A Report on Domesticated Cats

Cats have been common household pets for thousands of years. Cats are present in people’s everyday life. They can be seen on YouTube, cartoons, and in many movies. Cats have wedged their way into people’s lives without them even noticing. We treat them just like a normal family member. We buy them toys, food, and anything else they may need. We bend over backwards for our cats. We are accustomed to the presence of them in our homes and in our streets. They have been with humans for decades, but have we ever stopped to think how they became such a common part in our lives or what the little furry animal running around the house really is. A lot of people question how cats became domesticated in the first place. Cats are believed to domesticate themselves due to the fact people did not go out herding cats to catch them. Cats traveled alongside human’s knowing their grain would lure prey to them. They hung around human enough, they grew a basic trust and was able to live alongside us with no fear. Cats did not need to be domesticated but decided to domesticate themselves to better benefit their lives. Traveling alongside humans help better protect themselves and even their kittens. Predators tended to stay away from human towns which helped cats stay safe. The barns that farmers had made perfect shelters for cat with endless amount of prey to hunt. People’s original intentions for cats was to catch rodents and protect farmer’s fields. They created a reciprocal relationship that would last for thousands of year into the future. This small relationship grew into a huge bond that brought cats into domestication.

A domesticated cat is also known as Felis Catus. They are small, carnivorous, nocturnal animals that humans keep as pets. We find them everywhere around the world and all throughout history. Cats are related to the more non-domesticated cats such as lion, tigers, and leopards. They have many similarities between them things like body structures, feeding habits, and 95% of the same DNA strands. The small wild cats are closely related to the larger wild cat. The natural instinct to kill and hunt still thrives within both non-domesticated and domesticated cats. Lions and tigers may hunt larger prey like zebras, deer, and wildebeests. The domesticated may only hunt small prey like mice, birds, and bunnies. The size of the prey differs very largely, but the will to hunt is still there within both cats. They may be almost identical, but there is a huge difference between them. We don't have tigers and lions running around our streets, but we do have stray cats everywhere on the streets. Domesticated cats managed to overcome their natural instincts to be wild and settle down on people’s laps. We have turned a wild, small, meat eating animal into a domesticated pet. A pet that will crawl up into your lap and purr for hours at a time.

All cats are the same species, but vary in many characteristics. One example is the coat color and coat pattern on a cat. The color of their coat can affect many things like how they hunt, how they get adopted, and even if they get chosen to mate with. Fur color can change the way a cat hunts. If they are yellow with stripes they will be able to hunt in long grass and blend in without being spotted. A white cat can hunt in snow with ease where a black cat can hunt at night without being caught. Cats have not lost their distinct coat colors and patterns with becoming domesticated. Cats may eat cat food from the store that we buy for them, but they still have their natural call to hunt. Cats use their colors to their advantage to hunt and through domestication that has never faded from their genes. Cats bring home dead birds, mice, and squirrels to their humans to show off what they have caught and their fur plays a large role in hunting. Another thing coat color does for cats is help them get adopted. A cat with markings that are more attractive help cats get adopted by people. When in the pound a calico cat will most likely be picked than a plain black cat. Their coat color helps them survive in the adoption world. A cat also can choose a mate based off coat color. A domesticated cat who lives inside a warm home doesn't need to have heavy, hot fur so she may breed with a short haired cat to help her babies not have the long haired characteristic. Cats will pick a mate based off of fur color and pattern to better their chances for their kittens to be picked for adoption.

