This is a timeline of the cat from the first cats of any kind on the planet to the present day. I have been selective so as to not overburden the page. I’ve included some wild cat species too. If I have omitted something significant please leave a comment and I’ll add it in.
About 8 – 20 million years ago
The first members of the modern cat family were called Pseudaelurus. They were prehistoric cats. They inhabited Europe, Asia and North America (more).
4 million years ago
Early lynx on the planet
3.5 million years ago
Earliest fossil record of lion in Africa (more)
2.5 million years ago
Jaguars roamed in North America with the lion. Lions also roamed Europe and Asia and South America.
About 2 million years ago
Ancestor of the domestic cat, felis sylvestris, splits off from other cats.
About 1.5 million years ago
First fossil records of the tiger.
1 million to 800,000 years ago
True lion evolves in Africa.
100,000 years ago
Tiger in Alaska, USA.
About 10,000 years ago
First domestic cats emerge. Domestication of the North African wildcat.
About 3,500 years ago
Domestication of cat takes place in Peru?
Before 2000 BC
Cat is domesticated in Egypt. Its name, miw, is recorded.
About 1450 BC
The domestic cat is seen in Egyptian paintings on the walls of tombs.
c. 950 BC
Local cat goddess Bastet has national prominence in Egypt.
5th century BC
Herodotus reports on domesticated cats in Egypt.
4th century BC
Aristotle mentions lechery of female cats.
200 BC – 200 AD
Believed that cats introduced into China.
AD 350
Word “catus” appears in a treatise on agriculture by Palladius
4th century AD
Domestic cats in Britain.
500
Cat appears in Indian Pancatantra
570-632
Prophet Muḥammad (Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim) loved cats (more).
603-681
A well-known follower of the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Hurairah, loved cats as much as the Prophet and carried around his small male cat in a bag.
9th century
“Pangur Ban” first recorded expression of affection for a cat.
10th century
Monetary value of domestic cats as rat catchers set out in the laws of Welsh King Hywed.
1347-1348
Cat blamed for spread of bubonic plague the “Black Death”. The plague reduced human population numbers by one third. The Lord Mayor of London ordered all cats to be killed, thereby exacerbating the spread of the disease as it was spread by small rodents and the fleas on rodents – the cat’s primary prey.
1558
Cats burned alive in an effigy of the pope in Queen Elizabeth’s coronation procession.
1620
Pilgrims imported domestic cats to USA.
1692
The infamous Salem witch trials took place in the USA.
1710
Origin of the phrase: “It’s raining cats and dogs”. This means it is raining hard. It comes from a poem by Jonathan Swift.
1713
In an essay, Alexander Pope protests the cruelty to cats.
1727
First book on cats, History of Cats by Paradis de Moncrif.
1749-67
Buffon in his Natural History denounces the moral character of the cat.
Early 1800s
Cougar (puma) population almost entirely extinguished in Eastern USA.
1821
In the UK, Parliament introduced a bill to prevent abuse of horses, which was ridiculed when an MP facetiously proposed that the law be extended to protect cats as well.
1832
Eugene Aram written by Bulwer-Lytton features a cat as a major character.
1860s
Maine Coon started to become a cat breed in America.
1879-80
Queen Victoria (a decent artist) draws a cat so that it can be included in the original design for the RSPCA’s Queen’s Medal for Kidness as the cat had been omitted.
1871
First cat show at Crystal Palace in London, UK.
1884
First Siamese imported to West from Siam (Thailand).
1887
National Cat Club founded by Harrison Weir in Britain. The first cat club (see list of cat associations today).
1894
Siamese cat considered the rarest of cat breeds in the West.
1895
First cat show in USA at Madison Square Garden, New York.
1899
Veblen approves of cat because they are not suitable “vehicles for conspicuous consumption”.
1906
Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) formed in the USA.
1910
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) unites Britain’s cat clubs – GCCF formed.
1930s
Persian cat starts to evolve to flat-face. (see cat breed timeline and more – link opens a new window)
1950s
Modern Siamese starts to be developed – more slender (“elegant”).
1950s and 1960s
The most productive years in terms of most new breeds in the USA. Fifteen new breeds in the 1960s.
1981
Cats (the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical) based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats is a smash hit. Still popular in 2015.
1993
Domestic cats outnumber dogs for the first time in the USA.
1995
Domestic cats outnumber dogs for the first time in the UK.
2009
Declawing banned in 8 Californian cities.
2015
Up to 500,000,000 domestic/stray/feral cats in the world. Too many of them are unwanted. Laws are gradually being introduced to control random cat breeding.
Dr Bradshaw declares that the random bred cat is not truly domesticated because he/she chooses his mate for breeding.
Jackson Galaxy says that more needs to be done to stimulate the indoor cat and to catify the environment (he calls it “catification”).
