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Meow – The History of Cat Domestication, and How Our Furry Friends Domesticated Themselves

Khalid Elhassan June 3, 2025 17 min

19. The Earliest Known Close Link Between Humans and Cats

Ancient burial of a man and a cat in Cyprus. Science Web

About 10,000 years ago, humans began to form permanent settlements in the Fertile Crescent – the cradle of agriculture. Early farmers stored surplus grain, which attracted rodents. Wildcats, in turn, were drawn to the abundant rodent prey near human settlements. The tamest and least aggressive wildcats lingered around, and gradually became less fearful of humans. Humans recognized the benefits of natural rodent control, so they tolerated and even encouraged the wildcats’ presence.

That symbiotic relationship started cat domestication. The earliest definitive evidence of a close relationship between humans and cats comes was found in Cyprus, dated circa 7500 BC. A burial site was discovered in which a human and a cat were interred together, suggesting a strong bond. Since Cyprus is an island with no native feline species, the presence of a cat indicates it was intentionally brought by humans – implying domestication, or at least a mutually beneficial partnership.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.