Cats

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From wild animal to household pet

Cats have been around for 40 million years but have only been living alongside humans for the past 5,000. The domesticated cat is believed to have descended from the African Wild Cat, a tabby slightly larger than the modern domestic.

Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians were the first to bring cats into buildings to guard their valuable grain stores from rats and mice. Cats were so good at their job that they had become sacred by 1,000 B.C. The Egyptians worshipped a goddess, called BAST, that had the head of a cat and was surrounded by kittens. They even mummified some cats.

Across the world

Traders brought cats from Egypt to Europe, the Far East and China around 2-3,000 years ago.
Cats reached Japan in 999 A.D. and were to feature extensively in Japanese art. They did not reach America until 1749 but there are now 55 million of them.

Today's cats

Today, there are over 700 breeds of cat as well as countless different-looking moggies. Cats are becoming ever more popular because they are naturally clean and self-sufficient, which suits modern lifestyles.