By Tim Lambert
Cats were first domesticated about 8,000 BC, when humans in the Middle East started farming. They stored grain, which naturally attracted rodents. Cats began hanging around the grain stores to hunt. Humans appreciated cats hunting rodents and gave them food and shelter. Cats were useful animals.
Cats were highly esteemed in Ancient Egypt. They even had a cat-headed goddess called Bastet. When cats died, their owners shaved their eyebrows and mourned them. Some cats were even mummified. Killing a cat was a serious crime.
For thousands of years, cats were kept to catch mice and rats on ships, and they spread across Europe.
In Norse mythology, Freya, the goddess of love and fertility, rode a chariot drawn by two great cats.
In Europe in the Middle Ages, cats were associated with the Devil, and some clergymen disapproved of them. Nevertheless, cats were commonly kept for catching mice, but no doubt some people were fond of them. Cats were often kept in religious communities, and were sometimes depicted in Medieval manuscripts. Mice ate manscripts so many scholars kept cats to hunt them. However, cats sometimes walked over manuscripts and left inky pawprints on them.
Dick Whittington was a famous mayor of London in the 15th century. However, the story of him owning a cat was first published in 1605. It’s not certain if he really owned a cat.
During the Renaissance, cats were still popular pets, as well as being useful animals. Cats were on board the Mayflower when it sailed for North America in 1620. Lovers of cats are called ailurophiles.
Originally, the Latin word for a cat was felis or feles. The English word feline was first recorded in the 17th century. It comes from the Latin word felinus, which means of or belonging to a cat. Later, the Latin word for cat changed to cattus. In Britain, cats are called Puss. It’s derived from a Germanic word meaning soft or furry and it was first recorded in the 16th century. However, at first, rabbits as well as cats were called Puss. A type of furry catkin was called a pussy willow.
In the 19th century, people began to breed different types of cats. In 1871, the first cat show opened at the Crystal Palace (a big glass building) in London. The International Cat Association was formed in 1978.
Oddly, in the USA, black cats are considered bad luck. However, in England, they are good luck! It’s good luck if a black cat crosses your path. 27 October is National Black Cat Day.
A famous cat called Trim was born on HMS HMS Reliance in 1799 as it sailed to Australia. He accompanied Matthew Flinders when he sailed around Australia in 1801-02. A bronze statue of Trim was erected in Sydney in 1996. Another famous cat was Mrs Chippy, who accompanied Ernest Shackleton on his expedition to Antarctica in 1914–1917.
The famous cartoon cat, Felix the Cat, was created in 1919. Korky the Cat first appeared in the Dandy comic in 1937. The cartoon cat, Tom, and his eternal enemy, Jerry the mouse, first appeared in 1940. The cartoon series, Top Cat, was first broadcast in 1962. The full-length cartoon, The Aristocats was made in 1970. The musical Cats was first performed in 1981.
Meanwhile, Edward Lowe invented cat litter in 1947.
On 18 October 1963, a French cat called Felicette became the first cat in space. The French sent her up in a rocket. They managed to get her safely down again.
Today, there are an estimated 500 million cats in the world.
Finally, 29 October is National Cat Day.
