May 26, 2025, 12:45 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
When and why were cats domesticated—and who brought them to Europe? Two studies are challenging previous assumptions. Instead of merely being useful as mouse hunters, cats may have found their way to us through divine worship. Additionally, they arrived in Europe much earlier than previously believed, leading to a grim theory about the fate of the European wildcat.
The house cat has been a beloved companion for almost as long as the dog. However, its history—at least in Europe—is not as ancient as often thought. Two studies with genetic data spanning over 10,000 years show: The cat did not arrive with the first farmers but millennia later. Even more surprising: Wild cats existed before domestication—but not as early pets.
What Happened to Cats Before Domestication?
Leading evolutionary biologists have long assumed that cats first found humans in the Levant and the “Fertile Crescent,” a historical region in the Middle East. “The oldest evidence of cats and humans living together is about 9,500 years old and comes from two graves on the island of Cyprus,” writes Professor Jonathan B. Losos in his book, “From the Savannah to the Sofa—An Evolutionary History of the Cat.”
He further writes that most researchers describe the pre-domestication state of the cat similarly. With the advent of human settlement and the beginning of agriculture, the African wildcat became more prevalent. Near humans, there were fewer predators but plenty of food in the form of grain-eating animals and rodents.
Over time, the animals most friendly to humans benefited, and domestication took its course. “Natural selection likely promoted the evolution of those cats that had no fear of humans and found it appealing to live among us,” Losos continues in his book. However, two independently conducted studies contradict this coherent picture. They have fundamentally re-examined the history of the domestication and spread of the house cat—especially concerning Europe.
Both research projects agree that house cats did not arrive in Europe with the first Neolithic farmers. They reach different conclusions but speak of a significantly later time, around the 1st millennium B.C. Interpretations of how, when, and why this spread occurred vary considerably. Both appeared on “BioRvix”—meaning they have not yet been confirmed by independent scientists.
Who Brought the House Cat to Europe—and If So, How Often?
The first study, led by Sean Doherty from the University of Exeter, focuses clearly on the cultural and especially religious significance of the cat in ancient Egypt. Based on over 2,400 bone measurements, genetic analyses of 350 cat fossils, and 24 new radiocarbon datings, the researchers conclude that the domestication of the cat took place in the early 1st millennium B.C. Not primarily for practical reasons like mouse hunting, but within the framework of the Bastet cult.
The goddess Bastet, originally lion-shaped, was increasingly depicted and revered as a (house) cat during this time. Millions of cats were mummified and used as offerings—a sign of a close, deliberately cultivated human-animal relationship. From Egypt, various genetic lines spread, mainly through trade and pilgrimage routes, to Europe. The study identifies five waves of introduction to Europe:
- pre-Roman (before 753 B.C.),
- Roman (around 500 B.C. to 380 A.D.),
- late Antique (up to 500 A.D.),
- early medieval Christian (from 500 A.D.), and
- Viking Age (from 753 A.D.).
Notably, genetically traceable house cats appeared in southern England as early as the 4th to 2nd century B.C.—well before the Roman invasion of the British Isles. Researchers interpret these early finds as deliberate introductions through religiously influenced mobility.
In parallel, the European wildcat was increasingly displaced—through competition and genetic mixing with house cats. The interdisciplinary approach, combining genetic, archaeological, and morphological data, allows for a new, strongly culture-historically influenced perspective on the domestication of the cat. 1
Second Study Sees Rome as the Bringer of the House Cat to Europe
The second study, led by Claudio Ottoni from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, interprets the data quite differently. It is based on a paleogenomic analysis of the history of the house cat, focusing on sites in Europe. Here, 225 cat remains from 97 sites were examined, including 70 ancient and 17 modern genomes, as well as 37 directly radiocarbon-dated samples.
The goal was to reconstruct the origins, distribution paths, and timelines of domestication using modern population genetics. The result: House cats with a clear Felis catus profile, according to this analysis, did not arrive with Neolithic farmers. Instead, researchers identified the 1st century A.D. as the first widespread expansion. This would correspond to the time of the Roman Empire and the occupation of Egypt.
Some finds in Sardinia show traces of North African wildcats as early as the 2nd century B.C. These were likely brought there by Phoenician or Punic sailors who stopped in Carthage. However, these were not domesticated animals but a genetically separate line that remains isolated in Sardinia to this day. The study argues that earlier indications of house cats in Neolithic settlements are due to misinterpretations. Often, they were wildcats with divergent DNA, mistakenly considered domesticated.
It was already known that the Romans valued cats. But apparently, they actively contributed to spreading them in Europe through their trade and military structures. Possibly with practical motivation, perhaps also with a religious background. The genetic focus of the study allows for a more precise distinction between wild and house cats than earlier works, which mainly relied on bone shapes and individual genes. 2
Did People in Europe Eat Cats?
Marco de Martino, a paleogeneticist at the University of Rome Tor Vergata who was involved in both studies, has proposed a theory about cats in Europe that many cat lovers might find scandalous. In response to an inquiry from the science magazine “LiveScience,” he said, “We have successfully reconstructed the core genomes of several Neolithic cats from Anatolia and Southeast Europe and demonstrated that these cats were European wildcats.”
So there were indeed cats in Europe during the Neolithic period! However, they were more likely European wildcats, which probably met a different fate than their African relatives. According to de Martino, they were not pets. “They were likely exploited for food, fur, or ritual practices,” he says.
In the study by Doherty and colleagues, this is phrased a bit more cautiously. However, the researchers also found clear evidence that the European wildcat was already suffering from the introduction of the domesticated cat before it was pushed to the brink of extinction in the 19th century.
Before the Domestication of the Cat, the Wildcat Was Displaced
“Humans have influenced wildcat populations for millennia. In some cases, they facilitated the expansion of the range by intentionally settling wildcats on islands, as apparently happened in Neolithic Cyprus and pre-Roman Sardinia,” the researchers write in their study.
More often, however, humans caused the reduction of the range through overhunting or environmental destruction. “The negative impacts of house cats on wildcat populations are now recognized, and our study suggests that this competition dates back further than previously thought.”
In comparison, a picture emerges with many overlaps but also some significant differences. Both studies reject the theory of Neolithic domestication. However, they confirm the “Out-of-Egypt” hypothesis for the mass, religiously motivated spread from the house cat’s region of origin. And unfortunately, also the hunting or at least the destruction of the habitat of the more elusive European wildcat.
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History Before the Domestication of the Cat Rewritten
While the Exeter study describes five temporally differentiated waves of introduction, the Rome study identifies only two central migration events. These include the early non-domesticated wildcat line in Sardinia and the later house cat line on the European mainland.
In the end, both studies lead to a reevaluation of the domestication history of the cat. Whether the final answer comes from the desert or the Mediterranean remains open for now.
It is also unclear whether the plausible thesis of Neolithic origins truly contradicts these data. Fossil finds from Mesopotamia or the area between the Euphrates and Tigris were not considered in these studies. The history of the cat alongside humans is likely more complex, contradictory, and fascinating than ever before thought.