A History of House Cats

A good friend and fellow cat devotee sent me a link to a recent Scientific American article on the history of the house cat. Apparently, new information has come to light that has changed scientists' thinking on when and where these animals first became domesticated. The article lists these key points.

• Unlike other domesticated creatures, the house cat contributes little to human survival. Researchers have therefore wondered how and why cats came to live among people.
• Experts traditionally thought that the Egyptians were the first to domesticate the cat, some 3,600 years ago.
• But recent genetic and archaeological discoveries indicate that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent, perhaps around 10,000 years ago, when agriculture was getting under way.
• The findings suggest that cats started making themselves at home around people to take advantage of the mice and food scraps found in their settlements.

I am a cat person to my core, so this is really interesting to me. Enjoy!

16 June 2009