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Alley Cat Rescue
Our Domestic Cat's Ancestors Are in Trouble!
July 12th, 2008
Today's domestic cat derived from the African Wildcat (Felis lybica). New evidence shows that the wildcat was domesticated around 9,500 years ago in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East and Egypt, although it was the Egyptians who truly welcomed the cats into their homes. Not only were they intrigued by the cats' beauty, they soon realized the cats' ability to keep the rodent population under control. Cats were soon elevated to deity status and revered as goddesses, such as Bastet the cat goddess. To this very day, city feral cats keep rodents under control. When the cats were wiped out during the Middle Ages, the plague -- caused by fleas on rodents -- killed one...
Source: Law & Health Weekly (2008-07-12)
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