How did cats become domesticated?

Who first domesticated cats in Egypt?

Originally the Egyptian populations were credited to the early domestication of cats approximately 3600 years ago but archaeological evidence also disputed the hypothesis in 2004. Archaeologists working in Cyprus found an older burial ground, approximately 9500 years old, of an adult human with a feline skeleton.

Why did the Egyptians mummify cats?

Famously devoted to these furry creatures —calling them miw onomatopoetically—the Egyptians mummified deceased cats and depicted them in paintings and sculptures. Cats were associated with a number of Egyptian deities, including Bastet, the goddess of fertility and protector of women in childbirth.

What is the history of the house cat?

The pampered house cats we love so much share a long history with us, one that flowered in Ancient Egypt some 10,000 years ago as two species of wildcats made their way into homes and hearths — the African wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica) and the jungle cat (Felis chaus).

Were cats domesticated in ancient Egypt?

According to a 2014 study led by Wim Van Neer of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, cats may have been domesticated in ancient Egypt much earlier than previously thought. Cats are traditionally believed to have been domesticated in Egypt during the Middle Kingdom (c. 1950 B.C.E.).

Why do people dedicated mummified cats to the goddess Bastet?

People dedicated mummified cats at the sanctuary of the cat goddess Bastet as offerings. The sanctuary was located in the city of Bubastis where the remains of numerous cat mummies and small cat sculptures have been found.

Why were the ancient Egyptians so obsessed with cats?

Much of this reverence is because the ancient Egyptians thought their gods and rulers had cat-like qualities, according to a 2018 exhibition on the importance of cats in ancient Egypt held at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C.

Why were ancient cats kept in tombs?

Cats were also pets, just like they are today, and were sometimes mummified and placed in tombs with their owners. The belief was that by placing cats and their owners in the same tomb the pair could remain together in the Afterlife.

What is the natural history of a cat?

The Natural History of Cats: In the Beginning For a long time, it was a widely held belief that cats originated in Egypt some 4,000 years ago. However, there’s now DNA evidence showing that cats and humans have been living together for 12,000 years. Talk about a long cat domestication history.

How did cats get domesticated?

Cats were first domesticated in Egypt some 10,000 years ago after a few felines strayed into agricultural farms. Ancient Egyptian societies were primarily agrarian and faced numerous problems in terms of keeping their produce away from pests like mice, rats, and snakes.

What is the story of Bastet the cat?

Bastet, the cat goddess, is an example of one such deity. In 1888, an Egyptian farmer digging in the sand near Istabl Antar discovered a mass grave of felines, ancient cats that were mummified and buried in pits at great numbers.

Did Egyptians worship feline gods?

But Egyptians did not worship felines. Rather, they believed these ‘feline’ deities shared certain character traits with the animals. Bastet is probably the best-known feline goddess from Egypt. Initially depicted as a lioness, Bastet assumed the image of a cat or a feline-headed woman in the 2nd millennium BCE.

What do cat mummy containers represent?

Finally, containers for cat mummies do not typically take the form of a crouching feline goddess. Instead, animal mummy containers in the shape of a lion-headed woman generally represented the goddess seated on a throne and inscribed as Wadjet.

What was the purpose of cats in the ancient world?

There is abundant archaeological evidence, however, of cats serving multiple roles. Cats were depicted protecting households against rodents and venomous snakes, but also as helpers for bird hunters and as pampered pets. Cats have been found buried in human graves, although the exact relationship between cat and human isn’t always clear.

What is the origin of the domestic cat?

Origins of the Domestic Cat. Cats began their unique relationship with humans 10,000 to 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, the geographic region where some of the earliest developments in human civilization occurred (encompassing modern day parts of West Asia).

When were cats first domesticated in Cyprus?

Archaeologists have found evidence that suggests that cats in Cyprus were domesticated around 9500 years ago, long before the love affair with cats began in Ancient Egypt. A separate study and genetic analysis suggested that domestication of the animals began closer to 12,000 years ago.

What is the significance of the bast cat?

Bastet (Bast) Cats were very important to the ancient Egyptians and were even considered to be demi-deities. Not only did they protect the crops and slow the spread of disease by killing rodents, they were also thought to be the physical form of the goddess Bastet. Bastet was the goddess of protection, pleasure, and the bringer of good health.

What does Bastet mean in the Bible?

Bastet, the cat goddess, was the goddess of love, of the mystery of women, of pregnant women, of the joy of home, of passion, of pleasure and of “all things pleasant.” Her emblem was a black Egyptian ankh cross with two cats on it.

What is Bastet the cat the goddess of?

Bastet, the cat goddess, was the goddess of love, of the mystery of women, of pregnant women, of the joy of home, of passion, of pleasure and of “all things pleasant.” Her emblem was a black Egyptian ankh cross with two cats on it. Initially, Bastet was represented as a cheetah goddess, daughter of the Sun god Ra.

Why was Bastet’s cat mummified?

Accordingly, as mummification made it possible to help the cats’ souls reach the heavens, Bastet could only thank those who cared for salvation and respected her sacred animals. After the death of a pet cat, to go even further in Bastet’s veneration than the embalming of cats, the family of a cat marked a profound period of mourning.

Why did the Egyptians admire felines?

The Egyptians encountered lions, panthers and jungle cats in the wild. Smaller cats lived among humans from early on, hunting vermin in homes and granaries. Through close observation, the Egyptians came to admire felines for their complex, dual nature. Felines combine grace, fecundity and gentle care with aggression, swiftness and danger.

What are some Egyptian gods that look like cats?

Several deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility and power. The deity Mut has also been depicted as a cat and in the company of a cat. Cats were praised for killing poisonous snakes and protecting the Pharaoh since at least the First Dynasty of Egypt.

What is this statue of a mummified cat?

This statue was the container for a mummified cat. Clearly this is not an ordinary cat. Its pierced right ear once held a gold ring (now lost), and suspended from its incised necklace is a wedjat-eye pendant.

What was the purpose of the Brooklyn Museum’s cat mummy figurine?

Mystery solved, as much as any ancient Egyptian puzzle can be: the Brooklyn Museum’s figurine served as a particularly fancy cat mummy container, probably an attempt to conjure extra favor from Bastet. Donate to support research into Egypt’s rich history and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

How many cat mummies have been found in the catacombs?

In addition, thousands of cat mummies have been found at the catacombs of Saqqara. Cats who were bred to become offerings of this type usually died due to strangulation or the breaking of their necks. During mummification, the cat bodies would be dried and filled with soil, sand or some other kind of packing material.