Cat History
Introduction
Humans have had many different views on cats throughout history, from being afraid of the Saber Toothed Tiger to worshiping them as gods to considering them as the companions of the devil. Nowadays, cats are kept as pets worldwide. Everybody has different opinions of our feline companions. There are many views on cats today, people consider them useful hunters, great companions, and even a nice lap warmers.
Cats in Ancient Times
Cats are thought to have been domesticated around 8,000 years ago. They were kept for hunting rodents that would ruin their stores of grain. It wasn't until the Egyptian era when they reached an extremely revered status. In ancient Egypt, it was a capital crime to injure or kill a cat. Those who were caught killing a cat, accidentally or on purpose, would receive a death penalty. It didn't even matter if the person was an Egyptian citizen or not. On one occasion, a visiting roman accidentally killed a cat and was lynched by an angry mob. When a cat died in ancient Egypt, the owners would lament its death for many days and would have it mummified.
Other ancient cultures had domesticated cats, although they did not consider them as high in status as the Egyptians did. Many Asian cultures kept cats for their rodent hunting skills.
Cats in the Middle Ages
The Norse used cats to hunt rats and to keep them company. They also associated cats with their goddess Freya. Although, in the rest of Europe, cats were thought to be the companions of witches, so they were deemed evil. Until the 1800's, there were no laws to prevent the cruelty to any animals.
Cats in Modern Times
Cats are kept as pets all over the world. Cats still have many uses other than companionship. Farmers still use cats to control mice and rat populations. Cats are even used in movies and sideshows, for they can be taught tricks. There are even musical productions about them (try googling the words: Broadway and Cats.)