Historians differ on how it came about, but they agree that ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as gods. Modern pundits add, "and cats have never forgotten," but that is a different subject. Although dogs were domesticated somewhat earlier, it has been generally agreed that the Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to domesticate the cat, around 2000 B.C., give or take a few centuries. However, only recently, arose which indicates that cats may have been first domesticated in the middle east, around 10,000 years ago. On the other hand, even though Egypt has lost the title of the first civilization to domesticate the cat, there is no doubt that the ancient Egyptians did, indeed domesticate the cat.
Domestication of the Cat in Egypt
When first domesticated by the Egyptians, the cat was known as miw (to see). Another version of that name was miu (he or she who mews), and that unique greeting of cats to humans exists to this day.
The first Egyptian cats were wild, both the African wild cat (Felis silvestris libyca), and the jungle cat (Felis chaus). An interesting side note is that our present-day Egyptian Mau is thought to have descended from the African wild cat, which resembled its modern-day relatives in both size and coloring.
Papyrus renderings of spotted cats dating back to this time suggest that the African wild cat probably hunted alongside their Egyptian caretakers. They also killed poisonous snakes (cobras and vipers) and rodents that abounded in homes and granaries, helping to protect both human life and precious food stores. The grateful Egyptians rewarded the cat by leaving out food to encourage wild cats to stick around. Thus, the first "working cats" settled into a coexistence with man, an arrangement that would continue for centuries to come. Exhibiting the same opportunistic tendencies that the cat of today so effectively employ, the wild cats soon moved into Egyptian homes in the villages. Here, they found warmth, a convenient food source, and shelter, where they could give birth to their kittens in relative safety.
The domestication of the cat evolved over a period of 500 years. We know this from discovered drawings on stone, called ostraca, that depict the cat involved in daily life in ancient Egypt, whether lying around the house or accompanying men on hunts.
The Cat Meets the Goddess Bastet
As luck would have it, the Egyptians just happened to worship a goddess named Bastet, who resembled the cat. This resemblance was not lost on the people, nor on the royalty, who likely viewed the cat as a godsend for protecting food and grain from deadly snakes and rodents. After all, the villages that had the most food and grain wielded the most power back in those days. It was just a matter of time before such admiration elevated cats to godhood. In fact, feline images soon became linked to the cat-like goddess Bastet, who also went by several other names, including Bast, Ubasti, and Pasch.
The worship of Bastet became so powerful and prevalent that a city named Bubastis (known today as Tell Basta) was built in her honor. It has even been surmised that Egyptian women, wanting to resemble their beloved deity Bastet, traced elaborate mascara markings over and around their eyes to give their faces a more catlike lure.
The Middle Eastern Influence on the Cat
An astonishing archaeological find of a Neolithic grave on the island of Cyprus was made a few years ago, which resulted in new thinking about the true origins of the domestic cat we love today. The Neolithic age (also called the Stone age) started around 10,000 B.C., and marked the start of development of tools, polished stones, and agriculture, both in Cypress and in the area known as "the fertile crescent."
The skeleton of a cat was found buried in close proximity to the remains of a human burial. Scientists believe that the close proximity, the degree of preservation, and positions of the bodies of the human and the cat may indicate that the two were buried together. The human remains, estimated to have been around 30 years of age, was also accompanied by flint tools, axes, and other "offerings." The researchers believe that the individual was accorded high status, and that he may have had a significant relationship with the cat.
While cats may eventually have been kept as pets in these agricultural areas, the finding of charred bones of cats near this site, and from a similar period, may suggest that cats were also eaten as food. The large size and resemblance of the Cyprus cat skeleton indicated he was of the Felis silvestris lybica subspecies. Present day DNA testing has linked wild cats of the middle east to domestic cats, with the astonishing conclusion that the cats that we know as house cats today originated between 130,000 and 160,000 years ago with the silvestris lybica.
Human attitudes toward cats underwent several changes during the middle Ages, from around 500 A.D. until 1600 A.D., as their perceived value waxed and waned. Sometime after the Egyptians discovered the value of keeping cats close, people in the Far East and India began to domesticate the animals. The pattern approximated the Egyptian views, in these respects: The cat was valued for their rodent killing abilities.
The cat was later revered for bringing good fortune.
The Maneki Neko remains today as a symbol of the "lucky cat."
The cat was later revered for bringing good fortune.
The Maneki Neko remains today as a symbol of the "lucky cat."
Cats lived in temples and palaces, and sometimes ceremonies were held for their souls after their death.
