If you’re anything like us, you’ll have looked into your kitty’s green eyes at least once and wondered - where do cats come from? And did these cuties really domesticate themselves? Well here we’re exploring just that, looking into cat ancestors and the part they play in the evolution of the cat breeds we know and love today. So whether you’re a pet sitter going house sitting or you’re a pet parent wanting to know more about your furry best friend, stay with us for a brief history on your favorite animal - cats (Felis catus!).
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What did cats originate from?
So… did cats really evolve from lions? Let’s get this one out of the way first - as romantic an idea it is, cats didn’t evolve from lions as their common ancestor. In reality, the domestic cats we know and love today instead evolved from the African Wildcat - who is still alive and kicking, but very much still wild.
The felines who descended from the African Wildcat integrated into the human world in two key eras. The first was the Neolithic era in the Fertile Crescent (which is a crescent-shaped region containing modern-day Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, northern Kuwait, southeastern Turkey and western Iran). Then, during the era of the Ancient Egyptians, cats once descended from the African Wildcat became a key part of society, and their domestication happened all over again. It was from here that domesticated cats spread to the Mediterranean and the Old World, but more on their domestication below.
African wildcat
How and when were cats domesticated?
So, where do domestic cats come from, and did cats really domesticate themselves? Well as we mentioned, the domestication of cats (to current human knowledge) first happened in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. And it all starts with evidence of the human grain stores 10,000 years ago in Israel. These stores attracted house mice, which meant that wild cats showed up, ready to hunt the mice that were infesting the grain stores. While evolving from wild cats over thousands of years to the domestic house cats we love today might seem like a bit of a stretch, their domestication all those years ago makes total sense. The mice infestation would have been an incredible nuisance to the humans living there, so they’re likely to have welcomed the cats and their stealthy, mice catching ways with open arms.
And it’s a similar story between cats and the humans of Ancient Egypt. Initially attracted to the mice hanging around food stores and agricultural settlements, more and more wild cats arrived amongst humans for food. And as farms and human populations grew, more cats arrived and followed the humans, with their love for catching mice driving them. Aside from their mice-nabbing abilities, cats eventually became a central symbol within Ancient Egyptian culture - visit our blog on the evolution of the Halloween cat to find out more.
How did cats spread across the world?
As wild cats arrived in human settlements, they soon proved their place as successful mice catchers. With their skills for keeping crops and grains safe from the disease and disruption that rodents can cause, it didn’t take long for farmers and those transporting food supplies to welcome feline friends. And how did cats make their way across the seas and into distant lands? Well it’s thought that cats were taken on ship voyages to help ward off rodents from the food that was being transported. Then, on arrival, many of the cats were able to stay and most likely made themselves useful wherever they ended up.
Where do cat breeds come from? FAQs
Thailand.
Siamese cats originate from Thailand, which was once known as Siam. The country’s ‘Cat Book Poems’, or ‘Tamra Maew’ was produced in the 19th century, which contained detailed illustrations of the cats of Siam and their descriptions.
Toronto.
Despite their name, Sphynx cats don’t originate from Egypt. Rather, they hail from a kitten born in 1966 in Toronto, who was hairless due to a natural genetic mutation.
All domestic cats originate from the African Wild Cat, and it’s thought that the tabby pattern we know and love today comes from their natural mackerel coat pattern.
Bengals are a cross-breed of domestic cats and Asian leopard cats, which is a wild species from Southeast Asia known for their impressive coats and athletic build.
There are various theories as to where calico cats come from. Many believe that calico cats originate in Egypt, spreading across the world through port cities in Greece, Italy, France and Spain.
Tuxedo cats aren’t a distinct breed. Rather, tuxedo markings can be found in a variety of cat breeds, including the British, Domestic, Exotic and American Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Turkish Van, Maine Coon and Manx.
Iran.
It’s widely agreed that Persian cats come from Mesopotamia, which was later named Persia, and now Iran.
Like tuxedo cats, tortoiseshell cats aren’t a breed - it’s simply a coat pattern that’s found across many different cat breeds. These include the American and British Shorthair, Burmese, Cornish Rex, Japanese Bobtail, Siamese, Scottish Fold, Raggamuffin and Persian.
Bombay cats are a mix of black American Shorthairs and sable Burmese cats. The aim was to produce a miniature panther (aesthetically, at least), which was successful in the 1970s, and the breed was recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1979.
Ragdoll cats were originally developed in the 1960s by a breeder in California. Ann Baker, the breeder, took a domestic longhaired white female who was free-roaming in her neighborhood with other cats in her care. She named the white cat ‘Josephine’ who today is thought of as the mother of all Ragdoll cats.
Arkhangelsk.
It’s thought that Russian Blue cats are originally from Arkhangelsk, a port in Russia, where they were transported by sailors to Northern Europe and Great Britain during the 1800s.
Savannah cats are a mixed breed, consisting of Siamese domestic cats and African servals (which are wild cats). They were developed in the 1980s in the US, and have become a popular domestic breed since.
Documented as far back as the 17th century, Angora cats (otherwise known as Turkish Angoras and Ankara cats) originate from central Anatolia, which is the Ankara Province in modern-day Turkey.
Myanmar.
Burmese cats originate from (you guessed it!) Burma, which is now widely known as Myanmar. In the 1930s, a Burmese cat was brought to the US, who was bred with an American Siamese - it’s thought that most modern-day Burmese cats originate from these two!
Want to find out your own kitty’s origins?
While the science is still quite new in the world of cat DNA tests, why not give it a go to get an idea of your kitty’s roots?
