Cats bonded with humans 4,000 years ago, not 10,000 as long believed: Study

For years, the common belief was that cats first drew near to humans around the time agriculture developed in the Levant, roughly 10,000 years ago. But findings from archaeological bones paint a different picture.

These remains, examined from multiple sites in Europe, North Africa, and Anatolia, indicate that the moment when cats began to lose their wild edge and form lasting bonds with humans occurred significantly later.

Prof Greger Larson of the University of Oxford highlighted how surprising the timeline appears, given the strong presence of cats in modern life. “They are ubiquitous, we make TV programmes about them, and they dominate the internet. That relationship we have with cats now only got started about 3.5 or 4,000 years ago, rather than 10,000 years ago,” he explained.

Researchers analysed DNA drawn from centuries-old cat bones and compared it to the genetic signatures of today’s domestic cats. Their work points clearly to northern Africa as the first place where taming truly began.

“Instead of happening in that area where people are first settling down with agriculture, it looks like it is much more of an Egyptian phenomenon,” Prof Larson said. That conclusion aligns with well-known depictions of felines in ancient Egyptian culture, from revered portrayals in art to careful preservation in the form of mummification.

Once cats became connected with people, their usefulness as natural hunters made them valued travellers. They sailed on ships, protected food supplies by controlling pests, and gradually spread across the world.

According to the research, they reached Europe only around 2,000 years ago, far later than once believed, accompanying the Romans and later venturing eastward through trade routes such as the Silk Road, eventually appearing across Asia. Today, they occupy nearly every part of the globe except Antarctica.

The scientists also uncovered a separate chapter involving different wild felines in ancient China. Before domestic cats ever made their way there, another species, the leopard cat, known for its spotted coat, had already formed a loose association with human settlements approximately 3,500 years ago.

Prof. Shu-Jin Luo of Peking University described that connection as “commensal”, adding, “Leopard cats benefited from living near people, while humans were largely unaffected or even welcomed them as natural rodent controllers,” she said.

Yet unlike the African wildcat lineage that gave rise to present-day pets, the leopard cats never transitioned into true domestication and continue to roam freely across Asia. In a modern twist, crossing them with domestic cats has produced Bengal cats, a breed formally recognised only in the late 20th century. The research is published in Science and in Cell Genomics.