How did cats, tiger, lions, pumas, ever become domesticated animals? Well, originally, one of the cat’s ancestors might have been a small creature called Miacis which looked like a weasel. The Miacis may also have been the ancestor of dogs, raccoons, and bears.

Scientists are not completely sure when the cat was tamed into a domestic animal. Historically, we know that the African wildcat was tamed by the Egyptians around 3500 B.C. These pets helped take care of the rodents, snakes, and insects invading Egyptian towns and houses.  Because of this, they were revered so much that they became frequent subjects of Egyptian artwork.

It didn’t take long before the Egyptian made the great leap from honoring the domesticated cat to worshiping it. Their love goddess was depicted with the head of a cat sitting atop of the body of a woman. Egyptian laws were made to protect cats. Eventually, the death penalty was given for any person involved in the death of a cat. 

Dead cats were treated like Egyptian royalty. They were often mummified. Scientists have found thousands of cat mummies in the area around Egypt. These deaths were greatly mourned by owners of that time. Owners shaved their eyebrows to show their sorrow over a cat’s death.

Cat’s probably found their way to Europe by way of traders. Because they recognized the value of a domesticated cat in the control of rodents, explorers probably brought cat with them to the New World when they came. These cats became pets and were carried west as the settlers expanded into new territories.

Today, cats are considered members of the household. They are growing in popularity and have become a billion-dollar industry in the United States. Owners are so proud of their cats that they show them off at prestigious cat shows every year.