The domestication of cats was based on mutual benefit. In the earliest days of agriculture, people were forced to deal with an unforeseen consequence: rodents devouring crops and spoiling the grain. Following voraciously in their footsteps were predators like snakes and owls—and cats. The cats with the friendliest dispositions were eventually welcomed into human settlements, highly valued for their ability to destroy vermin. The house cat was domesticated from the African wildcat approximately 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and has rarely strayed from our side since.
10 Interesting Cat Facts !
- Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat flap
- It was once thought that the ancient Egyptians were the first to tame cats, but a pet cat has since been found in a 9,500 year old grave in Cyprus
- Cats have around 230 bones in their body, while humans only have 203 bones
- According to the 2010 PAW Report there are 11.9 million pet cats living in the UK
- When cats run they can reach speeds of up to 30mph
- According to the Guinness World Records, the oldest cat lived to be 38 years and 3 days
- Chocolate is poisonous to cats
- A person that loves cats is called a ailurophile
- Julius Caesar was scared of cats, a condition known as ailurophobia
- Cats use their whiskers to judge if they can fit through a hole
