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Cat History

Maine Coon cat Miss Kate Saber tooth tiger skull
photo © Helmi Flick photo ©ConspiracyofHappiness
Cat History - The height of modern, sophisticated cat breeding on the left - Miss Kate, a Maine Coon cat champion and on the right the skull of a Saber Tooth tiger, extinct 10,000 years ago.



Introduction

Cat History or the evolution of the wild cats all the way through to the first domestic cats, followed by the development of the cat fancy and consequently the creation of numerous domestic cat breeds is all set out here in the form of a continuous time line.

The intention is to get a feel for "whole picture" and how the modern domestic cat fits into world history.

The dates are in years. For example, "40 million" means 40 million years ago. The more modern era is marked by an actual date.

This website if still growing. Although there are a lot of links to cats referred to on this page, there will be more links in time. The dates for the modern domestic cat breeds refer to the date the cat was created or "discovered". Discovered means by someone in the West, usually a cat breeder of a cat breed that was in another country. 

Links on the cat breed takes you to a full description and the best pictures. Links on the dates and area of origin take you to notes on this page as, for example, the date may be disputed.

I have included links to posts about things associated with cats and cat breeds, such as cat shows as this helps to put the cat history of the cat breeds in context. These are in italics to separate them out from the date or origin of the cat breeds.

Important note: cat history is often hazy so these dates, although often accurate, may on occasions be estimates.



Cat History -This Chart shows the "productive" years in the cat fancy
-the 1950s and 60s and then the 1980s.

Cat History - The Future

I can't resist, on this occasion, making a fool of myself and speculating what the future might bring. We can see in the graph above the "explosion" in the creation of cat breeds during the 20th century. The number of cat breeds has probably reached saturation point and perhaps overshot the mark (i.e. too many as some could be merged some people would argue). The human race tends to overshoot the mark in most endeavours.

The three areas where change will occcur for cats are (a) feral cat populations - upwards (b) wild cat populations - downwards (c) cat association rationalization - merger (d) introduction of regulations to encourage responsible cat ownership. And I am talking mainly here of the USA as I must do because it is the biggest "market" by far for the domestic cat. Nothing approaches it. Cats in the poorer countries will live poor lives for many years to come and it is almost impossible to do much about that because of inefficient and corrupt governments.

I have put some proposed dates into the timeline below with respect to the above changes.

