A Fluffy Pet next to Us

Planet of animals
26 November 2021
7117

According to scientists, the ancestor of the domestic cat appeared 9 million years ago, and it was domesticated later than other animals. Africa is considered its homeland. When the fertile land of ancient Egypt gave rise to intensive farming, probably 9,000 years ago, farmers faced a problem. Rodents are crowded where there is a lot of grain. Fluffy pets were their only salvation from rodents. In gratitude, the ancient Egyptians let cats, or rather, wild Nubian cat that was somewhat domesticated at that time, into their homes. Together with their hunting qualities, the beauty of these animals delighted the owners of the houses, who deified their pets. According to Herodotus, the ancient Egyptians embalmed and buried cats in special stony sanctuaries.

Svetlana MIRZOYANTS,
a research worker at the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Turkmenistan
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