early domestication of the cat

The discovery that disproved that the Ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate the wild cat

September 5, 2023 by Michael Broad

Credits:

The picture is deemed to be in the public domain
The words at the base of the image are from The Taming of the Cat published on the PMC Pub Med Central website.
Citation: Driscoll CA, Clutton-Brock J, Kitchener AC, O’Brien SJ. The Taming of the cat. Genetic and archaeological findings hint that wildcats became housecats earlier–and in a different place–than previously thought. Sci Am. 2009 Jun;300(6):68-75. PMID: 19485091; PMCID: PMC5790555.
Link to study.

P.S. I have one comment. It is possible that the cat in the image was tame and not truly domesticated whereas the Ancient Egyptians domesticated the cat.

Can European wildcats be domesticated?

September 13, 2021 by Michael Broad

The question is a sensible one because all of the world’s half a billion domestic and feral cats originate in a domesticated North African wildcat (Far Eastern wildcat or African-Asian wildcat). It happened about 10,000 years ago. Nowadays there are still wild cats roaming around Europe. These are European wildcats which Ire still found …

Evidence that wildcats lived with humans in Poland 7,000 years ago

July 14, 2020 by Michael Broad

This story confirms, in my view, that semi-domesticated wildcats travelled with migrants from the Eastern Mediterranean to other parts of the world including Poland where scientists have unearthed the 7,000-year-old remains of wildcats at a farming settlement. Scientists found the humerus bone of a wildcat next to human items, ceramic vessels, in the sediment. …

Ancient Silk Road spread the domestic cat to the Far East

July 10, 2020 by Michael Broad

The recent finding of a 1,000-year-old domestic cat skeleton in Kazakhstan confirms that the domestic cat travelled with traders from the area of its origin in the Middle East to the Far East. The Daily Mail online reports that the skeleton was well preserved and in good condition. The cat had been carefully buried …

First named pet in Britain was a cat called Mite in the 13th century?

July 5, 2020 by Michael Broad

The Daily Telegraph reports that the first named pet in the UK has been revealed as a cat called “Mite” who lived in a 13th century Hampshire monastery. The author claims that that is the first naming of a British pet i.e. companion animal. The cat lived in Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire in about …

How did the cat become domesticated?

May 17, 2020 by Michael Broad

For a long time, people believed that the first cat was domesticated in ancient Egypt about 3,500 years ago. There are lots of records of domestic cats of that time as we well know. This information is still disseminated on the Internet by well-established websites. However, the theory was challenged about 10 years ago …

Are African wildcats friendly?

May 8, 2020 by Michael Broad

The answer is, Yes and No. By default they are not friendly because they are held back by fear and suspicion as they are inherently solitary and territorial. However, it seems that this small wildcat species decided that survival was easier if they became friendly with people. I am convinced that the modern African …

What does raised underfoot mean?

May 14, 2018May 14, 2018 by Michael Broad

What does raised underfoot mean? It means to raise kittens in your home, literally under your feet, as a process of socialization to prepare them for their new home and owner.

+ More