Scientists, archaeologists, and researchers believe that house cats were first domesticated around 12,000 years ago. How cats were domesticated still isn’t known for sure, however, many highly educated theories have been proposed. What is certain and known, is that historically humans and cats have mutually benefited from one another. Cats are particularly good at killing vermin that spread diseases amongst humans, while humans provide a constant food supply in return. Today we will explore a few of the origin stories of how cats became our cute and fluffy friends.Cats May Have Domesticated Themselves

Some leading scientists believe that cats likely domesticated themselves. The theory explains that catsslowly integrated themselves into human settlements, gradually working their way towards being approachable by people. From that point forward they became intertwined in a mutually beneficial relationship with humans due to their vermin killing abilities. Domesticated natural selection took off and ensured that they stayed domesticated.

Cats May Have Been Forcibly Domesticated

Some researchers believe that early wild cats were captured by primitive humans and kept in cages. These wild cats may have been used as a food source. Researchers believe that the captured cats could have eventually become friendly with their captors and eventually freed to roam amongst them. From that point forward a mutually beneficial relationship randomly started.

Cats Were Accidentally Domesticated

Another theory is that cats were accidentally domesticated. This theory suggests that cats inhabited an area where nomadic human beings stopped at. Once the nomads set up a mobile village, cats began to hunt the small vermin that the nomads attracted with their food supplies. The cats then followed the nomads to a new location and eventually became domesticated.

Cats Were Gifted Into Domestication

An unusual theory about how cats were domesticated suggests that early civilizations, such as the ancient Egyptians, used to trade captured wild cats as gifts. Upon receiving the gift the recipient would generally set the wild cat free. After this occurrence repeated itself over hundreds of years, it is speculated that the wild cats eventually became domesticated.

Catastrophe May Have Domesticated Cats

Early human civilizations were often rocked by massive catastrophes. Some scientists and archaeologist speculate that a giant flood, volcano, or super hurricane could have knocked wild cats out of their natural habitat and pushed them into contact with humans, after which point they were eventually domesticated.

Which of the theories do you believe?

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