In what year did domestic cats appear? - briefly
Domestic cats were first domesticated around 7500 BCE in the Near East, coexisting with early agricultural communities.
In what year did domestic cats appear? - in detail
The domestication of cats is a process that unfolded over thousands of years rather than a single event tied to a specific year. Archaeological and genetic evidence suggests that the relationship between humans and cats began around 9,000 to 10,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period. This period coincided with the rise of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, a region encompassing parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. As humans began to store surplus grain, they inadvertently attracted rodents, which in turn drew wildcats to human settlements. These wildcats, likely the ancestors of the modern domestic cat (Felis catus), were valued for their ability to control pest populations. Over time, a mutually beneficial relationship developed, with cats gaining access to food and shelter while humans benefited from their hunting skills. Genetic studies indicate that the domestication process was gradual, with cats retaining many of their wild traits. The earliest direct evidence of a close human-cat relationship comes from a 9,500-year-old burial site in Cyprus, where a cat was found buried alongside a human. By the time of ancient Egypt, around 4,000 years ago, cats were fully integrated into human society, revered as sacred animals and depicted in art and mythology. Thus, while it is impossible to pinpoint an exact year, the domestication of cats began approximately 9,000 to 10,000 years ago and evolved over millennia.