Cat History
Cat history, it is generally believed, can be traced back to the 'Miacis' (pronounced: mi-a-sis), a weasel like creature that inhabited the earth some 40 or so million years ago. Not just cat history, but the history of all land dwelling carnivores can be traced back to the 'Miacis', and that includes dogs.
Miacis is believed by many to be the common ancestor of all land-dwelling carnivores, including dogs as well as cats. But apparently the cats existed for millions of years before the first dogs. Perhaps best-known of the prehistoric cats is 'Smilodon', the saber-toothed cat sometimes called a tiger. This formidable animal hunted throughout much of the world but became extinct long ago.
By the close of the Stone Age cats had learned that where humans were found, there was the easy prey of rodents, this was still too early in cat history for them to be considered domestic pets.
Take a look at two eras in history and learn how cats were treated and what they were associated with.
 |
In Ancient Egypt the Egyptians would store grain and other food supplies which would attract rodents such as rats and mice. These rodents eventually attracted the cats to these food supplies, not for the grain of course, but for the ample supply of rats and mice. The Egyptians saw this as a favour from the cats and a relationship between cats and humans was developed.
|
Gradually, cats became members of Egyptian households and eventually became godlike creatures which the Egyptians would worship. New laws were passed at this time and it became a crime to kill a cat (the penalty being death), and it was forbidden to export cats from the country.
When a cat died during this era, it was mummified and buried in sanctified plots often with an ample supply of mummified mice for the afterlife. During research, one of these sanctified plots was discovered and amazingly contained 300,000 mummified cats. The plot became an invaluable resource for studying cat history.
It was not long before the cat craze spread to India and onto China and other Asian countries. Cats were still thought of as magical and became highly regarded pets and were prized for keeping the rodent population in order.
It was the Romans and the Greeks that eventually introduced the cat as a domestic animal. Here, they were not worshipped but kept as pets and human companions as well as keeping the rodent population under control.
Cats were extremely important during the 11th century for destroying vermin when the Black Death appeared. However, the worst time for cats was yet to come - this era was called the 'Middle Ages' or the 'Medieval Times'.
|
During the 'Medieval times, cats were thought to be 'in league with the devil'.
Cats were thought to have magical powers and were strongly associated with witchcraft.
Anyone who kept a cat as a pet was thought to be a witch and put to death along with their cat.
|
Cats themselves had a rough time, they were treated badly, most often killed and driven out of towns and villages. Because of these superstitions about cats, the cat population of Europe became very close to being wiped out. Some superstitions have survived history today, some still believe that it is bad luck for a black cat to cross your path.
Fortunately, the witch hunts eventually ceased and cats once again became highly popular and lovable, household pets.
By the late 1800's distinctive breeds were being established and cat shows were being held. The long-haired cat in particular became a popular, prized member of the cat family.
