The Origins of Domestic Cats: New Insights from Africa

Recent research suggests that the domestication of cats can be traced back to ancient Africa, specifically to the activities of the Phoenicians who likely transported these animals to Europe around 2,500 years ago. This finding challenges earlier theories that posited cats began to spread to Europe only during the Roman Empire or as part of the agricultural expansion that occurred roughly 10,000 years ago.

Historically, it was believed that cats began to inhabit human settlements alongside the development of early agriculture, as people stored large amounts of grain. These grain stores attracted rodents, which, in turn, drew cats. However, the new studies argue that while cats may have started living near humans during this period, they did not evolve into today's domestic cats from those early populations.

Establishing the lineage of modern cats presents unique challenges due to the fact that cats were not typically a food source for humans, leading to a scarcity of cat bones for analysis. Furthermore, distinguishing between domestic cats and wildcats based solely on appearance is complex, particularly with respect to the European wildcat and the African wildcat.

In a significant collaborative effort, two research teams conducted DNA analyses on 350 individual cats, coupled with new carbon-14 dating techniques and examinations of cat bones and representations. Preliminary results indicate that all domestic cats are derived from the African wildcat, specifically from populations in North Africa. The researchers propose that the domestication of cats in Egypt was primarily driven by religious practices rather than practical needs, as the ancient Egyptians revered cats as sacred animals associated with the goddess Bastet, leading to the breeding of many for ritualistic purposes.

As cats made their way to Europe, they became linked with various goddesses, including Artemis, Diana, and Freja. However, with the advent of Christianity, cats were often associated with malevolence, particularly during witch hunts when women were accused of witchcraft.

In Sweden, two cats discovered in Varnhem, Västergötland, were long considered the oldest evidence of domesticated cats, buried alongside a wealthy woman in the first century AD. Recently, however, the remains of an even older cat were found in Rasbo, Uppland, dated to between 2,100 and 2,500 years ago. The classification of this find as a domestic cat is based on the morphology of the tailbone and the understanding that European wildcats were likely extinct in that region at the time.

This new evidence offers intriguing insights into how these revered African creatures were transported across Europe, marking a significant chapter in the history of human-animal relationships.