History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

History of Cats: How Cats Controlled Modern History!

Cats are a man best friend (Sorry, dogs), and the furry little creatures have been all over our lives. In our houses, the streets, and everywhere you go, there’s a cat.

But was this always the case?

It’s been less than 10,000 years since cats paraded into our lives. The question is, where were they before? What is the History of cats?

The easy answer is: they didn’t need humans to survive and were just minding their own business. Cats have been surviving entirely on their own.

Then, folks invented agriculture, and that’s when history changed.

Agriculture resulted in giant-scale storage of grains which attracted the same old and well-known freeloaders, mice and rats.

Grain attracted rodents.

Rodents attracted cats who think about the tasty meals.

The end result was that cats arrange to housekeep near human settlements. Eventually, cats being cats, moved properly on in.

Where did these first cats make it in to our lives?

The first clue lies in the place agriculture was first practised. Agriculture first took place within the Middle East in a grand sweep from modern-day Turkey to Egypt.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?
This image shows a ‘cat under the chair’ with a tabby mackerel marking, typical of Felis silvestris lybica. Anna (Nina) Macpherson Davies, copy of Wall Painting from Private Tomb 52 of Nakht, Thebes.

Welcome the African wild cat, Felis lybica.

African feral cats are barely more significant than our cute domestic cats and are yellow in colour with muted stripes. These cats have a docile, nearly laid-back nature.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

Interestingly, these cats are likely to stay and hunt close to human dwellings immediately.

Locals nonetheless wish to catch and rear younger wild cats as pets.

When older, feral cats raised by people are likely to behave very similar to our acquainted housecats.

At least two different wild cat varieties are imagined to have contributed to domestic cats’ genetic structure.

Felis silvestris, The European wildcat, seems to have contributed darker markings and a peppery spirit to the African wild cat base.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

Also, from Asia, the Pallas or Steppe cat (Felis manul) seems to have contributed long-haired coats to the combo.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

The early domestication of cats is obscure, with sole patches of proof.

However, by 6,000 B.C., statues present in Anatolia (now, Turkey) show ladies with domestic cats.

Cats had clearly change into widespread and become affectionate pets by that point.

The earliest written data about cats seem by roughly 4,000 B.C. in Egypt, the place they have been incessantly stored to hunt mice and rats from saved grains.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

It was an excellent time to be a cat in historical Egypt, wasn’t it?

Domestic cats have been considered the goddess Bast’s embodiment (or Bastet). A necropolis at her principal temple at Bubastis contained mummified cats.

Then, Romans unfold the domestic cat northward into central Europe and westward to Britain through their empire’s growth.

Cats have been rapidly adopted and admired as excellent hunters.

And they continued to manoeuvre north and east in Europe.

The Vikings used cats as each rodent hunters and pets. Freyja, the Viking goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death, was also associated with cats, where giant winged cats drew her chariot.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

It became a tradition to offer new brides a kitten in her name.

Now the downfall of the kitties, the Middle Ages.
The Middle Ages have been a terrible time to be a cat.

Cats have been claimed to be witches familiars, in league with the devil.

Because of this superstition, cats have been routinely killed throughout festivals.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?
The burning of Louisa Mabree, the French midwife in a cage filled with black cats suspended over a blazing fire. Credit: Wellcome Library, London.

Sometimes they have been even burned alive or thrown off tall buildings.

However, Europeans paid their cruelty to cats, proving that cats do get the last laughs.

The cats’ deaths allowed the rodent population to rise uncontrolled. This was introduced within the Black Death, which killed many Europeans.

Eventually, Europeans started to appreciate cats and their clean and efficient hunting ways.

By the 1600s, folks in France learned their lesson and made holes at the bottom of their doors, allowing cats to enter and leave as they please.

In Asia, cats continued to be acquainted hunters and cherished pets.

Cats have been typically topics for drawing and portray in China.

History of Cats: Do Felines Absolutely control our Lives?

In Japan, cats in Maneki Neko, are considered good fortune. They are sometimes present in companies to attract in cash.

gold and red dragon figurine on white ceramic teacup

And now you know the history of domesticated cats! If this doesn’t make you appreciate stray cats, I don’t know what will.

What do you think?

Avatar

Written by Sarah Galeel

Slaying while still going through a quarter-life crisis

Leave a Reply

Avatar

Tamer Hosny World NTD Day

World NTD Day: Why the Pyramids, Amongst 60 other Landmarks in 40 Cities Lit up?

Yousra and Gamal Al Adl

Yousra begins filming new Ramadan 2021 Series with Al Adl Group