How cats appeared on Earth

People have always been captivated by cats’ grace, independence, and enigmatic behavior. However, have you ever wondered how these cherished animals ended up on our planet? Their ancestors roamed ancient landscapes as wild animals, and their history dates back millions of years.

Long before they were domesticated pets, cats had a different journey to take. According to scientists, all cats—from house cats to lions—have a common ancestor who lived millions of years ago. Some of these untamed cats started to change over time, eventually growing into smaller, more adaptive creatures that are known as cats today.

Human civilization and the relationship between humans and cats developed together. These nimble hunters were valued companions in early human societies because they were essential in managing pests. Cats and humans have a strong bond that has developed over time, influencing the role that cats play in our homes and daily lives.

Time Period	Event
40 million years ago	The earliest ancestors of cats, called Miacids, lived on Earth.
25 million years ago	Proailurus, the first true cat, appeared in Europe.
10 million years ago	Panthera, the ancestor of big cats like lions and tigers, evolved.
9,000 years ago	Wild cats began living near human settlements in the Middle East.
3,500 years ago	Cats were domesticated in ancient Egypt, becoming popular pets.

How the feline family appeared?

According to scientists, all mammals today are descended from extinct creodonts. This group, which comprised omnivores, scavengers, and predators, evolved more than 70 million years ago.

Twenty million years ago, the miacid branch split off from the creodont branch. These are intelligent predators with long, flexible bodies and tails, as well as short legs.

This group was split into two by evolution approximately 40 million years ago. Modern dogs descended from one class of canines. The latter are the ancestors of the feline species, who in turn are the ancestors of the contemporary viverrids.

Biologists believe that the unique Fossa is the only extant ancient form that is remotely related to the first viverrids, and that it is currently restricted to the island of Madagascar. This little animal looks like a cross between a cat and a mongoose. It was categorized as a feline for a very long time.

The next stage of evolution is represented by Proailurus, a tough, agile, fast, and agile hunter who lives in trees. The appearance of modern feline species has not changed much. The brain has gotten bigger, the paws have gotten longer, and the muzzle has gotten shorter.

Prolaurus, the ancestors of all extant large, medium, and small cat species as well as the extinct saber-toothed tiger, is where Pseudelurus descended from.

Asian linsangs, which belong to a different family and are no longer classified as viverrids, are the closest species to modern ones.

Based on genetic research, the domestic cat Felis Catus is descended on the maternal line from five species of the Steppe cat subspecies Felis silvestris lybica. This subspecies originated 130,000 years ago and is still widely distributed throughout North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and China.

The lynx is thought to be the oldest of the large wild animals, having first emerged on Earth four million years ago. The lion, leopard, and puma follow next. Three, two, and seven hundred thousand years ago, respectively, these species first appeared.

History of cat domestication

Historians have long held that the cat was first domesticated in ancient Egypt, when it was considered a sacred animal.

However, new genetic studies have revealed that the domestic cat species originated over ten thousand years ago in the Fertile Crescent. The Sumerian civilization once inhabited this region of modern-day Iraq, which is situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Information regarding the Sumerians’ unique perspective on recently domesticated animals is lacking. There is evidence that people have used big cats to hunt hares and other small mammals. This civilization most likely did not distinguish between dogs and cats.

This was the initial domestication wave, and it coincided with the growth and establishment of agriculture. Rodents were drawn to people’s homes by the gathering and storing of fruits and grains. Cats proved to be invaluable helpers in protecting the harvest because they were excellent hunters.

Approximately 6,000 years ago, cats most likely traveled to Ancient Egypt from the Fertile Crescent. Despite this, a theory regarding their autonomous domestication by the Egyptians emerged from the examination of the genetic makeup of animal remains from worldwide burial sites. The second wave of domestication began from this point on. The animal made its way to Europe, North Africa, and Ancient Greece.

The people who lived in the Nile Valley for more than two millennia honored the goddess Bastet. It took a long time for the cat to get to the Mediterranean because taking a cat abroad was punishable by astronomical fines. It’s interesting to note that cats were prized as exotic animals in ancient Greece, and they employed domesticated ferrets as effective mouse predators.

There was not a single trace of a domestic cat in ancient Roman Pompeii, which was destroyed by Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD. However, these creatures had already spread throughout the empire by the fourth century. Archaeological excavations support this.

