Domestication:

For more information, please refer to the sections on the Domestication of Cats and the Historical Role
of Cats in Ancient Egypt.

Historically, it was widely believed that the process of domesticating cats commenced in ancient Egypt,
where cats held a revered status from approximately 3100 BC. However, the earliest concrete evidence
of the taming of an African wildcat, specifically the F. lybica species, was unearthed in proximity to a
Neolithic human grave in Shillourokambos, located in southern Cyprus. This archaeological discovery is
dated to around 7500-7200 BC. Notably, as there is no evidence of native mammalian fauna on Cyprus, it
is surmised that the residents of this Neolithic settlement likely transported cats and other wild
mammals to the island from the Middle Eastern mainland.

Researchers thus hypothesize that African wildcats were drawn to early human settlements in the Fertile
Crescent by rodents, with the house mouse (Mus musculus) in particular playing a significant role. It was
in this context that they were tamed by Neolithic farmers, giving rise to a mutual relationship between
these early farmers and domesticated cats that endured for thousands of years. As agricultural practices
expanded, so did the spread of tamed and domesticated cats. It's also noteworthy that wildcats in Egypt
later made contributions to the maternal gene pool of the domestic cat.