The Cyprus Discovery: A Misunderstood Clue
In 2001, archaeologists in Cyprus uncovered a 9,500-year-old grave containing a human and a cat buried side by side. This fueled the popular theory that domestication began when wildcats, attracted by easy food sources, gradually adapted to human life.
However, new findings challenge this assumption. Scientists from the University of Exeter studied animal bones and concluded that the Cyprus cat wasn’t domesticated at all—it was a European wildcat. Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Rome Tor Vergata analyzed nuclear DNA and confirmed that Cyprus wasn’t the birthplace of our feline friends.
Instead, these studies suggest that the cats in Cyprus were wild animals that coexisted with humans—but not pets in the modern sense.
Turning the Spotlight Back to Ancient Egypt
With Cyprus ruled out, researchers are revisiting Egypt’s ancient relationship with cats. Genetic evidence and archaeological findings suggest that true domestication happened around 3,000 years ago in Egypt—not thousands of years earlier in farming communities.
What’s most fascinating is that domestication doesn’t seem to have been driven by agriculture or pest control. Instead, it had deep religious roots.
Bastet: The Goddess Who Loved Cats
In Egyptian mythology, the goddess Bastet symbolized protection, pleasure, and good health. Originally depicted as a fierce lioness, Bastet’s image softened over time into that of a domestic cat. Around the first millennium BCE, Egyptians began breeding cats on a massive scale, not to keep them as pets, but to offer them as sacred sacrifices.
Archaeologists have uncovered vast cat cemeteries near temples where millions of cats were mummified and given as offerings to Bastet. This large-scale ritual may have played a crucial role in taming wildcats, turning them into creatures comfortable with human interaction.
Religion Before Practicality
Unlike dogs, which were domesticated early for hunting and protection, cats were likely revered first and domesticated later. Their religious significance meant they were respected, protected, and eventually invited into homes—not simply tolerated because they chased mice.
Thus, the relationship between humans and cats wasn't born out of necessity but from a deep cultural and spiritual connection.
What This Means for Cat Lovers Today
Understanding the real roots of cat domestication reminds us that cats were never just "pets." They were symbols of life, health, and divine protection for ancient peoples. Even today, that ancient aura of mystery and majesty still clings to our feline friends.
So next time your cat acts like royalty, remember—they were literally worshipped once!