The Beginning of the Cat

3000 B.C. India. Cats mentioned in Sanskrit writings.

1900 B.C. Egypt. Cats represented in art; these are now usually considered to be wild rather than domestic cats.

1700 B.C. Palestine. Ivory statuette of a cat discovered from Lachish.

1600 B.C. Egypt. Cats definitely established as domestic and holy animals. To kill a cat was a sin punishable by death, and mourning for the death of a family cat was enforced.

Around this time cats were also beginning to spread throughout the Mediterranean Region through thefts from Egypt.

1500 B.C., or earlier. Greece. Cretan wall painting of a cat stalking a pheasant, Palace at Hagia Triada.

1100 B.C., or earlier. Greece. Terracotta head of cat found in Crete.

1000 B.C. Homer, the great epic poet, possibly alluded to the cat under the word gale in his "Battle of the Frogs." However, most authorities believe that at this time gale did not signify cat.

710 B.C. Book of Isaiah. "Owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there." and "The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the Island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow." Satyr is thought to mean cat but could easily be other animals.

588 B.C. Book of Baruch. "Upon their bodies [the idols' bodies] and heads sit bats, swallows, and birds, and cats also."

"Cats" are now thought to be wagtails which is far more logical. In Latin this bird has the same name as cat.