It's been less that 10,000 years since cats swaggered into our lives. Hardly an eye blink in
the grand sweep of life on this planet. Why were cats so late to join our team? The simple
answer is they didn't need us to survive. Cats were surviving just fine on their own. Then,
people invented agriculture. Agriculture resulted in large scale storage of grains which
attracted the usual and well know group of freeloaders, mice and rats. Grain attracted
rodents. Rodents attracted cats who consider them tasty meals. The result was that cats
set up housekeeping close to human settlements. Eventually, cats being cats, moved right
on in.
Who were these first cats? The first clue lies in where agriculture was first
practiced. Agriculture first took root (no pun intended) in the Middle East in a great
sweep from modern day Turkey to Egypt. Within this area ranges the African wild cat,
Felis libyca. African wild cats are slightly larger that our modern house cats and are
yellow in color with muted stripes. These cats have a docile, almost laid back nature.
Interestingly, these cats still tend to live and hunt near human dwellings today. Locals
still like to catch and rear young wild cats as pets. When mature, wild cats raised by
humans tend to behave very much like our familiar housecats. A very good case can (and
has) been advanced designating Felis libyca as the principal founding population for
domestic cats. At least two other varieties of wild cat are speculated to have contributed
to the genetic make up of domestic cats. One is Felis silvestris, The European wildcat
who appears to have contributed darker markings and a peppery spirit to the African wild
cat base. Also, from Asia, comes the Pallas or Steppe cat (Felis manul) that appears to
have contributed long-haired coats to the mix.
The early period of domestication of cats is vague with only patches of evidence.
However, by 6,000 B.C. statues found in Anatolia (modern Turkey) show women playing
with domestic cats. Cats had clearly become common and affectionate pets by that time.
The earliest written records about cats appear by approximately 4,000 B.C. in Egypt
where they were frequently kept to hunt mice and rats from stored grains. It was a good
time to be a cat in ancient Egypt. Domestic cats were thought to be the embodiment of
the goddess Bast (or Bastet). There was a necropolis at her principal temple at Bubastis
that contained mummified cats.
Romans spread the domestic cat northward into central Europe and westward to
Britain during the expansion of their empire. Cats were quickly adopted and admired as
great hunters. And they continued to move north and east in Europe. The Vikings used
cats as both rodent hunters and pets. The Viking goddess of love and war, Freyja, was
associated with cats. Huge winged cats drew her chariot. It also became the custom to
give new brides a kitten in her name.
The Middle Ages it were a very bad time to be a cat. Cats were said to be witches
familiars, in league with the devil. Because of this superstition, cats were routinely killed
during festivals. Sometimes they were even burned alive or thrown off tall buildings. The
Europeans paid heavily for their cruelty to cats. The deaths of so many cats allowed the
rodent population to rise out of control, bringing in the Black Death which killed so much
of the European population. Eventually, the cats' cleanly ways and hunting prowess
redeemed them in the eyes of the people of Europe. By the 1600s, people in France began
putting little holes near the bottom of their doors to allow their cats to enter and leave as
they please.
In Asia cats continued to be familiar hunters and cherished pets. Cats were often
subjects for drawing and painting in China. In Japan, cats in the form of Maneki Neko,
usually portrayed as a sitting cat with one paw raised and bent, are considered good
fortune. They are often found in businesses to draw in money.
The history of cats is a fascinating one, worthy of much more in depth study. It
fosters an appreciation for the personalities and talents of our pets.