The domesticated cat has figured out the special treatment they get if they become a human’s pet. They no longer have to worry about hunting, predators, and surviving. They can lay around and play with no fear of the outside world. Cats have taken advantage to being domesticated by humans. It is no secret we spoil our cats to the point where they are overweight and lazy. On average a cat sleeps twelve-sixteen hours a day and if they were out in the wild it would not be that simple for them. Cats know that being domesticated leads to a life of luxury. Cats are allowed freedoms around the house other pets may not get. They are very independent animals and people find that very attractive in cats. They don't have to worry about their cat going outside to the bathroom or bathing their cats. Cats don’t rely on humans that much to live. Cats are able to hunt and survive on their own with no problem they just use humans to make life easier. Cats may be domesticated, but they do not need to be domesticated to survive. They know if they get a home, they will not have worry about the hardships of the outside world. We have overlooked the true reasons cats are domesticated. Human did not domesticate cats it was cats that domesticated themselves. Cats have lived along people’s side for thousands of years without being domesticated. Cats have hunted the mice around farmers’ crops and rodents that linger around people’s houses. Cats have used people’s way of life to better their own lives. A domesticated cat gains free food and a shelter by becoming a pet. They were able to hang around humans for so long to where, at first, we tolerated their existence and now we accept them into our home as a loving part of our family. They were able to slowly get their way into human homes through years of hanging around. People started to grow fond of the small rodent exterminators and started to let them get closer to the point of allowing them to sleep on their laps and in their beds. We have grown a soft heart for the once wildcats. Through years of bonding and partnership cats have become a part of human’s lives. They have gone from wild animals to animals that show up everywhere from TV shows to cartoons on t-shirts. They have grown from barely surviving in the wilderness to thriving within the human home. Cats no longer have to worry about any of the inconveniences of living on their own. They were able to become a common household pet through rodent hunting.

Many studies have shown that cats first became domesticated in ancient Egypt. The domestication of Egyptian cats was around 4,000 years ago. Cats wandered along the Nile river where many grain fields were and hunted rodents and vermin. This leads to the affection of humans. The cats were praised for hunting the rodents. The bond between cat and human started through a mutual relationship. Farmers allowed the cats to be around because they kept the rodent population down and away from their grain fields. The cats got to eat rodents that hung around the grain bins and a free place to stay. Another reason is the Egyptians worship cats as gods and goddesses and treated them as royalty. There are many tombs covered in painting of cats and Egyptians worshiping them. If a cat died, it would be mummified and buried with mummified mice and other beloved treasures. They would often be buried with their owner or in their own special tomb. A goddess in ancient Egypt named Bast had the head of a cat and the body of a woman. This goddess represented love and fertility and having a cat within the house was believed to bless women with many children. Egyptians also used cats to hunt and bring food home for the family. They would take their cats out on leashes to hunt birds. Their owner would throw something to know a bird down, then take the leash off the cat to fetch the bird for them. Domesticating a cat in ancient Egypt was considered lucky and it would bring your family lots of love. Cats were not allowed to be traded or sold through ocean trade, but that did not stop sailors from taking cats anyways. Sailors found cats useful on their ships to hunt rodents. The cats were able to have a nice meal while keeping the mice away from the valuable grain. The sailors were also able to trade the domesticated cats when people realized how valuable the rodent killers were. This trade caused the outbreak of having cats as human companions. The spread of cats around the world started to increase through many countries. The domesticated cat moved from Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia to Southern Europe. The Romans were the first to come in contact with the Egyptian cat trade. They appreciated the skilled hunters and how they got rid of rodents. The Romans then were able to start trading the cats to other countries. The Roman trade of cats was especially useful to the other Europeans when the 14th century black plague started. The diseased started by a rat borne sickness caused by a flea. Since rats were a top prey for cats the demand for the hunters increased significantly. The cats got easy food while stopping the spread of the Black Death. Unfortunately, cats are nocturnal creatures and started to become associated with the devil. People started to reject the domesticated cats and would kill them. The rat population increased and more people died due to the cats no longer killing the mice. Soon people realized they needed the cats and started to accept them back into their houses. Domesticated cats first came to the Americas when the colonists began colonizing there. They used the cats to keep mice away from the crops they brought over from Europe. They followed the humans as a companion through the colonization of the Americas. Americans continued to keep cats around to guard their stored grain and barns. Voyagers also believed the cats brought luck and good fortune. Cats have traveled around the world with humans for one basic reason and it’s for rodent extermination.

