Cats' History - How Feral Cats Were Domesticated

According to the reports, domesticated these pets have appeared about 8,000 years ago. The findings that date back to this period of time show that bones of humans, cats and mice were buried together on Cyprus. Most probably cats and mice were brought together to Cyprus at that time.
Cats and Their Domestication

After Cyprus, cats appeared in Egypt, south-eastern Asia and Africa. The people who lived there were mainly occupied with agriculture. Crops were harvest two times every year and people had problems with storing the food they produced. The appearance of mice, rats and other similar animals worsen the situation even further.

However, people found out that the cats eliminated the rodents that destroyed their grain and foods. So, people started attracting cats in order to protect their grain. To achieve this, people even used some tricks: they tried to attract cats with milk and fish. Thus, cats found a good environment where they could live happily, and receive food and affections from humans.

These cute animals have a significant place in history. Egyptians valued felines very much and there was a very close bond between them. Even though Egyptians people have various other animals, such as sheep, cattle, pigs and moneys, cats had an important part in their lives and enjoyed a great respect.
How Were Cats Protected?

As cats were extremely valued in Egypt, the people there had laws for feline’s protection. Due to the high status cats had, a special sacred order of cat reverence was developed and it continued for 2,000 years. Egyptian people honoured Bastet – the cat goddess that had a feline head and a female body. Basted was associated with motherhood, fertility and beauty. People called cats “Mau”- a word that resembles the sound “meow” made by cats.

Egyptians who killed or harmed a cat receive a severe punishment. In case a fire took place in a house, the owner had to save the cats first. If a cat dies because of natural reasons, the whole family had to mourn by beating their chests and reciting words of pain and sorrow.

The body of the feline had to be wrapped in linen and an examination had to make sure the death is natural. Mouse mummies were placed in feline tombs in order to make sure that the cat would have enough food after its death.

Cats continued to spread in other countries, including India, China, Japan, Greece and Italy.

Interesting Historical Facts about Cats

During the Middle Ages cats were accepted as evil animals and Satan’s creations, so they were tortured and sacrificed in special rituals. People believed black cats were a bad omen.
As cats were killed and persecuted, rodents started to increase and this affected people very badly. Plague occurred and killed a large number people. Cats regained their high status again in the eighteen century and started to receive much appreciation.

They popularity grew significantly in the nineteenth century. At that time cat exhibitions were established and cats became very valued and loved.

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Dania
www.silvestorskittyblog.blogspot.com

Domestic Cats That Were Once Feral Cats

Feral Cats are Wild Cats which is why there are always questions on taking a Feral Cat and turning it into a Domestic Cat.

Some ecologists say that the domestication of feral cat harms environment or ecosystem, as excessive population of feral cats result in large hunting of small birds and animals in both rural and urban areas.

Feral cats have a considerable effect on the environment, as these cats have put several native animals and species to danger and even death.

Even, people now consider feral cats as the most vicious creatures on small islands. Other species that are vanished on small islands include burrowing bettong and spectacled hare-wallaby. These animals were found once abundant on small islands.

Environmental Issues:

Researchers state that feral cats in the USA, every year, kill large population of animal and bird species, and hundreds of those in Florida. Thus, these cat breeds have great impact on environment as well as wildlife animal species.

This may result in disruption of food chain and limitation of local wildlife populations. In fact, feral cats in countries such as New Zealand and Australia have killed native birds and animals and have damaged the natural flora completely.

In Australia, feral cats have killed several wallabies, thus there is a considerable drop in the population of wallabies over the years. Many ecologists found that feral cats were to blame mostly for the dropping population of rock wallabies in a remote area of tropical Queensland.

Even though feral cats mainly depend on rabbits for their food source, they do little to lower the population, as the population of rabbits is as same as the amount of feral cats in Australia.

Not only the feral cats have a substantial effect on food chain, but they also affect the other local creatures by depleting their sources of food. These include the wedge-tailed eagle, hawks, the eastern quoll, reptiles such as the Lace Monitor and Goanna and the dingoes.

