International Cat Day: The history of house cats
In honour of International Cat Day, we explore how the common house cat has been viewed throughout history and around the world.
Image: A statue of ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet | Shutterstock.com
Today, it’s estimated that around a quarter of UK households have a pet cat. Indeed, the rise of the internet has shown us how beloved these pets can be, with cats ranging from Grumpy Cat to Downing Street’s Larry the Cat earning fame on social media sites.
Have humans always viewed house cats with such affection? In fact, the cat’s long history of coexistence with humans has seen it often revered and loved, but sometimes merely tolerated or even feared.
7500 BC – A beloved pet in Cyprus?
Experts agree that the house cat, felis catus, most likely emerged in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East when wild cats began to live among people who appreciated their ability to catch vermin.
However, the earliest archaeological evidence of what might be a pet cat dates to about 7500 BC in Cyprus. Here, a human was buried close to a kitten of about eight months, suggesting an affectionate relationship between the two.
1500-30 BC – A pet and a deity in ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians provided us with the first records of domestic cats that lived as pets in family homes. In fact, ancient Egyptians saw cats as divine. The goddess Bastet, who was first depicted as a lioness, gradually took on the form of a domestic cat or a cat-headed woman instead. She was a goddess of protection and fertility, and Bubastis, her city, contained the graves of thousands of mummified cats.
400 BC - 200 AD – A foe of the mouse in India
The house cat makes a notable appearance in the great Indian epic poem, the Mahabharata, as a part of a symbolic dialogue between a cat and a mouse. The cat, named Lomasa, and the mouse, Palita, briefly become friends and work together for their mutual benefit. Their relationship teaches lessons about peace and war between forces of unequal strength – like the eternal opponents, cat and mouse.
11th century or earlier – Transportation for a Norse goddess
Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, war, magic and fertility, was also associated with cats. However, she did not have a cat’s head or form, like Bastet. Rather, she possessed a chariot drawn by cats.
There is evidence that Vikings may have taken cats with them to sea, most likely for their vermin-killing abilities. Indeed, they could have helped the domestic cat travel far from its origins. Were these Viking felines beloved pets? Well, archaeological evidence suggests that these animals were often skinned for their pelts. However, other cats were buried with humans in their graves. It seems the Vikings’ relationship with these animals may have been partly practical and partly emotional.
14th-17th centuries – Bad luck and witchcraft in Britain
By the time of the Renaissance in Britain, cats had developed a rather bad reputation. In particular, they were associated with witches and witchcraft. It was believed that witches could shapeshift, and cats were one form they could take.
Cats might also be witches’ familiars, or they could be used in witches’ spells to stir up storms – like the one King James I and VI believed had been cast in an attempt to drown him. Moreover, black cats were thought to be harbingers of bad luck all on their own, a superstition that has lasted into modern times.
18th century - Good fortune in Japan
In Japan, on the other hand, ceramic cats have been the bringers of good luck for centuries. Around the 18th century, Japanese artisans created maneki neko – cats with one raised paw that beckons in good fortune. The colouration and details of the maneki neko vary depending on which kind of good outcomes you want to usher in. They are still popular today, a common sight at the entrances to businesses.
At the same time, cat-like creatures with less kindly intent do exist in Japanese folklore. Nekomata and bakeneko are two types of cats with supernatural abilities, such as bewitching humans.
20th century – Iceland's Christmas Cat
A 1930s Icelandic poem called Jólakötturinn, ‘The Christmas Cat’, describes a legendary magical cat that is far from lucky or friendly. This large beast, also known as a Yule Cat, devours anyone who isn’t gifted new clothing before Christmas!
Across all of history – Good luck on the oceans
We have already noted that the Vikings brought cats with them to sea. Actually, this has been a common practice around the globe among seafarers through the ages.
Since mice and rats at sea can cause disaster by eating food supplies, cats were a sensible addition to any crew. Their ability to predict the weather was also an asset, as was their ability to raise morale. Indeed, in Europe, black cats were considered to be lucky on ships, even as they were viewed as harbingers of doom on land.
