Domesticated Cats

One of the biggest milestones in the history of the cat-human relationship has always been their treatment as elevated pets in Ancient Egypt. As long as 4,000 years ago, they were not only living alongside humans, but they were cherished by them. For a long time, that's where we thought it all started, until an excavation in the Chinese village of Quanhuccun revealed a slightly different, much older story. An examination of bones from several cats found in the ancient village revealed something startling, especially considering it wasn't thought that cats were domesticated in China until about 2,000 years ago. The bones are approximately 5,300 years old, and they tell a story that's much more complicated than just the life of a wild cat.