The History of cats' relationship with man is as old as civilization and stretches back over 9,500 years. Cats have figured in the history of many nations, are the subject of legend and are a favorite subject of artists and writers.  Today cats keep gaining in popularity each year and the breeds available are almost limitless!  It is wonderful to be a cat lover now.   

Long before professional breeding and breeders popularized the species as pets, cats we recognized as unique creatures and were becoming desirable companion.  As you start to do studying in History it is found that they have always occupied important places in human societies throughout time.  Cats maybe among one of the last wild animals domesticated by humans,  they have been prominent in human cultures throughout the ages.

Domestication and the study of history can show that cats remain about the same size and shape of their wild progenitors.  This is rather amazing when you look at another popular animal that human’s love which is the dog.

The dog since domestication has been molded into hundreds of sizes and shapes.  Their anatomy and personalities have been altered to serve many different purposes to often fit mans needs or wants.    

If the evolutionary time table is used in research it is amazing to see that though time the cat creatures of different periods are virtually identical to the cats we see today as modern cats.  The same can not be said about horses and dogs who have theoretically evolved from very different appearing predecessors.

Neolithic

The exact history of human interaction with cats is still somewhat vague. However, a gravesite discovered in 1983 in Cyprus, dates to 7500 BC.  During the Neolithic period,   contains the skeletons of a ceremonially buried human and a type of young cat. Since cats are not native to Cyprus, this suggests that cats were domesticated (or just tamed) at least this early.  Status from Anatolia created around 6000 BC have also been found depicting women playing with domesticated cats, which implies that cats were domesticated there around the same time period.

Ancient Egypt

Some of the earliest written records of attempts to domesticate cates date back to domesticate cats date back to ancient Egypt, circa 4000 BC,  where cats were used to to control and keep away mice and rats from the grain that the people of that time stored as their main food source.  Mice and rats have been a long time problem and it is known that their feces poison food.  Ancient Egyptians regarded cats as embodiments of the goddess Bast, also known as Bastet (emphasizing the female -t suffix) or Thet. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra, although she was sometimes regarded as the daughter of Amun. She was the wife of  Ptah and mother of the lion-god Maahes. Her cult was centered on her sanctuary at Bubastis in the Nile Delta, where a necropolis has been found containing mummified cats.

Some research indicates that sometimes other animals were wrapped up in the form of a mummified cat and that leaves us to think it was because of their popularity.  Mummified cats were even sometimes placed in the same caskets as their owners if they died before the owner died, so that the owner would have a faithful companion for the afterlife.

Vikings

Vikings also used cats to catch rats and mice and they were also companions.  It is thought by some that they should be credited with the domestication of the Norwegian Forest Cat.  The Viking goddess of love, fertility and war was called Freyia.  She was strongly associated with cats, as they were considered her sacred animals and was often portrayed in a chariot drawn by two horse-sized winged cats. Kittens during that time period were often given in her name to brides as a wedding gift, linking together Freya's influence over both cats and romance.

According to Norse legend, Gleipnir, which is the fine ribbon used to bind Fenrir, this was thought to be crafted by dwarfs.  Items that were used by the dwarfs while the ribbon was made supposedly included the sound a cats makes when walking.

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages were a time then some thought that cats were a witches’ familiars.  Macbeth’s famous opening scene showed Greymalkin as the first witch’s familiar.  Festivals sometimes had the event of burning a cat alive or throwing it off a tall building.

Other cultures in the Middle Ages also considered them evil, unlucky and also consorts of witches.  A medieval King of Wales, Hywel Dda (the Good) passed legislation making it illegal to kill or harm a cat.

One should also note that the Middle Ages also had the bubonic plague – the Black Death, which was spread by the increased rodent population because of humans killing cats with those silly beliefs behind their actions. 

Europe

Folklore dating back to as early as 1607 tells that a cat will suffocate a newborn infant by putting its nose to the child's mouth, sucking the breath out of the infant. A jury in England once found that a child had died from a cat sucking the breath out of him: this conclusion was probably reached because of the widespread acceptance of the tale. Many explanations are given to attempt to support it, the most common of which is jealousy from the cat towards the infant, as a result of the level of attention that the infant receives. Another explanation advanced is that the smell of milk from the infant's mouth attracts the cat to do so. However, it has been shown that, unless the cat is raised on milk, the cat prefers water.

Japan

Maneki Neko in Japan is the good fortune or good luck cat.  Much art  shows a cat sitting with a paw raised and bent.  There is a Legend in Japan that is said that a cat waved at a Japanese landlord, who was intrigued by this gesture and went towards it.  I few seconds later lightening struck the exact spot where the man had once stood.  The landlord attributed his good fortune and good luck to the cat telling him to get out of the way by its motions to him.  Since that time they have been viewed as good luck and businesses think it will help draw in money.

There is also a Japanese Legend that says when a cat has 10 years of life it can grow another tail and stand up and talk Human Speech.  

Native Americans

There are petroglyphs from areas including New Mexico that indicate that domestic cats were known in North America 3,000 years ago.

Modern times

Today people still do not know all about cats.  There is much to still learn.  It is amazing to think about it being a predator.  The cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food.  They are intelligent and can be trained to obey commands.  It should also be noted that they also are rather good at training their humans to obey their commands.

Cats have been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs.  They use many ways of vocalizations and also use body langue for communications.  The communications include meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking and grunting.  They are popular pets are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets.  This passion is known as the “Cat Fancy”.

The above info is to the best of the site owners knowledge and there maybe some errors.  We keep doing research and will add to the information as more is found.