They all have their own personalities—some are loving cuddle bugs who stick by your side while others prefer to do their own thing. That cats are mysterious, elusive and surely never completely tameable animals is now well known: but would you have ever imagined […] Learn more about top cat food trends. Non-cat-owners probably assumed that cats were domesticated by people to help with rodent problems and the like, but of course cats made the decision for themselves. More information available at checkout. Through a licensing agreement, the ASPCA receives a royalty fee that is in exchange for use of the ASPCA’s marks and is not a charitable contribution. It's a question that scientists have been asking, too. All Rights Reserved, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Products are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, produced and administered by C&F Insurance Agency, Inc. (NPN # 3974227), a Crum & Forster company. All domestic cats, the authors declared, descended from a Middle Eastern wildcat, Felis sylvestris, which literally means "cat of the woods." Preventive and Wellness Care reimbursements are based on a schedule. The earlier ancestors of today’s domestic cats spread from southwest Asia and into Europe as early as 4400 B.C. The earliest archaeological evidence is found on the Greek island of Cypress. The Ancient Egyptians were enthralled with the cat’s ability to keep them safe from rodents, snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous critters. Do you agree with our list of cuddly pet celebs? In the United States, cats are the most popular house pet, with 90 million domesticated cats slinking around 34 percent of U.S. homes. Cookie Policy The researchers studied DNA from archeological sites in Ireland and Germany. when were cats domesticated: We are convinced that we have chosen to bring kitty into our homes, in fact the latest studies show that long ago cats have been tamed humans: this is why. There are many theories about why cats chose to live with people at all. This can come from all different sources including beef, chicken, turkey, fish, or shellfish. Complete Coverage℠ reimbursements are based on the invoice. Further, at the Neolithic site of Shillourokambos, a purposeful cat burial was found next to a human burial, dated between 9500-9200 years before the present. Cats are "domesticated" because humans enjoy having them around, and the cats are just responsive enough to their "masters" to allow the humans to have affection for them. The same study asserts that cats were domesticated in the Near East , … They were so enthralled with cats that they took them into their homes and thought of them as part of their families. The ASPCA® is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. These cat mummies have provided valuable DNA to researchers studying the history of our feline friends. If cats seem ambivalent towards us, as the quotations from cat fan-sites indicate, then it may be a reflection of the wildly mixed feelings humans, too, have shown cats over the millennia. Wildcats need to be aggressive to capture their prey, fend off other animals, and survive in the wild. Cats tend to be calmer, gentler, and friendlier—all of which are traits that strengthen our bond with them. “They only recently split off from wild cats, and some even still breed with their wild relatives. Although they’re related to cats, they have not been domesticated over thousands of years to be human companions. Continue The oldest archaeological evidence for domesticated cats has been found on the Greek island of Cyprus, where several animal species including cats were introduced by 7500 BC. But that changed as we began settling down into flourishing agricultural communities in an area called the Fertile Crescent, which stretches from the Nile River to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A study published in the research journal “Science” figured out more about the history of cats based on genetic analyses. 'No surprise' COVID-19 surging in Republican areas. The cats were delighted by the abundance of prey in the storehouses; people were delighted by the pest control. It is believed the domestication of cats began around 9,000 years ago, but the actual date is difficult to determine due to the limits of historical and archaeological evidence. '' ( attributed to Robet J. Vogel ) into the early American witch-hunting,! Dogs, cows, pigs, and they like to hunt and stalk prey... 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