Cat History - Timeline


         Date Origin/discovery/event | Cat breed or Event  |         Area 
|
|
|------2060---Bengal tiger extinct in the wild and confined to zoos where the animal is exploited and inbred.
|
|------2060---Wild Cougar extinct in USA but doing well (commercially) in captivity.
|
|------2050---Wild Cougar (Panther) extinct in the wild in Florida. The parks where this wild cat now lived in 2008 are reduced to a large zoo.
|
|------2030---The CFA (in USA now an amalgamated association) introduces standards and schemes in respect of cat breeder catteries to manage cat breeding.
|
|------2030---Merger of three major cat associations, CFA, TICA and ACFA. Others follow.--------------------------------------------------------------------USA
|
|------2025---regulations have been introduced to make it obligatory to microchip and insure all non-feral domestic cats. The operation is run by local authorities in conjunction with veterinarian surgeries. The funding is a chargeable fee to cat owners. Excess monies (monies recovered after operation costs are deducted) are put into State managed trap, neuter and return schemes.-------------------------------------------------------------------------USA
/
\
/
\
|-------2008-------Elf cat---------------------USA
|
|-------2005--Est. 2.1 million cats killed in animal shelters (source) ----USA
|
|-------2004--Estimated 70 million feral cats (National Geographic News)- USA
|-------2004--Est. 7.7 million domestic cats in UK (source)------------UK
|
|-------2000--Est. 3 million feral cats in Los Angeles-----USA
|
|-------1998------Minskin----------------------USA
|
|-------1996----Est. 60 million feral cats & 60 million pet cats (source) ---USA
|
|
|-------1994------Serengeti-------------------USA
|
|-------1993------RagaMuffin------------------USA
|
|-------1990s-----Peterbald------------------Russia
|
|
|-------1987------Sekirk Rex-------------------USA
|
|-------1986------Savannah cat---------------USA
|
|-------1984------Ojos Azules----------------USA
|-------1984------Nebelung------------------USA
|
|
|
|-------1980s-----Pixie-bob-------------------USA
|
|-------1980------Toyger----------------------USA
|
|-------1980------Seychellois------------------UK
|
|-------1983------Munchkin-------------------USA
|
|-------1982------LaPerm---------------------USA
|
|-------1981------Burmilla--------------------UK
|-------1981------American Curl--------------USA
|
|-------1978------Sokoke-----------------------Kenya
|
|-------1971------California Spangled--------USA
|
|
|-------1970s-----Safari Cat-------------------USA
|
|-------1970s-----Singapura-------------------USA
|
|-------1960s------Chausie--------------------USA
|
|-------1967------Tiffany---------------------USA
|-------1966------American Shorthair--------USA
|-------1966------American Wirehair---------USA
|-------1966------Exotic Shorthair------------USA
|-------1966------Sphynx---------------------USA
|
|
|-------1964------Ocicat----------------------USA
|
|-------1963------Bengal---------------------USA
|
|-------1961------Scottish Fold----------------UK (Scotland)
|
|-------1960------American Bobtail-----------USA
|-------1960------Devon Rex------------------UK
|-------1960------Snowshoe-------------------USA
|-------1960s-----Cymric--------------------Canada
|-------1960s-----Javanese------------------UK/USA
|-------1960s-----Ragdoll---------------------USA
|-------1960s-----Siamese (Modern)-------------USA
|
|
|
|-------1958------Bombay-------------------USA
|
|-------1955------American Cat Fanciers Association formed----USA
|
|-------1955------Turkish Van----------------UK
|
|-------1953------Munchkin-------------------USA
|
|-------1953-- Est.6 million domestic cats in Great Britain (source)---UK
|-------1953---200,000 cats destroyed at shelters () -------UK
|
|-------1951------Havana Brown--------------UK
|
|-------1950s----Appearance of Siamese cat begins to change-----USA
|
|-------1950s-----Tonkinese-------------------USA
|-------1950s-----Somali---------------------USA/Canada
|-------1950s-----Oriental Shorthair----------UK
|-------1950------Cornish Rex-----------------UK
|
|-------1948------Cat Litter "invented"----------USA
|
|-------1940s-----Balinese--------------------USA
|
|
|-------1930s-----Ultra Persian---------------USA
|
|-------1919------Birman---------------------France
|
|-------1910----Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) formed --UK
|
|-------1906-----Cat Fanciers Association created (CFA) ----USA
|
|-------1887-------Countess cat lover in court----London, UK
|
|
|-------1884------First Siamese imported---------UK
|
|-------1871-------2nd National Cat Show---------UK
|
|-------1870s-----British Shorthair------------UK
|
|
|-------1860s-----Russian Blue---------------Russian
|-------1860------Abyssinian cat------------Ethiopia
|-------1860s-----Maine Coon---------------USA
|
|-------1851-------Crystal Palace Opened----------UK
|
|-------1800s-----Kurilian Bobtail-------------Kurilian Islands
|
|
|-------1800s (early) almost entire Cougar pop. gone from Eastern USA---USA
|
|-------1798-----Origins of phrase, "Kilkenny cat"----Ireland
|
|-------1730------Manx--------------------Isle of Man, UK
|
|
|
|-------1599------Nowegian Forest Cat------Norway
|
|-------1500s-----Persian-------------------UK, Europe
/
\
/
\
|
|------14th Century--Burmese----------------Thailand
|------14th Century--Korat--------------------Thailand
|------14th Century--Chartreux---------------France
|------14th Century--Siamese (Traditional)---Siam (Thailand)
|------14th Century--Turkish Angora------------Turkey
|
|
|
|------13th Century--Siberian cat--------------Russia
/
\
/
\
|------5th Century---Japanese Bobtail--------Japan
|
|------1600 BC------Turkish Van---------------Turkey
|
|------2000 BC-----Egyptian Mau-------------Egypt
\
/
\
|
|------10,000 years-----Cougar becomes extinct North America?
|------10,000 years ----Saber Tooth tiger becomes extinct
|------10,000 years---wild cat becomes domesticated for first time
/
\
|
|--------750,000--------Lion-------------------Western Africa
/
\
/
\
|The cat history dates below are estimates and imprecise.
|
|--------1.5 million----Jaguar-----------------Europe
|
|--------1.5-2 millon---Tiger
|
|--------2 million-----Leopard------------------France
|--------2 million-----Leopard--common ancestor of this cat
|--------2 million-----Jaguar---common ancestor of this cat
|
|--------2.5 million---Leopard------------------North America
|
|
|--------3.5 million----Lion (this conflicts with the above date)
|
|--------4 million------Lynx-early descendants
|
|--------10 million----modern wild cats (felids) inhabited the world
|
|--------40 million----Miacis---weasel like animal pedates the cat




