Pet Bytes: Do You Know Which Feline Species Gave Us All Modern Cats?
All domesticated cats today trace their roots back to a single wild feline: Felis silvestris lybica, a Middle Eastern wildcat native to the Fertile Crescent—an area spanning modern-day Turkey to Lebanon. These cats began associating with humans around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, when early farmers started storing grain. The grain attracted rodents, and the wildcats followed. In turn, humans welcomed their natural pest control skills.
Over time, these wildcats grew more comfortable living near humans. Through a slow process of natural adaptation and human interaction, they evolved into a new species: Felis catus—the domestic cat. Today’s pet, stray, and feral cats all belong to this same species.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t until the last hundred years that cats began living mostly indoors. For over 10,000 years, cats lived alongside humans outdoors, coexisting with wildlife and thriving as independent hunters. Millions of community cats still live this way today—just as nature and history shaped them to do.