The Evolution of House Cats

 Unlike other domesticated creatures, the house cat contributes little to human survival. Researchers have therefore wondered how and why cats came to live among people.  Experts traditionally thought that the Egyptians were the first to domesticate the cat, some 3,600 years ago.  But recent genetic and archaeological discoveries indicate that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent, perhaps around 10,000 years ago, when agriculture was getting under way.  The findings suggest that cats started making themselves at home around people to take advantage of the mice and food scraps found in their settlements.