The history of cats.
According to scientists' research and past written records, our cute cats probably came from those hot, arid desert places (probably because of this, cats don't like water). Do you know a place about 5,000 to 10,000 years ago? It was the Middle East's Two Rivers valley that the first cute little cats appeared, called Silvestris Lybica (African wild cats). These kittens have stumbled into human habitation, and since then, they can often be seen exercising on the balcony or by the window of the house.
That's how cats emerge from the soil. You see, they are interdependent with humans, and this is a good partner that nature has chosen for us. Until now, cats have been semi-domesticated creatures.
01 The growth of cats.
Go back more than 9,000 years, when the fertile crescent of the Middle East was slowly turning into an agricultural area. People hoard food near their homes, and there are more and more rats in the house. At this time, those wild cats that live in the wild begin to approach the human living area. Although those naughty wild cats sometimes play tricks on people, they also help humans get rid of mice, which is considered to be a benefit, so the relationship between people and cats is better, and some people begin to take the initiative to adopt them and treat them as pet dogs in the family, which is considered to officially tame them and make them become domestic cats.
In addition to the Middle East, there is another place that is also recognized as the homeland and domestication point of cats, and that is ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians began to have cats for a long time, and treated them as the same life as humans, and even worshipped them as gods. In particular, in 936 B.C., a Prince of South Wales, the Merciful Monarch named "Will Da", proposed a special decree to protect cats. It was also the first law in human history designed to protect the interests of cats.
In case you didn't know, the world's earliest cat show dates back to 1598 at a market in an English town. The cat exhibition that really had a big deal was held in 1871 in the tall Crystal Palace in London. Many of us weren't born yet, but the cats were already showing their charms.
Remember? At that time, in 1887, shortly after the founding of the British Empire, the first cat association was also established in the United Kingdom, and its name was the National Cat Club of greatest britain. When it was first born, it was all purebred darling, such as the British Shorthair and the Persian cat.
02 The ** era of cats.
The ancient Egyptians discovered that cats were very good at guarding and storing the food they had worked so hard to collect to prevent the little mice from disturbing them. So, when they are busy with work, they will reward the cats with these leftovers like fish heads, so that these little ones will come to visit them often.
Because of this pleasant way of mutual aid, cats have entered people's lives and have begun to get used to surviving in human families. Subsequently, these friendly cats triumphantly entered the human family and began to reproduce silently.
At the same time, cats have also ushered in the most precious era of their lives! At that time, cats were not only seen as ordinary pets, but also as a symbol of dignity and power. So during this period, the status of cats even surpassed that of humans.
If someone harms a cat, it's not a joke, they will be punished severely, and they may even face death. When faced with natural disasters, their first consideration is to save cats, not humans. In addition, even if a cat has the misfortune of a natural death, its owner will hold a solemn funeral for it, and even mummify its spirit as a memorial.
03 The bumpy fate of cats.
However, during the Middle Ages in Europe, the situation was completely reversed. As religious battles intensified, cats were also targeted. For example, the goddess Freyja in Norse mythology suffered for this reason, and even cats are regarded as devil-like characters. The inhabitants of the community began to hunt cats on a scale with a level of brutality that was simply outrageous. In Belgium, for example, they stabbed cats to death with extremely sharp swords; In France, they burned cats alive in flames. In Denmark, cats are stuffed into a bucket and then killed with all their might. As for the Germans, they would attach rockets to the cat's body for use in siege warfare in the future.
Because people scratched them so hard at that time, the kittens in the Middle Ages in Europe almost disappeared without a trace, which made the rats grow crazy.
Rats are running around the city with sick-making fleas, which makes the Black Death even worse.
Remember that terrible 14th century? About a quarter of the people over there were victims of the Black Death.
It's a pity that this nightmarish catastrophe lasted for nearly a thousand years before it eased a little.
Hotspot Engine Project However, these things have not stopped the kittens from being widely distributed around the world, because they are naturally strong reproductive and adaptable.
No matter in **, as long as there are merchant ships docking, they can follow them to the ports of various places, and they are very quick to adapt to the new environment.
As a result, cats have become animals that everyone can see everywhere.
In this era, cats have long become cute pets that are popular all over the world, not only because they are beautiful and smart, but also because they are sometimes quite proud and noble, but they have a very good relationship with their owners.