Datasets -> Felis Catus -> General Information

Felis catus, also called the domestic cat or house cat, is a small feline carnivorous mammal commonly used as a pet. Its most immediate pre-domestication ancestor is believed to be the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica. The cat has been living in close association with humans for at least 3,500 years; the Ancient Egyptians routinely used cats to keep mice and other rodents (mostly rats) away from their grain. The history of the domestic cat may stretch back even further, as 8,000-year-old bones of humans and cats were found buried together on the island of Cyprus.