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PETS | Fabulous felines
Up until the end of the 20th century, it was
widely believed that cats were domesticated
by the Ancient Egyptians around 5000 years
ago. It’s been well established that cats played
an important role in Ancient Egyptian society:
they were considered sacred animals and were
associated with deities. Goddesses Mafdet and
Bastet were both depicted in feline form and
off ered fi erce protection from snakes, scorpions
and those who would do harm to pharaoh. The
cats depicted in artwork didn’t seem to mind
being around humans and there was evidence
that cats were mummifi ed, which further
supported their place in Egyptian society. After
reviewing this archaeological evidence, it seemed
logical to conclude that cats were domesticated
in Ancient Egypt. However, the new millennium
brought with it new evidence to consider.
In 2001, French archaeologist Dr Jean-Denis
Vigne and his team at the National MuseumThey are both aff ectionate and aloof,
demanding and demure, and their elegance
and grace have inspired poems and paintings.
Cats and humans have a very special
relationship forged over millennia, but it’s
only recently, with the advent of DNA testing,
that we’ve been given an insight into their
evolutionary process. So how did humans and
cats become best friends? It’s a long story.http://www.petsmagazine.com.au
Recent DNA research has
changed the way we view
the history of the humble
house cat, as Kristie
Bradfi eld discovers.Cats today can be very domesticated
— but they didn’t start out this way.hhhh
WILD WILD
THINGSTHINGS
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