The history of cats

A nine and a half thousand year old grave was excavated in Cyprus, containing the remains of a human and cat, suggesting that cats were kept as companions long before the Ancient Egyptians. Further studies have shown the possibility of cat companionship since 12,000 years ago when the Middle East's agriculture boomed. It is thought that the agriculture boom brought in a large amount of vermin, followed by hungry cats.

Cats were originially bred for hunting vermin, which began the companionship between cats and Egyptians about 4000 years ago. The image of cats gradually changed into that of a worshipped deity, known as Bastet. Cats were regarded so highly, that even accidentally killing a cat could carry severe punishment

Unfortunately, from roughly the 12th to the 14th century, cats became associated with the devil as well as witchcraft and witches, leading to the massacre of cats all across Europe. The massacre has been suggested as an indirect cause of the Black Death which plagued Europe in the 14th century, as rats became abundant.

Nowadays, cats are the most popular mammalian pet in the world, with a recorded 88.3 million pet cats in the U.S. in 2013, a big change in societal perceptions about cats compared to the Middle Ages. Although such a large number of cats may seem great to the average cat lover, a large portion of these cats are abandoned, resulting in an alarming amount of feral cats that threaten the survival of over 100 native species in Australia. So cherish and take care of your cats!