From Smithsonian Magazine
Just last month, a study published in the research journal Science secured more pieces in the cat-domestication puzzle based on genetic analyses. All domestic cats, the authors declared, descended from a Middle Eastern wildcat, Felis sylvestris, which literally means “cat of the woods.” Cats were first domesticated in the Near East, and some of the study authors speculate that the process began up to 12,000 years ago.
The human domestic relationship with the house cat began with the development of agriculture and the development of a cultural need for vermin control. A role that cats seem to remember, even if we don’t. Our cats at home would occasionally leave dead mice or moles in a conspicuous place, like they were letting us know that they were still on the job.