Millions of years ago, cats descended from a common ancestor with other carnivorous animals to arrive on Earth. They eventually developed the distinctive characteristics we identify with contemporary cats as they adapted to various settings. Their journey has been shaped by natural evolution as well as human interaction, resulting in the diverse and beloved species we know today, from wild predators to domesticated companions.

The most ancient burials

The earliest known joint human-cat burial is thought to have occurred in 7500 BC and is situated on what is now modern-day Cyprus. During these years, Syria and Anatolia colonized the country, leading historians to hypothesize that Turkey was home to the first domestic cats of the second wave during this time.

As far as extant breeds go, the Anatolian is arguably the oldest on Earth.

The age of the six animals discovered buried in the south of Egypt in 2008 included a cat, a cat, and kittens. For a long time, it was thought that these animals first appeared in Ancient Mesopotamia much later.

China is the location of cat bones that have been dated to 5300 years. These were early-domesticated animals, according to an analysis of the remains. And they belonged to the Bengal cat species, not the steppe.

The Sumerian civilization has not yet been linked to any burials. On the other hand, there are records of ancient people using domesticated Jungle Cats (also known as House or Swamp Cats) to hunt rabbits.

The question of complete domestication

Cats are still independent animals even though they were domesticated ten thousand years ago. While dogs nowadays are entirely reliant on humans and will perish without their involvement, most cats can easily survive outside of housing and are capable of secondary feralization.

These animals typically live alone, though occasionally a few females with kittens will form small flocks.

Regarding the question of whether a cat is a fully domesticated animal, modern biologists are still at odds. These creatures still maintain their independence, hunting prowess, and solitary lifestyles. Almost every pet breed can be accurately described by the "lone predator" model.

There are scientists who believe that there was never any domestication at all. A cat would visit a person’s home ten thousand years ago in search of food, specifically rodents and birds, which were common in areas where people lived.

As a result, the coexistence of humans and cats produced benefits for both parties: the pet filled its natural habitat and received consistent food, while the towns were freed from rodents, a potential source of disease.

These biologists use the fact that a person is only interesting to a cat if it is advantageous for her as one of their points of contention.

Advocates of fully domesticating cats demonstrate their commitment to people. Indeed, some of the world’s most dangerous cat species are wild ones. Additionally, unlike many dogs, domestic pets are affectionate, friendly toward kids, and frequently devoted. They also do not exhibit aggression.

Ultimately, the cat is acknowledged as a semi-domesticated animal; it coexists peacefully with humans but swiftly reverts to its wild ways when it is left in the wild.

Although domestic and wild cats have slightly different genetic makeups, they can cross to produce similar offspring. This difference is tens of times greater in dogs and wolves.

The earliest cats were able to travel independently to human settlements in quest of food, but as time went on, their relationships with people evolved to include mutual love and respect. The term "companion animal" is the most appropriate to characterize the current form of symbiosis.

Spread of cats around the world

Cats were adored and even worshipped in ancient Egypt. This animal’s head was used to represent the goddess Bast. When a house caught fire, people would save the pets first, shaving their brows in grief when they passed away. The death penalty was a threat if they suffered even the slightest injury. Under the rule of the pharaohs and priests, animals were entombed with their owners after being mummified.

In China, these animals were also held in great regard due to their prowess in hunting and their loyalty. Although they weren’t worshipped, cats were nonetheless shown affection in the Greek and Roman cultures.

Japan has been familiar with cats since the sixth century AD. This was the emperor’s greatest tribute for his national service. The fabled short-tailed medieval cats are the ancestors of the Japanese bobtail.

In ancient India, the goddess Sashti, the protector of homes and motherhood, had a cat as a close companion, or vahana. The only animals permitted inside mosques were cats, which were held in great regard in the East.

Legend has it that the Prophet Muhammad was spared from a snakebite by the cat.

Initially, cats were highly prized in other European nations, where the price of a Kornolov was frequently much higher than that of livestock. In the English kingdom, regulations governing pet ownership were issued by royal decree. Among the Vikings, cats were regarded as the property of Freya, the fertility and marriage goddesses. Anyone who harmed these animals would face execution from the priestesses.

However, the Middle Ages have arrived, as has the period of widespread pet annihilation. People who were red and black were particularly impacted. It was thought that they transform into witches. Cats were mass-burned at the stake of the Inquisition alongside the mistresses. This occurred with the majority of their pets, and the unchecked growth of rodents resulted in an epidemic of black plague right away. In Europe, the disease alone claimed the lives of nearly half of the people. It was only then that people started to realize their mistakes and started to artificially breed in order to restore the population, giving rise to the first breeds.

