Cats are everywhere these days—lounging on couches, ruling internet memes, and curling up at the foot of countless beds. But the story of how these enigmatic creatures became such an integral part of human society is being rewritten, thanks to a wave of groundbreaking research published on November 28, 2025. Contrary to what many believed for decades, the deep bond between humans and cats is a much more recent development than the 10,000-year timeline long taught in textbooks. Instead, scientists now say our close relationship with cats likely began just 3,500 to 4,000 years ago—and not where most would expect.
For years, the prevailing theory was that cats were domesticated in the Levant, a region along the Eastern Mediterranean, at the dawn of agriculture. The logic seemed sound: as early farmers stored grain, rodents flocked to the bounty, and wildcats followed. Over time, these wildcats supposedly grew tamer, forging a partnership with people. But as BBC reports, new genetic evidence tells a different tale. Researchers analyzed DNA from ancient cat bones found at archaeological sites across Europe, North Africa, and Anatolia, then compared the results with the genetic makeup of today’s domestic cats. The findings point to northern Africa—not the Levant—as the true cradle of cat domestication.
"That relationship we have with cats now only gets started about 3.5 or 4,000 years ago, rather than 10,000 years ago," said Professor Greger Larson of the University of Oxford, as quoted by BBC. This shift in thinking is profound. Rather than being a byproduct of the first farming societies, the domestication of cats appears to be an Egyptian phenomenon. In ancient Egypt, cats were not only valued for their prowess in killing rats and venomous snakes but also became deeply entrenched in spiritual beliefs. They were frequently immortalized in art and even preserved as mummies—clear evidence of their elevated status.
All modern domestic cats, the research confirms, are descended from the African wildcat, a species that still roams parts of the continent today. Scientists have long debated how and when these animals lost their wildness and adapted to life alongside humans. The new studies, published in Science and Cell Genomics, suggest the process was not driven directly by early farming. Instead, it was the unique reverence for cats in Egyptian society that sparked their transformation from elusive predators to household companions.
Dr. Claudio Ottoni, a palaeontologist from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and lead author of one of the studies, told Daily Mail, "2,000 years is a relatively short time in evolutionary terms. It is striking that in such a short time, cats were able to 'conquer the world.'" This global conquest was fueled by the movement of people and goods. Once cats became associated with humans, they were especially prized on ships for controlling pests and protecting food supplies. Roman traders and settlers played a pivotal role in their spread, carrying cats across the Mediterranean and into Europe about 2,000 years ago—much later than previously thought.
The research team traced feline remains from 97 archaeological sites dating back 10,000 years, revealing two distinct waves of migration into Europe. The first, about 2,200 years ago, brought African wildcats to the island of Sardinia. The second wave, around the start of the Roman imperial period, saw true domestic cats arriving with Roman armies and their entourages. As Dr. Ottoni explained, "Cats were probably following the Roman army and its entourage of people moving along with them. Cats were companions, but they were also useful to keep rodents and pests away from food, and for example, also leather materials." When the Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD, they brought their feline friends with them, introducing domestic cats to the British Isles.
But the journey of cats didn’t stop there. From Europe, they continued eastward along major trade routes, including the legendary Silk Road. This circuitous path eventually brought domestic cats to China, but not before an intriguing chapter unfolded. According to BBC and Daily Mail, wild leopard cats—small, spotted felines—had lived alongside humans in China for about 3,500 years before domestic cats ever arrived. These leopard cats benefited from living near people, serving as natural rodent controllers, while humans were largely unaffected or even welcomed their presence. Professor Shu-Jin Luo of Peking University explained, "Leopard cats benefited from living near people, while humans were largely unaffected or even welcomed them as natural rodent controllers." However, leopard cats never underwent full domestication and continue to live wild across Asia.
Interestingly, the relationship between humans and leopard cats in China ended after the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 AD, a period marked by climate cooling, reduced agricultural output, social upheaval, and population decline. As Professor Luo described, "Climate cooling, reduced agricultural output, social upheaval, and population decline likely collapsed the human niche that had supported commensal leopard cats." Domestic cats, often white—a color considered sacred—arrived around 700 AD as traders and diplomats carried them from the Middle East and Levant along the Silk Road. The higher proportion of white cats in East Asia today is likely a legacy of this introduction.
The story doesn’t end with ancient history. In the 1980s, breeders crossed leopard cats with domestic cats, creating the Bengal cat—a breed now recognized worldwide for its striking appearance. Meanwhile, the spread of domestic cats is still causing ripples in ecosystems today. In New Zealand, for example, authorities are grappling with feral cat populations that threaten native species, a stark reminder that the global journey of cats continues to have consequences.
So, while cats may seem like timeless fixtures in our homes, their journey from wild African hunters to beloved companions is a surprisingly recent and complex one. Driven by human migration, trade, and a dose of ancient Egyptian admiration, the domestic cat’s story is still being unraveled—one ancient bone and genome at a time.
