Cats have been part of our homes and lives for thousands of years, but where did they originally come from? Our domestic cats may look and behave similarly to wild cats, but they are entirely different species. In fact, according to the experts at Animal Planet, they aren’t even real cats! Instead, they are considered Felis catus, which translates to the domesticated cat. Where did our fluffy friends come from? We will explore the origin of domestic cats and the story of how they came to be in our homes today.

There Are Three Main Hypotheses

Cats have been around for a long time, but it’s not clear exactly when they became domesticated. There are three main hypotheses about the origin of cats that have been proposed by scientists. The first hypothesis is that cats were tamed in ancient Egypt as part of the household staff, and were revered as gods. The second hypothesis is that cats were domesticated in ancient China, where they were valued for their hunting abilities and then imported into Europe. The third hypothesis is that cats were domesticated independently in two different places at roughly the same time. Either way, once cats became pets we know they became popular with humans because there are plenty of pet cat records from ancient Rome onward.

• First Hypothesis

Domestic cats are believed to have come from Africa, the Near East, and possibly South Asia. The earliest known cat was a now-extinct wildcat species called Felis silvestris lybica that lived in Egypt around 4,000 years ago. As domestication of cats spread throughout the world, they evolved into two distinct breeds: Felis catus (the European or Western house cat) and Felis silvestris lybica (the Near Eastern wildcat). The first house cats were bred by farmers who needed to keep rodents under control in their grain stores. These early domestic cats became feral over time and eventually, all traces of the original gene pool were lost as these populations mixed with local wildcats.

• Second Hypothesis

Throughout evolution, cats have evolved from solitary hunters to skilled predators that are capable of hunting in packs. They now live in our homes and make great companions. The domestic cat is a subspecies (Felis silvestris catus) that is descended from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). The first wildcats arrived on European shores aboard trading ships. Near Eastern traders carried them overland and introduced them into Europe. Wildcats were well-suited for these new environments because they had already become accustomed to living near humans at ports and settlements along the Mediterranean coast and throughout Asia Minor.

• Third Hypothesis

It’s still a mystery how our fine friend the cat came to be. However, some experts believe that cats were first domesticated by people in ancient Egypt. One hypothesis is that they were domesticated in ancient Egypt and spread from there. One study, done by Dr. Carlos Driscoll, found evidence that suggests cats have domesticated in the Middle East about 5,000 years ago and then came with settlers who took them to Europe about 10,000 years ago. The study also found evidence that suggests cats have had a strong relationship with humans for 10,000 years or more. For example, in Cyprus, there was a burial site containing skeletons of both humans and cats dating back 9,500 years. In this area, it was common for people to bury their beloved pets alongside themselves.

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