Cats have been common pets for thousands of years. Cats are present in people's daily lives. They can be seen on YouTube, in cartoons and in many films. Cats have crept into people's lives without them realizing it. We treat them just like a normal family member. We buy them toys, food and anything else they might need. We go out of our way for our cats. We are accustomed to their presence in our homes and on our streets. They've been around humans for decades, but have we ever stopped to think about how they became such a common part of our lives or what the little furry animal running around the house really is. Many people wonder how cats became domesticated in the first place. It is believed that cats domesticated themselves because people did not go out with cats to catch them. Cats traveled alongside humans knowing that their grain would attract prey to them. They remained human enough, developed basic trust and were able to live alongside us without fear. Cats didn't need to be domesticated but they decided to domesticate themselves to better benefit their lives. Traveling alongside humans helps them better protect themselves and their kittens too. Predators tended to stay away from human cities, which helped the cats stay safe. The barns that farmers had transformed into perfect shelters for cats with an endless supply of prey to hunt. People's original intentions for cats were to catch rodents and protect farmers' fields. They created a mutual relationship that would last for thousands of years into the future. This small relationship turned into a huge bond that led cats to become domesticated. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay A domesticated cat is also known as Felis Catus. They are small carnivorous, nocturnal animals that humans keep as pets. We find them everywhere in the world and throughout history. The cats are related to more non-domestic cats such as lions, tigers and leopards. They have many similarities with each other, such as body structures, eating habits, and 95% of the same DNA strands. Small wild cats are closely related to larger wild cats. The natural instinct to kill and hunt still thrives in both non-domesticated and domestic cats. Lions and tigers can hunt larger prey such as zebra, deer and wildebeest. Pets can only hunt small prey such as mice, birds and rabbits. The size of the prey is very different, but the desire to hunt is still present in both cats. They may be almost identical, but there is a huge difference between them. We don't have tigers and lions running around our streets, but we do have stray cats everywhere on the streets. Domestic cats have managed to overcome their natural instinct to be wild and sit on people's laps. We turned a small, meat-eating wild animal into a domesticated pet. A pet that crawls into your lap and purrs for hours at a time. All cats are the same species, but vary in many characteristics. An example is the color and pattern of a cat's coat. The color of their coat can influence many things, such as how they hunt, how they are adopted, and even whether they are chosen to mate. Fur color can change how a cat hunts. If they are yellow with stripes, they will be able to hunt in tall grass and blend in without being spotted. A white cat can hunt easily in the snow, while ablack cat can hunt at night without being caught. Cats did not lose their distinct coat colors and patterns through domestication. Cats may eat the store cat food we buy for them, but they still have their natural calling to hunt. Cats use their colors to their advantage for hunting and through domestication which has never disappeared from their genes. Cats bring home dead birds, mice, and squirrels to their humans to show off what they've caught, and their fur plays an important role in hunting. Another thing coat color does for cats is to help them get adopted. A cat with more attractive markings helps cats get adopted by people. When in the kennel a calico cat will most likely be chosen rather than a simple black cat. The color of their coat helps them survive in the world of adoption. A cat can also choose a mate based on coat color. A domestic cat that lives in a warm home does not need to have heavy, warm fur, so it can mate with a short-haired cat to help its babies not have the long-haired trait. Cats will choose a mate based on fur color and pattern to increase the chances of their kittens being chosen for adoption. The domestic cat understood the special treatment it would receive if it became a pet of a human. They no longer have to worry about hunting, predators and survival. They can lie down and play without fear of the outside world. Cats have benefited from being domesticated by humans. It's no secret that we spoil our cats to the point of making them overweight and lazy. On average a cat sleeps twelve to sixteen hours a day and if they were free it wouldn't be so easy for them. Cats know that being domesticated leads to a life of luxury. Cats are allowed freedoms in the home that other pets may not have. They are very independent animals and people find this very attractive in cats. They don't have to worry about their cat going out to the bathroom or bathing their cats. Cats don't rely much on humans to live. Cats are able to hunt and survive on their own without any problems, they simply use humans to make their lives easier. Cats can be domesticated, but they don't need to be domesticated to survive. They know that if they have a home, they will not worry about the hardships of the outside world. We have overlooked the real reasons cats are domesticated. Humans didn't domesticate cats, cats domesticated themselves. Cats have lived alongside humans for thousands of years without being domesticated. The cats have hunted mice around farmers' crops and rodents that linger in people's homes. Cats have used people's lifestyles to improve their lives. A domesticated cat gets free food and shelter by becoming a pet. They have been able to associate with humans for so long that, at first, we tolerated their existence and now accept them into our home as a loving part of our family. They have been able to slowly make their way into human homes through years of residence. People began to grow fond of the little rodent exterminators and began to bring them closer to the point of allowing them to sleep on their laps and in their beds. We have developed a soft heart for those who were once wild cats. Through years of bonding and collaboration, cats have become part of human life. They've gone from wild animals to animals that appear everywhere from TV shows to cartoons on T-shirts. They passed bybarely surviving in the wilderness to thriving within