How were cats domesticated?

A comprehensive study of the DNA of cats discovered cats were tamed around 9,500 years ago in Cyprus. Scientists believe African wildcats were attracted to early human settlements by rodents and farmers tamed them by feeding them. The study also found wildcats of Egypt also contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat, and probably had behaviours that made it attractive to humans, such as sociability and tameness.

Comparing wildcats and domestic cats
Cats have changed very little since domestication and are still capable of surviving in the wild. The study of DNA showed wildcats and domestic cats had no major differences in their genetic makeup.

It’s thought that one of the reasons they have changed so little is they have many characteristics and behaviours that made them adaptable for domestication as pets. These traits include their social nature, body language, love of play and high intelligence.

Adapting to Humans
But this doesn’t mean your cat is a wildcat, domestic cats are much less aggressive. In a study on the domestic cat’s genomes, it was found domestic cats have more mutations on genes mediating aggressive behaviour, making memories and the ability to learn from fear or reward-based stimulations. And these traits were most likely handed down through generations of domesticated cats, until there was a large population of less aggressive cats.

Why is this so important?
A domestic cat’s anatomy and genes are very close to that of its wild ancestors. At TRILOGY™, we believe in order to give your cat a tranquil life in an indoor setting, we should let them eat, rest and play as they would in nature.