Cats became our companions way later than you think
Summary
Scientists have found that cats became close to humans much later than previously thought. Studies suggest cats were domesticated around 3,500 to 4,000 years ago in northern Africa rather than during the start of agriculture in the Levant.Key Facts
- Domestic cats are descended from the African wildcat.
- Cats started relations with humans about 3,500 to 4,000 years ago in northern Africa.
- The shift to domestication is much later than previously believed.
- Evidence was gathered from cat bones found across Europe, North Africa, and Anatolia.
- Cats were not associated with the early days of agriculture in the Levant.
- Cats reached Europe around 2,000 years ago, traveling with Romans.
- Leopard cats in China lived alongside humans without becoming domesticated.
- Leopard cats were used to develop the Bengal cat breed in the 1980s.
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