How Were Cats Domesticated? We Explore

How were cats domesticated? It’s an interesting question because the facts are still being debated. Animal experts, scientists and historians can’t seem to agree on when or where our contemporary feline came about.

Although no one’s quite able to let the cat out of the bag, there are plausible theories, in fact, some agree more than one of these is correct. That’s right. Cats might have been domesticated more than once. And in more than one part of the world.

On another tack, perhaps we never tamed cats, but they, in fact, tamed us…or tamed themselves? We’re willing to bet many cat mums and dads are nodding. So are we. 😊

Whatever the real story is, let’s check out the theories on how our modern cat evolved to (sometimes) sit on human laps today. Read on to find out more….

Cats were domesticated with help from rats

Human hunter gatherers were constantly on the move (and must have been super fit)! This lifestyle left very little trace and wasn’t very interesting to rats and mice. However, the moment we began to settle down to a lifestyle of agriculture, our crops and food stores attracted rodents.

It’s widely believed this pooling of the rodent population is what first attracted cats into humans’ ambit. Though this didn’t make them our friends because we didn’t give them anything directly. After all they didn’t need our food, they were just picking off the creatures who ate our food.

What’s clear though, is that right from the start cats knew how to get a meal and keep their sense of independence.

Cat history facts

While most agree this is the likeliest answer to WHY cats were domesticated, it leaves us wondering WHEN it happened. When exactly did we go from living alongside each other to being friends?  

Over the years, some cool artefacts have surfaced to help us join the dots.

Here are the key findings:

Cyprus, 7500–7200 BC

In 2001, a grave was discovered in Cyprus that is nearly 10,000-years-old. It contained the remains of a man and a cat. This person and his cat had been buried together, and were surrounded special objects, including carved seashells and polished glass.

This suggests these two had a bond; we’re going to go as far as to say this guy was a ‘cat dad’.

The plot thickens because Cyprus is an island with no native mammals. Which of course means no native cat species either. Sounds familiar…just like New Zealand! So besides being the earliest evidence of cats being tame, this grave also shows humans brought cats with them to the island. That’s surely a mark of affection?

Naturally, cats didn’t become domestic overnight, which also means a period of domestication even before the time of this grave.  

This finding reveals cats were first domesticated somewhere in the Middle East in about 7500 BC. Whoopee! We’re getting somewhere folks. A fun fact about modern Cyprus is that it’s now overrun with cats. Watch this video, you’ll see what we mean.

Ancient Egypt, 3100 BC

Until the Cyprus discovery, experts thought cat domestication happened in ancient Egypt. This isn’t surprising – ancient Egyptians’ have a penchant for creating artefacts to record real life… And everywhere you look, these artefacts include cats…

Ancient Egyptian artefacts have oodles of cats, from cat sculptures and paintings to hieroglyphs and mummified cats. It’s clear these felines were adored because they were often shown in the arms of gods and goddesses. One of the goddesses, Bastet even has the head of a cat.

Cats of ancient Egypt were represented wearing collars, something we can relate to today. Speaking of which, read about cat collars to see what’s safe and what isn’t. You can also read our article to find an Egyptian name for your cat. 

China, 3000 BC

All modern domestic cats have a common ancestor, the African Wild Cat. But it seems another species of cat – the Leopard cat – was either partially or only briefly domesticated in China.

In a study led by Jean-Denis Vigne, scientists analysed Leopard cat skeletons from China that are more than 5000 years old. The study found evidence that suggests these cats were probably domesticated. However, domestication didn’t last, and the Middle Eastern domestic soon replaced them after it arrived in China with travellers.

The Bengal breed is the only domestic cat which still has Leopard cat genes, in fact, it’s a cross between a domestic cat and a Leopard cat.

When were cats domesticated?

To sum up the current theories, cats have been domesticated twice. And in two parts of the world. The first, some 10000 years ago in the Middle East which has produced the modern house cat. And the second in China, briefly, around 5000 years ago.

And for anyone who wants a cat with both sets of ancestry, your go to is Mr Bengal.

Watch this video to find out what you need to know before getting a Bengal cat:

Easy, affordable online cat insurance

While we’re not sure when the first cat sat on a human lap or let a human stroke it, we know we love our feline friends dearly. Which is why as a cat dad or mum, you’ll be happy to know cat insurance needn’t cost an ear and a tail.

We also give you one more more months of FREE pet insurance when you sign up with PD Insurance online. Have a look at our pet insurance plans and you may even be eligible for our multiple pet discount if you have more than one furkid.