cats spread from southwest Asia to Europe. The second "first" was during the Greek Bronze Age. 4. However, it is important to note that we actually know a fair amount about the domestication of . Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress. Until recently, researchers estimated that cat domestication dated back to 9,500 years ago. The Modern Cat. When did cats first become . Possible explanations include overstimulation and an attempt by the cat to control when the petting ends. The domestic cat is a member of the Felis lineage. Neither Romans nor Greeks knew of domesticated cats except as something Egyptian people did. Black cats, in particular, were thought to be evil. The Cats Were Mummified In Ancient Egypt. . The domestication of cats, however, is strikingly different from the domestication of other animals. Overall, cats became a domesticated companion of humans without changing much, says evolutionary geneticist and article coauthor Eva-Maria Geigl. How Did Cats Become Domesticated? In contrast, cats were domesticated as predators of rodents and lived near human habitations when humans began to settle and farm. In fact, chances are good that interested individuals have heard many jokes about either cats being wild or cats having domesticated humans. But while a Pomeranian looks nothing like a wolf, a thoroughbred jump horse looks nothing like . According to the author, only 14 animals passed the test of domestication. A separate study and genetic analysis suggested that domestication of the animals began closer to 12,000 years ago. Answer (1 of 20): I've domesticated wild cats. Even now, people make jokes about the domestication status of cats. Cats were first domesticated in the Near East about 10,000 years ago. But new evidence out of China has placed the date for the origins of the cat there some 3,500 years earlier than previously thought. In fact, there are more than 300,000 cat mummy specimens have been discovered in Egypt! Dogs were the first domesticated animals, cooperating with humans by hunting and guarding. Over the years, felines have continued to help control pest infestations on farms, in sheds, and in homes while withstanding bad raps and hardships. With time, the producers began to see worth in owning these cats around. Even if guessing when cats became domesticated is difficult, why humans took them in is a little easier to speculate. . One of the most interesting facts about domestic kitties in Egypt is that they were often mummified when they died. There are lots of records of domestic cats of that time as we well know. When did cats first become domesticated? Spotted cats are real wild cats, we often say that domestic cats in the classification belongs to a subspecies of spotted cats, and our common city wild cats, to be precise should be wild cats. They lived in forests before they moved into villages. What did all cats evolve from? But how did this all start? Who first domesticated cats in Egypt? The Ancient Greeks had three "firsts" for cats. The Fairy King of Cats While black cats being a symbol of Halloween seems to be a fairly recent commercial evolution, Samhain did have one very special feline guest: Cait Sidhe. History of Cats. As it's well known, Egyptians even worshipped their feline friends. However, there is still a bit of wilderness left in them, despite thousands of years of natural selection and evolution of cats. Advertisement Domesticated cats all come from wildcats called Felis silvestris lybica that originated in the Fertile Crescent in the Near East Neolithic period and in ancient Egypt in the Classical period. In return, dogs . . Egyptians were not the only societies that worshipped cats. How Did House Cats Become a Thing. Archaeologists have found evidence to suggest that Cats were domesticated around 9500 years ago. In Cyprus, archaeologists have unearthed a 9,500-year-old grave where a cat was deliberately buried next to a human. Co-existence of cats and humans is evident from fossil records from early human settlements, although these have been assumed to be wild cats. How did dogs become domesticated? The answer to the question of when dogs became pets is unclear. Where did cats come from before they were domesticated? This information is still disseminated on the Internet by well-established websites. Wolves travel in packs, following a highest-ranking wolf, but a cat is . The Human / Canine Bond. Cats were first domesticated in the Near East around 7500 BC. The number of domestic cats was minuscule compared to . For a long time, it was theorized that wildcats were first domesticated in Ancient Egypt around 3,600 BC, where they were commonly shown on murals and statues. Cats are the most popular pet animal in the world. The cat - Felis domesticus. For a long time it was believed that the Egyptians domesticated cats around 4000 years ago. Scientists analyzed the genetic composition of 79 . One idea is that cats simply took an interest in people and started hanging around them. For instance, sheep and goats were domesticated . What did all cats evolve from? The irresponsible keeping, especially with feral populations, of cats isContinue reading "Top Ten Cats #1 - The Domestic Cat, Felis catus" Another one of the few distinct traits that domesticated cats have is their sociability. The domestic cat originated from Near-Eastern and Egyptian populations of the African wildcat, Felis sylvestris lybica. The value of the cat was prized and valued. Cats Reach The New World. Why did the [] The cats which were in a position to do this ended up simply being extremely successful, forgive the pun. Relatively little is known about the initial relationship between humans and cats. 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