Throughout the Middle Ages, cats received mixed reviews. Depending on the part of the world they inhabited and who their keepers were, cats were kept merely as mousers, worshipped, or despised. Islamic peoples glorified cats, most likely because the prophet Mohammed liked them. A popular legend tells about Mohammed’s cat falling asleep on the sleeve of his robe. When he wanted to get up, Mohammed cut off the sleeve, rather than disturb the cat. An extension of this legend even suggests that the prominent "M" marking on the foreheads of tabby cats stands for Mohammed.
In Europe, black cats became affiliated with evil. Because cats are nocturnal and roam at night, they were believed to be supernatural servants of witches, or even witches themselves. Although the black cat was initially targeted, all cats fell into disfavor. The common phrase "witch hunt" arose from the fanatical fervor with which witches and their "familiars" were searched down, tortured until they confessed their sins, and killed, usually by burning at the stake.
The Middle Ages was, indeed, a dark period in history for the cat, as cats were systematically condemned, hunted down and killed on sight. But it was a good time for rats.
As cats were exterminated on a massive scale, the rodent population grew unchecked, with fewer predators to control their numbers. Man had tampered with the delicate balance of nature and thrown it out of kilter. And as is often the case, the consequences would be dire. No one realized it at the time, but the swelling rodent population, combined with the generally unsanitary conditions prevalent in cities and towns of that time, would contribute to an even darker era for mankind, coming in the form of the Plague, also known as Black Death.
Preoccupied with avoiding the plague, caring for victims, burying bodies, and mourning their losses, people had no more time for hunting and killing cats. This helped the feline population recover somewhat and begin killing the rats responsible for spreading the plague. It is one of history’s many ironies that a tragedy claiming so many human lives actually helped save cats and eventually restored their image.
In time, people made the connection between rats, fleas and the plague, and with that new understanding, cats regained their valued standing in society as premier pest-controllers.
Whether the cat originated in Egypt or the middle east, eventually, cats would arrive in the New World aboard sailing ships, where once again they served man as mousers and ratters, protecting the sailors' food supplies on the long voyage.
Although popular breed lore suggests the American Shorthair's ancestors may have arrived on the Mayflower, no one knows for sure exactly when cats first came to the New World. But they most certainly had arrived by the 1600s, and after their seafaring duties were done, they were released into the fields to continue controlling pests in and around the farms and barns of new settlements.
With few exceptions, many years would pass before cats came to be regarded as house pets or companion animals. Although dogs were kept as pets during the medieval years, cats were viewed primarily as working animals, valued for their ability to protect grain and food storage from rats and other rodents. Unfortunately, that mindset still exists in many parts of the United States, where barn cats are kept for rodent control and allowed to breed freely.
The Cat Emerges as a Prized Pet
The mid-1800s ushered in an increased regard for cats as prized pets in England and Western Europe. Travelers to exotic countries brought back cats, many of whom were subsequently named for their place of origin. The Persian cat, for example, came from Persia (Iran today) and was highly favored for its long, silky fur. Inevitably, cat clubs began to form so that cat owners could flaunt their felines at organized events. Only in the latter part of the 20th century did devotees begin to describe their cats as family members. (Today in the United States, the cat surpasses the dog in popularity as a household companion.)
The Birth of the Cat Fancy
In 1871, the first cat show was held at the Crystal Palace in London, England. Not surprisingly, the winner was a Persian cat. Harrison Weir organized the show and is also credited with starting the first feline stud book, which tracks the breeding and registration of cats. Thus was born the "cat fancy," the collective term applied to people who breed and show pedigreed cats as a serious hobby or profession. Across the Atlantic in the United States, the first official cat show took place in 1895 at Madison Square Gardens in New York, and the highly popular Maine Coon cat held prominence. Weir led Great Britain's first national cat club, and in 1899, the American Cat Association was established, the first and oldest cat registry in the United States.
The Cat Today as a Family Member
In the early half of the 20th century, while cat fanciers pampered their fancy purebreds, the common random-bred cat was still primarily viewed as an outside animal with a job to do, catching mice. But as farms gave way to suburbs, more people took their barn cats into their homes. As the cities and suburbs grew, so did the number of cats living as indoor-outdoor pets, or as strictly indoor pets.
Cats began to outnumber dogs as the most popular household pet, partly because they are easier to keep in apartments and townhouses. With this closer living arrangement, more people began to see their household cats as sentient beings and family members.
Although purebred cats are still popular, many cat lovers have found that a mixed breed, moggie, or house cat makes a wonderful pet. They are intelligent, affectionate, loyal companions capable of giving incomparable love and affection. It is no wonder that the feline human bond is so powerful it lasts beyond death.
Credit to Franny Syufy.