A startling discovery in 2001 was a cat skeleton buried next to a human skeleton in southern Cyprus. Scientists believed this may push back domesticated cat's presence another 5,000 years making them go back so far as 9,500 years. This has caused scientist to question if the domestication was really first in ancient Egypt. The skeletons of the cat and human had been just sixteen inches apart and both in pristine condition. Both were in the same depth and same sediment showing they were buried together. It is rare to find two skeletons like this unless meant to be buried together. The cat was identified at just 8 months old, suggesting the cat may have been killed to be buried with its owner. There is no real evidence that the cat was truly domesticated by humans at that time, but with is small clue it can lead to more evidence of cat domestication in Cyprus. Many still believe cat domestication started in Northern Africa and Southern Asia. There is more evidence and proof behind this theory. Paintings and carving inside ancient pyramids and tombs have given pure evidence of human and cat relationship. Cats were even buried within pharaoh’s tombs. The cats would be killed just to go to the afterlife with their owners and believed to help the dead pass over to the spirit realm. The facts lead to cats coming from ancient Egypt and being spread through trade around the world.

Domesticated cats have made huge impacts within being domesticated. They have been able to help alongside people with comfort, pest control, and companionship. Cats are able to keep people comfortable and happy by showing affection towards them. People feel at ease with cats around and are able to relax. They can feel safe with a cat loving on them. This feature of the cat is a huge reason the cat has been domesticated. They are able to make people feel the warmth and happiness by simply purring for them. A cat’s purr has been medically proven to calm a human’s heart. The purr of a cat ranges from 20-140 HZ which is therapeutic to humans. A person that owns a cat is 40% less likely to have a heart attack. The presence of a cat is relaxing to a lot of people because as a whole cats are a calm and independent species. Cats do not need to be taken out to go to the bathroom and are able to fend for themselves. As through history cats are used for pest control and are still used today for the same reason. Farmers have barn cats to keep rodents from cops and livestock. The cats catch mice around crops and keep the pests from eating the farmer’s crop. The cat gets a nice meal to eat and a shelter to stay in while the farmer gets free rodent control. Not only farmers use cats to keep mice and rats away many people have cats in their house to also help the mice problems. People use cats to keep mice, rats, and even bugs out of their homes. Just like ancient times we still use cats to keep out unwanted vermin. Another reason is cats have strong companionship with humans, through many years of traveling and bond cats have built a strong relationship with humans. 30.6% of households own cats and have them as pets. We have grown a liking for cats through years of having them by our side. Cats may not need humans survive, but they still grow affectionate bonds with their human. Cats are easy pets to have due to the fact they do not need human care to survive and many humans like this feature about cats. Domesticated cats are actually not domesticated but are tolerant of humans. Cats are kept as beloved pets and are considered family to many of their owners. Cats may be considered domesticated, but really cats chose to live with humans to benefit them best. It started in ancient Egypt and moved around the world. Domesticated cats can be found all around the world nowadays. People have taken cats into their homes to claim them as pets. The domesticated cat started off as a simple rodent hunter that realized humans are useful to them and decided to stick with the human community. We have spread cats all around the world and with each new generation of cats the wild genes that once raced through their bodies slowly fade. Domestication has caused cats to not need their instincts to hunt and survive. They know their human owners will provide everything they need. The cats were able to determine a smart move to befriend humans.

Ancient Egyptians were the first to see the real benefits of cats from hunting for the family to keeping their crops safe from rodents and vermin. They were even able to move up in status to being worshiped as goddesses in Egypt. Throughout history you can find cats everywhere. Royal families owned cats as pets to show power and elegance. Farmers owned cats to keep away rodent from their precious crops. Then people owned cats just to have them as pets. Cats are able to feel love and compassion for their owners and can even become depressed when their human is gone. This all shows how truly a cat has become a domesticated animal. They may not need us to survive, but they want us. Cats have figured out the key to their lives by finding the easy way of life. Human has managed to take a wild animal and wield it to our advantage. We are able to domesticate these small cats and use them to help us while we help them. We have created a mutualism relationship with cats and are able to keep the relationship strong. Cats were able to domesticate themselves through persistently presenting themselves in human’s lives and now we have a domesticated cat that will live alongside human for many years to come to a mutual understanding of each other existence.