What is the primary ancestor of the domestic cat?

The primary ancestor of the domestic cat is the African wildcat, Felis lybica. Modern house cats descend mainly from Near Eastern and North African populations of this small, sandy-colored wildcat.

About 10,000 years ago, wildcats began living near early farming settlements in the Fertile Crescent. Grain stores attracted mice, and the rodents attracted wildcats, creating a relationship useful to both animals and people. Over generations, the least-aggressive cats became increasingly comfortable around humans. Unlike dogs, cats were probably only lightly changed by early domestication, which is why African wildcats and domestic cats still look and behave alike.

The familiar idea that cats were first domesticated exclusively in ancient Egypt is incomplete. Archaeologists found an African wildcat buried beside a human at Cyprus’s Shillourokambos settlement, dating to about 9,500 years ago. Because cats were not native to Cyprus, people must have transported the animal there from the mainland.

The European wildcat, jungle cat, and sand cat are related felines, but they are not the primary ancestor of the domestic cat. Ancient Egypt later became a major center for cat keeping, breeding, cultural symbolism, and dispersal.