The emergence of domestic cats in Russia

Domestic cats didn’t become widely distributed in our nation until the eleventh century; it’s likely that eastern traders brought them on trading ships.

Because stealing a cat carried a larger fine than stealing a cow, the fluffy rat-catcher was highly prized.

The oldest remains, which date from the second to the fifth century AD, were discovered in the Odessa area. Individual animals first appeared in Pskov and the Baltic cities in the 5th and 6th centuries. The cat did not appear in the Volga region until the 7th and 8th centuries.

The cattle god Veles had a cat companion, which the pagan Slavs held in high regard. The cat served as a guide for souls to the afterlife and as a symbol of the hearth.

Saint Blaise became the patron saint of domestic animals after Christianity was adopted. This is thought to be the origin of Vaska, the most popular nickname for cats in Russia. Cats were residents of monasteries and temples, and little openings in the walls that were meant for them have survived to this day in these historic structures.

Initially, pets were only owned by the royal family and affluent boyars; the general public could not afford them.

Vasily was the cat that Peter the Great brought from Holland to live in the imperial palace; he was the subject of a special proclamation. Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, knowing that Kazan rat-catchers were the best hunters, brought thirty animals from Kazan.

Cats were designated as the guardians of paintings by Tsarina Catherine the Second; however, the artwork was also cruelly destroyed by rodent teeth.

Cats did not become widespread in Russia until the eighteenth century.

Legends and myth about the origin of the cat

Numerous amazing myths and stories about the origins of this amazing animal have emerged over the course of the history of man and cat coexistence.

Biblical version

Since cats had not yet been discovered on Earth before the deluge, they could not have been present in the fabled Noah’s Ark, where "every creature was in pairs." On the ship, mice and rats procreated for a very long time. Because rats had destroyed all of the supplies, the ark’s occupants faced starvation.

Subsequently, God instructed Noah to caress the elephant’s trunk, and a pig materialized, obliterating all the remnants of life that had gathered within the holds. A cat emerged from the lion’s nostrils when Noah ran his hand over it; it swiftly captured all the mice and prevented everyone from going hungry.

Similar stories were told in Turkey (Anatolia) and Persia (the lion sneezed and a cat emerged from his nostrils).

The biblical narrative can be understood as follows from the myth of the Siamese cat’s genesis. A lion and a monkey fell in love while traveling a great distance in Noah’s Ark. A creature with the mischievous nature of one and the courageous spirit of the other ancestors was the result of their union.

Alien version

An ancient Egyptian legend described the cat’s cosmic origins. After meeting a wild steppe cat on Earth, a bald cat that had come from other planets and worlds fell in love and decided to stay. All domestic pets descended from their progeny.

Cats – children of the Sun

Egypt is the source of yet another theory regarding the extraterrestrial origins of household pets. Pharaoh Akhenaten referred to himself as the son of cats, cats, and cats, the gods Ra, the Sun, and his sisters and brothers. Pythagoras, the renowned ancient scientist, was in favor of this theory and even attempted to verify it, but he was pressed for time.

Cats from the Moon

Plotinus, the ancient philosopher and disciple of Plato, provided what he considered to be indisputable proof that cats originated on the Moon; their life cycle is regulated by the moon’s phases, and they are most active at night and have perfect night vision.

Cats from distant stars

Theologian Augustine the Blessed held to the belief—and spent his entire life demonstrating—that God sent the cat to Earth to aid in souls’ transition to the afterlife. This theory still holds true today. Many people think that cats have the ability to see things that are invisible to humans, travel between worlds, and interact with ghosts.

Buddhist interpretation

Eastern countries are the source of the legend that the cat was the only animal absent when the spirit of Buddha was released from the body. Around him gathered all the representatives of the fauna, with the exception of a cat that was occupied with capturing mice and a snake. As a result, there was initially a negative attitude toward pets in these countries.

On the other hand, it’s possible that the cat killed a mouse by licking lamp oil. Cats therefore bring both good (saving incense) and evil (murder).

Cats have been around for millions of years, and their history is extensive and fascinating. They gradually changed from their early wild-roving ancestors to the domesticated companions we know today.

Their transformation from ferocious hunters to adored pets is evidence of their adaptability and strong bond with people. Cats have migrated all over the world and are now a common sight in many homes and cultures.

Despite having wild roots, their existence in our homes today demonstrates how deeply ingrained they have become in human life. They never cease to enchant and enthrall people with their enigmatic nature and independent spirit.

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