the human home. Cats will no longer have to worry about the inconveniences of living alone. They managed to become a common domestic pet through hunting rodents. Many studies have shown that cats were first domesticated in ancient Egypt. The domestication of Egyptian cats dates back approximately 4,000 years. The cats roamed along the Nile River, where many grain fields were located, and hunted rodents and vermin. This leads to the affection of human beings. Cats were praised for chasing away rodents. The bond between cat and human began through a mutual relationship. Farmers allowed cats to hang around because they kept the rodent population away from their corn fields. The cats could eat the rodents hanging around the grain bins and had a free place to stay. Another reason is that the Egyptians worshiped cats as gods and goddesses and treated them like royalty. There are many tombs covered in paintings of cats and Egyptians who worship them. If a cat died, it would be mummified and buried with mummified mice and other cherished treasures. They were often buried with their owner or in their own special grave. An ancient Egyptian goddess called Bast had the head of a cat and the body of a woman. This goddess represented love and fertility and having a cat in the house was believed to bless women with many children. Egyptians also used cats to hunt and bring food home for the family. They walked their cats on leashes to hunt birds. Their owner would throw something to recognize a bird, then take the cat off the leash to fetch the bird for them. In ancient Egypt, taming a cat was considered lucky and would bring lots of love to your family. Cats could not be traded or sold through ocean trade, but that still didn't stop sailors from taking them. Sailors found cats useful on their ships for hunting rodents. The cats were able to have a good meal while keeping the mice away from the precious grain. Sailors were also able to trade domestic cats when people realized how valuable rodent killers were. This trade caused the explosion of having cats as human companions. The spread of cats around the world began to increase in many countries. The domestic cat moved from northeast Africa and southwest Asia to southern Europe. The Romans were the first to come into contact with the Egyptian cat trade. They appreciated the skilled hunters and how they got rid of the rodents. The Romans were then able to start trading cats with other countries. The Roman trade in cats was especially useful to other Europeans when the Black Death of the 14th century broke out. The disease began with a mouse-borne disease caused by a flea. Since rats were one of the main prey for cats, the demand for hunters increased significantly. The cats were given easy food while they stopped the spread of the Black Death. Unfortunately, cats are nocturnal creatures and have come to be associated with the devil. People began to reject domestic cats and would kill them. The rat population increased and more and more people died because the cats no longer killed the rats. Soon people realized that they needed cats and began to accept them into their homes again. Domestic cats first arrived in the Americas when settlers began colonizing them. They used cats to keep mice away from the crops they brought from Europe. They followed humans as companions through the colonization ofAmericas. Americans continued to keep cats around to protect stored grain and barns. Travelers also believed that cats brought luck and luck. Cats have traveled around the world with humans for one basic reason and that is for the extermination of rodents. A surprising discovery in 2001 was a cat skeleton buried next to a human skeleton in southern Cyprus. Scientists believe this could delay the presence of domestic cats by another 5,000 years, dating back as far as 9,500 years. This has led scientists to wonder whether domestication was truly the first in ancient Egypt. The cat and human skeletons were only sixteen inches apart and both in pristine condition. Both were at the same depth and in the same sediment, which shows that they were buried together. It is rare to find two skeletons like this unless they were intended to be buried together. The cat was identified at just 8 months old, suggesting it may have been killed to be buried with its owner. There is no concrete evidence that the cat was truly domesticated by humans at that time, but this small clue may lead to further evidence of the domestication of cats in Cyprus. Many still believe that the domestication of cats began in northern Africa and southern Asia. There is more evidence and evidence behind this theory. Paintings and carvings inside ancient pyramids and tombs have provided clear evidence of the relationship between humans and cats. Cats were also buried in the tombs of pharaohs. Cats would be killed only to go to the afterlife with their owners and were believed to help the dead pass into the spirit realm. Facts point to cats originating from ancient Egypt and spread through trade throughout the world. Domestic cats have had a huge impact on being domesticated. They have been able to help people with comfort, pest control and companionship. Cats are able to keep people comfortable and happy by showing them affection. People feel comfortable with cats around and are able to relax. They can feel safe with a cat that loves them. This characteristic of the cat is one of the main reasons why the cat was domesticated. They are able to make people feel warmth and happiness simply by purring for them. A cat's purr has been medically proven to calm a human's heart. A cat's purr ranges from 20 to 140 HZ, which is therapeutic for humans. A person who owns a cat is 40% less likely to have a heart attack. The presence of a cat relaxes many people because overall cats are a calm and independent species. Cats do not need to be taken outside to go to the bathroom and are able to look after themselves. As throughout history, cats are used for pest control and are still used today for the same reason. Farmers have cats in the barn to keep rodents away from police and livestock. Cats catch mice around crops and prevent pests from eating the farmer's crop. The cat gets a good meal to eat and a shelter to stay in while the farmer gets free rodent control. Not only do farmers use cats to keep mice and rats away, but many people also have cats in their homes to alleviate mouse problems. People use cats to keep mice, rats, and even insects out of their homes. Just like in ancient times, we still use cats to keep unwanted pests away. Another reason is that cats have a strong companionship with humans, through many years of travel and bonding.