Saber Tooth tiger
Cat History - Saber Tooth tiger
artwork by Ian Coleman
 published with his express permission

Cat History - Notes - these are linked notes to the dates and places in the chart above

1. Birman - Robinson's Genetics says the date is disputed and may be 1930s in France. Cat history is sometimes vague.

2. Egyptian Mau - It is unclear if this cat breed was a domestic cat at this time. The breed was first recognized in Europe (according to Robinson's Genetics) in 1953. My research indicates this breed was first shown in Europe during pre-second world war years (1930s).

3. Japanese Bobtail - Imprecise date. Could be anywhere inbetween the 5th and 10th Century.

4. Kurilian Bobtail - This cat is claimed to have developed in isolation as perhaps a semi-feral cat. There are no reliable dates.

5. LaPerm - Robinson's Genetics says 1986.

6. Maine Coon - this date is when the cat was first shown in a show. The actual date when the breed was a domestic cat is unknown.

7. Manx - Vague beginnings. Robinson's Geneticsa says "early".

8. Nebelung - Robinson's Genetics says 1990s

9. Oriental Shorthair - My research indicted 1970s. I have put the earlier date from Robinson's Genetics.

10. Ultra Persian - this date comes from Robinson's Genetics. My website indicates that the breeding of the peke-faced or flat faced Persian began in earnest later than this towards the end of the 1900s.

11. Persian - the original doll face Persian cat was imported from Iran at about this time. But cat history if notoriously hazy.

12. Pixie-bob - this could be 1995 according to Robinson's.

13. Russian Blue - The date is the date of informal importation into the UK.

14. Safari cat - Robinson's says 1980s. My research indicated first bred for experimentation in the 1970s.

15. Savannah cat - Robinson's Genetics says "1997?". I am confident that they are incorrect. Accordingly I believe that my research is better than theirs (sorry not being arrogant, just what I believe).

16. Modern Siamese - The date refers to the beginning of the development of the contemporary version of this long established cat. Siamese cat history.

17. Singapura - Although a bit controversial this breed was probably created in the US rather than discovered in Singapore.

18. Turkish Angora - This date is when it is thought the first Turkish Angora cats were imported into Europe.

19. Turkish Van - This date is an estimated date when evidence first existed of the presence of this cat breed. This cat was first imported into the UK in 1955.

20. Feral cat estimate at 1996 source: Sarah Hartwell article (Messybeast)

21. Feral cats killed in animal centers source: http://network.bestfriends.org

22. Cat pop. 1953 source: Times Archive (Times Newspaper)

23. Pop of domestic cats in UK 2004 source: Cats Protection



From Cat history to Home page


Cat History - Sources:
  • http://www.abf90.dial.pipex.com
  • Animal Corner
  • http://www.forevertigers.com
  • HDW
  • research as stated on the webpage (on this website) of the cat breed in question