Research: The Footprint of Cats and Their Domestication in Human History

It may seem that domestic cats have always lived quietly and silently beside us, but a new study not only challenges this perception but also traces the domestication of cats from Europe to North Africa and Tunisia. A new study published in April 2025 on the bioRxiv research platform transforms our understanding of the origin and timing of cat domestication by analyzing the DNA of hundreds of ancient cat bone samples; a narrative that traverses two geographical and cultural paths. The story unfolds in two migration phases. The research was conducted by a group of scientists from the Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy, and the University of Exeter, UK, on samples from over 200 archaeological sites and 2,416 cat bones. They were able to extract ancient genomes from 70 samples. The findings indicated that modern domestic cats likely originated from wild African cats. However, contrary to popular belief, they did not reach Europe during the Neolithic period; rather, their arrival on the green continent dates back to the Roman Empire. The expansion occurred in two stages. The first stage involved semi-wild cats that reached the Mediterranean islands around 200 years before Christ; these cats were not yet domesticated but gradually approached human settlements. The second stage involved domestic cats that were transported to various parts of Europe during the Roman Empire along with commercial ships and Roman caravans, where they settled. Beyond genetics, the role of religion and mythology in the acceptance of cats is significant. In ancient Egypt, cats were associated with the goddess Bastet, and many were mummified. The goddess Bastet, depicted as a woman with a cat's head or as a cat itself, symbolized home, fertility, and the protector of the Pharaoh. In ancient Greek and Roman culture, goddesses like Artemis and Diana were also linked with cats. In the Scandinavian peninsula, legends say that the chariot of the goddess Freya — the goddess of love, fertility, and the symbol of sexual desire — was drawn by cats. This evidence shows that cats are intertwined not only with daily life but also with the deep cultural and mythological layers of humanity. Previous research, including a study published in the prestigious journal Science in 2007, has shown that domestic cats in Asia, particularly in the East and Central Asia, have a similar origin. Genetic data indicates that the ancestors of most modern domestic cats are the same wild cats from North Africa. Although there is evidence of the domestication of Asian leopard cats in China dating back about 5,300 years, this line of domestication did not lead to modern cats. In other words, the cats living in Asia today entered through the same African route. The significance of this new discovery lies in the fact that it was previously believed that cats were domesticated about 9,000 years ago in agricultural societies in the Middle East and then spread with humans across the globe. However, this research shows that their actual spread in Europe occurred much later and in several stages. This finding not only updates the timeline of cats' arrival in Europe but also emphasizes the significant role of culture, religion, trade, and human migration in the spread of domestic cats.