The earliest evidence of cats and humans living together in close companionship comes from the island of Cyprus, where the archeologists unearthed a 9500-year-old grave of a prehistoric tabby, buried together with her owner. Instead, cats in ancient Egypt domesticated themselves, deciding whether to jump into humans’ laps. Yet, the crafty feline was never to be fully tamed, unlike the other important domestic animal - the dog. Slowly, the cat became accustomed to humans. Recognizing their worth, the humans began to treat the newcomers well, leaving the food remains to encourage them to stay. Attracted by the rodents, local wildcats slunk into early farming villages.
It was here that the cat entered the stage, becoming an inseparable part of human history. However, the large granaries and silos, which stored precious food stock, were constantly threatened by a small but persistent enemy - mice, rats, and other pests. Food surpluses fueled the development of civilization. This change was accompanied by new technologies and the emergence of the first complex societies, as the settlements gradually turned into cities and then into kingdoms and empires. The First Agricultural Revolution turned hunter-gatherers into farmers, who abandoned their nomadic lifestyle. It was here that some of the first human civilizations emerged. Instead, the earliest record of the cat’s domestication comes from the Near East, the area known as the Fertile Crescent. While cats in ancient Egypt achieved exalted status, they were not domesticated in the Nile Valley. “Domestication” of Cats in Ancient Egypt The African Wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, photo by Ingrid Van Den Berg, via NBC News But with the arrival of the modern age the dominance of social networks and high-speed communication has restored their status, making the crafty feline the center of our society once again. Only with the arrival of Christianity, did the cat lose her preeminent position.
People in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt continued to revere the cat. Regime changes did not diminish the feline’s position. While ritual killings of the sacred felines were allowed, unsanctioned murder would be harshly punished, with the culprit sentenced to death.įor centuries, cats in ancient Egypt maintained their exalted position, recorded by ancient sources in minute detail. In the land of the Pharaohs, the cats were pampered, respected, and protected. Lavish tomb paintings, lofty statues, and intricate jewelry all show the Egyptians’ great fondness for cats. Admired for her hunting abilities, the sleek feline achieved divine status, becoming a fixture of ancient Egyptian society. The ancient Egyptians’ special love for cats is well known.
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