More needs to be done on wild cat conservation.
The Breeds
As a belated addendum here is a list of the cat breeds and the dates and places of origin – a timeline of the cat breeds…
Abyssinian – Ethiopia – 1860s
Alaskan Snow Cat (Snow Cat) – USA – 1990s
American Bobtail – USA – 1960s
American Curl – USA – 1981
American Lynx – USA – 1980s
American Shorthair – USA – 1900 as “Domestic Shorthair” and then 1966
American Wirehair – USA – 1966
Australian – Australia – 1946
Australian Curl – Australia – 1996
Balinese – USA – 1940s
Bengal – USA – 1963
Birman – Burma – uncertain
Bohemian Rex – Czech Republic – 1994
Bombay – USA – 1958
British Angora – UK – 1960s
British Shorthair – UK – 1870s
Bristol – 1970s
Burmese – Thailand – 1350-1767
Burmilla – UK – 1981
California Rex – USA – 1959
California Spangled – USA – 1971
Celonese – Sri Lanka – 1984
Chartreux – France – 14th century
Chantilly – USA – 1967
Chausie – USA – 1995 (I say 1960s)
Chinese Lop – China – 1796
Colourpoint British Shorthair – UK – 1980s
Colourpoint European Shorthair – Italy – 1982
Colourpoint Shorthair – UK – 1947
Cornish Rex – UK – 1950
Cymric – Canada – 1960s
Devon Rex – UK – 1960s
Don Sphynx – Russia – 1987
Dutch Rex – Netherlands – 1969
Egyptian Mau – Egypt – ancient and 1953 in Europe
European Shorthair – Italy – 1982
Exotic Shorthair – USA – 1966
French Sphynx – France – 1960s
German Rex – Germany – 1946
Havana Brown – UK – 1951
Himalayan – USA/UK – 1950s/1920s
Italian Rex – Italy – 1950
Japanese Bobtail – Japan – 5th – 10th century
Javanese – USA/UK – 1960s
Karakul – USA – 1930s
Karelian Bobtail – Russia – 1990s (uncertain)
Kashmir – UK – 1950s
Korat – Thailand – 1350-1767
Kurilian Bobtail – Russia – 1990s (uncertain)
LaPerm – USA – 1986
Longhair Exotic – USA – 1990s
Longhair Fold – UK – 1980s
Longhair Japanese Bobtail – Japan – 1954
Maine Coon – USA – 1860s
Manx – UK – before 1700s
Marbled Mist – Australia – 1997
Malay Cat – Malaya Peninsula – 1881
Malayan – USA – 1980
Mei Toi – USA – 1994
Mexican Hairless – USA – 1902
Missouri Rex – USA – 1990s
Munchkin – USA – 1983
Nebelung – USA – 1990s
Norwegian Forest Cat – Norway – 1930s
Ocicat – USA – 1964
Ohio Rex – USA – 1959
Oriental Shorthair – UK – 1950s
Persian (modern) – USA – 1950s
Persian (original) – UK – 1800s
Peterbald – Russia – 1994
Pixie-bob – USA – 1980s
Poodle Cat – Germany – 1994
Prussian Rex – East Prussia – 1930s
RagaMuffin – USA – 1994
Ragdoll – USA – 1960s
Renegade – USA – 1997
Rexed Maine Coon – UK – 1988
Russian Blue – Russia – pre-1800s
Russian Hairless – Russia – 1987
Safari Cat – USA – 1970s
Savannah – USA – 1986
Scottish Fold – UK – 1961
Selkirk Rex – USA – 1987
Serengeti – USA – 1994
Seychellois – UK – 1984
Siamese – Thailand – ancient – shown late 1800s in England
Siberian – Russia – 1980s
Si-Rex – USA – 1986
Singapura – uncertain (Singapore/USA) – 1971
Snowshoe – USA – 1960s
Sokoke – Kenya – 1977
Somali – USA/Canada – 1967
Sphynx – Canada – 1966
Spotted Mist – Australia – 1976
Suqutranese – UK – 1990
Thai-Bobtail – Russia – 1990s?
Tiffanie – UK – 1980s
Tiffany – USA – 1967
Tonkinese – USA – 1950s
Toy-Bobtail – Russia – 1986
Turkish Angora – Turkey – 1400s
Turkish Van – Turkey – pre-1800s
Ural Rex – Russia – 1991
Ussuri – Russia – 1990s
Victoria Rex – UK – 1972
Wild Abyssinian – Singapore – 1980s
York Chocolate – USA – 1983
Sources for the breed information.
Myself
Robinson’s Genetics (primary)
Encyclopedia of the Cat
Legacy of the Cat
Sources for the general timeline: Myself (from this site) and Cat by Katharine M Rogers ISBN 1-86189-292-6
nice
Thanks. I think it is nice too 😎.