The Curious History of Cats

Think about a cat. Chubby cheeks. Big eyes. Soft fur. You’re probably going, Awww!

But for most of human history, thinking of cats made people go, AHHH!

That’s because most of the felines prowling the earth were fearsome: saber-toothed cats with 11-inch fangs, roaring lions with sharp claws, ferocious tigers with glowing eyes.

So how did we get to the place we are now, where millions of Americans have invited cats to share their homes? How did cats go from fierce predators to purrfect pets?

Think about a cat. Chubby cheeks. Big eyes. Soft fur. You’re probably saying, Awww!

But that’s not true for most of history. In the past, people would say, AHHH!

That’s because most of the felines in the past were scary. There were saber-toothed cats with long fangs. Lions with sharp claws. And ferocious tigers with glowing eyes.

What happened? How did millions of Americans end up with cats in their homes? How did cats go from fierce animals to purrfect pets?

To answer that question, let’s travel back in time 10,000 years. Our planet was just coming out of a period known as the Ice Age, when huge slabs of ice covered much of the world. In the area now known as the Middle East, the warming weather made people realize something important: Seeds buried in soil could grow into plants to eat. 

Today we have a word for this new system of growing and harvesting food: farming. The rise of farming changed the course of history. Humans didn’t have to pack up all their belongings and trudge from place to place to find their next meal. They could now settle into villages and towns. They had more free time to make art and music. In short, they could create civilizations.

As more and more food was farmed during the warm months, some of it was stored to feed people during the colder months. But storing extra food  like wheat and barley created a problem: It attracted the attention of hungry mice. And in turn, these nibbling rodents attracted the attention of another creature—one that loved to snack on them: cats.

To answer that question, we’ll need to travel back in time. Let’s go back 10,000 years, to the end of the Ice Age. The Ice Age was a time when much of the world was covered in huge sheets of ice. As the weather started warming, the people in the area now known as the Middle East realized something important. Seeds buried in soil could grow into plants to eat.

Today we call this way of growing food farming. The rise of farming changed the course of history. Humans didn’t have to move from place to place to find food. They could now settle into villages and towns. They had more time to make art and music. In short, they could create civilizations.

As more food was farmed during the warm months, some of it was stored to feed people during the colder months. But storing extra food created a problem. It attracted the attention of hungry mice. In turn, these rodents attracted the attention of other creatures who loved to eat them: cats.

Thankfully, the cats that hung around human homes in search of rodents weren’t lions or tigers. They were smaller and less aggressive relatives, called wildcats. And the wildcats that were comfortable around people were even less aggressive than other wildcats.

Sometime between 10,000 and 9,000 years ago, early farmers must have figured out that keeping these creatures close kept stored food safe from pests. Some people likely started leaving out scraps of meat to make sure the wildcats would come back. 

These tamer wildcats, now cared for by human friends, survived for longer than other wildcats. They had tamer kittens. As time went on, each new litter of kittens was tamer than the last. This process, called domestication, slowly changed wildcats into calmer, friendlier creatures. Wildcats stopped being so wild.

Humans soon realized that felines didn’t just protect food. In East Asia, cats were prized because they kept rodents from chewing early books, known as scrolls. Ancient Egyptians honored cats in their religion because they chased away dangerous snakes, in addition to keeping birds from pecking at grain fields. Beloved cats were even turned into mummies and buried alongside kings in their tombs. 

By the early 1600s, cats had spread to nearly every corner of the planet. This was a time when huge ships were sailing around the world. Explorers and merchants would bring cats on board to keep their food—and crews—safe from rodents. Cats also provided much-needed cuddles and laughs on long, dangerous sea journeys. When the ships docked onshore, many cats trotted off to make new homes in different places. That’s how domestic cats came to America.

Thankfully, the cats that hung around human homes looking for rodents weren’t lions or tigers. They were smaller and less aggressive cats, called wildcats. And the wildcats that were comfortable around people were even less aggressive than other wildcats.

Sometime between 10,000 and 9,000 years ago, early farmers must have figured out something important. Having these cats close by kept stored food safe from pests. Some people likely started leaving out bits of meat to make sure the wildcats would come back.

These tamer wildcats, now cared for by humans, lived longer than other wildcats. They had tamer kittens. As time went on, each new litter of kittens was tamer than the last. This process is called domestication, and it slowly changed wildcats into calmer, friendlier creatures. Wildcats stopped being so wild.

Humans soon realized that felines didn’t just protect food. In East Asia, cats were prized because they kept rodents from chewing on books. Ancient Egyptians honored cats in their religion because they chased away dangerous snakes and kept birds out of grain fields. Cats were even turned into mummies and buried next to kings in their tombs.

By the early 1600s, cats had spread to most parts of the planet. This was a time when huge ships were sailing around the world. Cats were brought on board these ships to keep the food and the crews safe from rodents. Cats also provided cuddles and laughs on long sea trips. When the ships docked onshore, many cats went off and found new homes. That’s how domestic cats came to America.

Eventually, people started to think of cats more as good companions than as good protection against pests. But for a long time, only the rich could afford to feed and care for a pet animal like a cat. That changed in the mid-1800s as many Americans became wealthier. More people began sharing their homes with cats, as we do today.

Companies soon sold products that made it easier to do that. In the 1930s,  the first scratching posts were created to prevent cats from destroying furniture with their sharp claws. Premade cat food was invented, which made feeding a cat more convenient. And by 1950, the first kitty litter products hit the market. Now, pet cats could be kept indoors all day without turning our homes into stinky messes.

Today more Americans keep cats as pets than any other animal. Millions of us can’t get enough of our precious kitties. We love to play with them, pet them, and pamper them—and even post about them on social media. So next time you watch a cute cat video, think about how it all began 10,000 years ago, with a cat curling up next to a farmer’s fire. 

Over time, people started to think of cats differently. Cats seemed more like good company than good protection against pests. But for a long time, only the rich could afford to feed and care for pets like cats. That changed in the mid-1800s. At that time, many Americans became wealthier. More people began sharing their homes with cats, as we do today.

Companies soon sold products that made it easier to have pet cats. In the 1930s, the first scratching posts were created. These posts helped keep cats from ruining furniture with their sharp claws. Premade cat food was invented. This made feeding a cat more convenient. And by 1950, the first kitty litter products were sold. Now pet cats could be kept indoors all day without turning our homes into stinky messes.

Today more Americans keep cats as pets than any other animal. Millions of us can’t get enough of our kitties. We love to play with them. We love to pet and pamper them. And we even post about them on social media. So the next time you watch a cute cat video, think about how it all began. A cat curled up next to a farmer’s fire 10,000 years ago. 

A study showed that watching videos of cats can improve our mood and give us an energy boost. It may even help us feel ready to take on a new challenge.

A study showed that watching videos of cats can improve our mood. It can also give us an energy boost. And it may even help us feel ready to take on something new.

Scientists have found that most humans are pretty bad at reading a cat’s facial expressions. That makes it funny to pair kitty photos with different captions, creating memes—pieces of digital content that are copied, tweaked, and shared online. Why is this cat making this face? Who knows! But its photo is one of the most popular memes of all time. It’s been shared thousands of times with different captions. 

Scientists have found that most humans are pretty bad at reading a cat’s facial expressions. That makes it funny to pair kitty photos with different captions, creating memes. Memes are online materials that people copy, tweak, and share.

Why is this cat making this face? Who knows! But its photo is one of the most popular memes of all time. It’s been shared thousands of times with different captions.