Cat History

The amazing journey of the cat, from the wilderness of Egypt to the cosy sofa in our homes, can be traced back to the African wildcat more than 5,000 years ago. Displaying the curiosity typical of cats, the African wildcat was showing a great deal of interest in the rats and snakes hiding in the Egyptian grain stores. This all-you-can-eat cat meat buffet enticed the wildcats into suppressing their natural fight or flight instincts towards man and they began to co-exist, providing much needed pest control in return for food and, eventually, shelter.

By 1500 BC, the cat was considered a sacred animal in Egypt.

Over the next 2,000 years the process of feline domestication took shape with tamer cats coming to dominate the settlements and encouraged to breed with one another. The knowledge we have gained from ancient artefacts shows the cat progressing rapidly from pest controller to deity within this ancient but advanced civilisation.