History of Cats

Halloween Cat ~ Petrified Wood

 I think black cats are one of the best things about Halloween or at least the cutest. Maybe you feel a little differently about them. Certainly black cats have a certain stereotype and it all comes from cat history.

Let's go back, way way back - 33 million years ago to be exact. OK maybe not quite that far. How about we skip ahead from the earliest evolutionary ancestor of the cat, a creature called a miacid, to recorded history. 

A long time ago in a land far away cats were not what they are today. We find ourselves in ancient Egypt where rats have begun to invade graineries. The African aloof and self sufficient, rather like the felines we find in our own homes, took advantage of the opportunity and moved right in to take care of the problem. Through time cats that were more tolerant of their human counterparts prospered. In, a manner of speaking cats self domesticated. Simultaneously cats became revered throughout Egypt because of their role in rodent control. The Egyptian Goddess, Bast, was said to take the form of a cat. She ensure a good harvest and her temples were sanctuaries for cats. At this time in history to kill a cat meant public death. 

Bast the Egyptian Goddess

In other parts of the world cats were likewise honored. In china, the maneki neko cat was a good luck charm. Buddha admired the cat for its meditative powers. Then, in the middle ages the fortune of cats took a turn for the worst. They were blamed for witchcraft. They were eaten during famine and killing a cat was most definitely  not a crime. In killing cats, people were paving the way for a much more deadly adversary - the black plague. With cats out of the picture rats, a carrier of the plague, became more prevalent. 

Attitudes towards cat's began to improve in the 19th century. In 1871 the very first cat show was held in London, England Crystal Palace. Today cats are not only popular in show rings throughout the world but are also the most common pet in the world! 

I hope you enjoy my Hallowen Cat ~ Petrified wood. Most of my paintings are of wild animals but I also do domestic animals and pet portraits. You can order a pet portrait on the Shop Painting page.