Feral cats eat nearly all those foods that are vital for other local species. Because of such huge population, not only these cats eat all other native species, but also provide nothing for other local species. In most regions, hawks and eagles have had to alter their routine diet to survive due to these cats.

Even, the native cats are in danger. Feral cats more often affect domestic cats such as Quoll. For instance, if feral cats come near female quolls, they become infertile. Here, people cannot help them out, but as there are several feral cats around, the best way to avoid is preventing domestic cats to outside exposure. A recent report study states that several female quolls have already become infertile and their populations are declining day-by-day.

Overview:

Feral cats also carry certain incurable diseases, which are fatal and harmful to other species, especially for the local marsupials. Toxoplasmosis is the name of one such disease, which causes paralysis, blindness, respiratory disorders, and loss of infantile because of stillbirth and impulsive abortion.

Feral cats are also the carriers of Rabies, a disease affecting not only animals and species, but also the human beings. It is more excruciating and devastating to the whole ecosystem.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Dania
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Martin Marks

Domestic Cats and Feral Cats – The History of Cats

Pets Articles | May 24, 2008

The first appearance of the domesticated cat according to original reports goes back as far as 8,000 years ago. According to findings, during that era, bones of mice, humans and cats were buried mutually on the isle of Cyprus. Apparently, people then brought together with them the mice, which were unwanted, and the cats to Cyprus.

Domestication Of Cats:

Agriculture was not only the main occupation of the Egyptians, but also of the southwestern Asian primitives and folks of Africa, where cats appeared afterwards. Since harvesting crops was possible only once or twice every year, it became difficult to store the food-eating grains. The entry of mice, rats and other pests only added to the difficulty.

Soon people observed that the cat population ate the rodents that destroy the food grains.
People invited cats into their daily lives very courteously after observing cats hunting rodents. Farmers used fish-heads, milk and bread and additional food scraps to attract and sway cats to hover around their homes. As a result, cats merely discovered an environmental place for themselves, a stable source of love, affection and food from human beings.

People remember cats for their illustrious position in history. Cats and Egyptians shared a unique relationship. Egyptians possessed different varieties of animals like pigs, sheep, cattle, fowls and monkeys in ancient times. Cats, however unreservedly roamed the area according to its will.

Protection of Cats:

Egypt established laws to protect and safeguard cats, since people had a very high regard about them. A sacred order of cat reverence developed due to its high status that lasted for about 2,000 years. People in Egypt used to revere Bastet the cat goddess. Bastet had the head of a cat and the body of a female. Bastet was related with motherliness, elegance, beauty and fertility. In olden Egypt, people used to call a cat as a “Mau” resembling “meow” a common cat word.

There was a severe punishment for people who harmed or killed cats during the sovereignty of the Pharaohs. If a house was ablaze, it was imperative for the humans to think first about the cats. If the death of a cat was due to natural factors, then it was mandatory for the entire family to go into detailed mourning with beating of chests and recitation of slogans as an indication of pain.

It was necessary to wrap the cat's body in linen, and inspection was compulsory to ascertain that the cat's death was natural. Tombs of cats also had mouse mummies to ensure enough food for their next journey. Soon cats sailed to countries like India, Japan, China, Italy and Greece.

Other Historical Facts:

People used to torture and sacrifice cats in sacred rituals during the medieval ages. People regarded and scorned cats as Satan's members. Individuals considered black cats as a bad omen.

Due to the persecution of cats the number of rodents increased, plague arose and devastated life. It was then that cats received appreciation and they once again gained popularity by the eighteenth century. 

Cats became extremely popular in the nineteenth century and cat exhibitions of various pedigrees began towards the ending of nineteenth century.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Domestic Cats and Feral Cats have been around a while. Learn about the History of Feral Cats, or Wild Cats, and when Domestic Cats came to be.


Dania
http://www.silvestorkittyblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.rockysdoggieblogstore.com/
http://www.ezhomemadedoggietreatz.com/