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3000 BCE
When was it domesticated?
“Apart from dogs, cats are the only domesticated animals to dwell indoors with humans. It is also the only one which is solitary in the wild, as opposed to living in packs, herds or flocks. As a result the cat has been able to take what it wants from man (food, shelter, play) and to pay its dues in return (pest control) without losing contact with its original identity.” (http://historyworld.net) -
1550 BCE
Ta-Miu
“Ta-Miu was the personal pet of Crown Prince Thutmose, the eldest son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye of the 18th dynasty of Egypt (1549/1550-1292 BC). After her death, Ta-Miu was mummified and buried in a decorated sarcophagus. In fact, her sarcophagus offers most of what the world knows about the short life of Crown Prince Thutmose.” (https://www.litter-robot.com) -
1515 BCE
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office
“The “Chief Mouser” is the official resident cat of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at 10 Downing Street. He is technically many cats, spanning from 1515 (when Cardinal Wolsey placed his cat by his side while acting in his judicial capacity as Lord Chancellor) to the current Chief Mouser, Larry.” (https://www.litter-robot.com) -
Proailurus
“The naturalist Henri Filhol named this extinct beast back in 1879 from fossils found in France, and even then he could tell that the mammal had something to do with the origin of felines: Proailurus means “first cat.” (https://www.pbs.org) -
The cat who survived 3 shipwrecks
“The cat was aboard the German battleship Bismarck in 1941 when it was struck by British forces during World War II. He was rescued by the British and taken to live aboard the destroyer Cossack, but his time there was cut short after that ship was also sunk a few months later. Fortunately, Oskar survived to live through a third and final shipwreck: the sinking of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, which went down just three weeks after he came aboard.” (https://www.mentalfloss.com) -
The cat who went to space
“A cat named Felix was originally meant to be the first feline launched into orbit, but he never made it into the shuttle. When he ran away before completing the mission, a female cat dubbed Félicette was found to take his place. French scientists made history when they sent her to space on October 18, 1963. While most early animal missions into space were one-way trips, Félicette was safely recovered after parachuting back down to Earth.” (https://www.mentalfloss.com) -
Creme Puff, the oldest cat ever recorded
“Creme Puff of Austin, Texas, was 38 years and 3 days old when she passed away in 2005—the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records. Her feline brother was 34 years old when he passed. Apparently the cats’ owner, Jake Perry, fed them an unusual diet of turkey bacon and eggs, asparagus, broccoli, and coffee with heavy cream, among other things.” (https://www.litter-robot.com) -
Panthera Blytheae
“In 2013, paleontologists working in Tibet announced the discovery of Panthera blytheae.” (https://www.pbs.org) -
Past Uses
“Thought to have descended from the African wildcat and used to catch vermin, the domestic cat can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago (and perhaps beyond). By helping to reduce disease and protect crops, cats were quickly regarded as sacred creatures by the Egyptians.” (https://catspride.com) -
What adaptations has a cat made over time?
“Cats' eyes have very well adapted photoreceptors for seeing in the dark and to help spot and catch their prey. Their ears have also been adapted for hearing better.” (http://bioweb.uwlax.edu) -
Present Uses
“Domestic cats are valued by humans for companionship and their ability to hunt rodents.” (https://en.m.wikipedia.org)
