A new pair of studies are reshaping our understanding of how domestic cats spread across Europe, showing that their arrival was more recent and complex than previously thought. Traditionally, it was believed that cats followed Neolithic farmers into Europe around 6,000 years ago, helping with rodent control. However, two new studies, one led by the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the other by the University of Exeter, suggest that domestic cats arrived in Europe in multiple waves, first occurring as early as the 1st millennium BCE. Based on genetic analysis and archaeological evidence, these findings point to Tunisia as the likely origin of domestic cats.

The research teams used a combination of nuclear DNA analysis, ancient cat bones, and mitochondrial markers to trace the origins and spread of domestic cats. The University of Rome Tor Vergata’s study focused on ancient cat genomes and radiocarbon-dated remains, finding that cats did not appear in Europe until after the 1st century CE, much later than initially thought. Their study also identified two distinct waves of introduction: one by wildcats from Northwest Africa to Sardinia in the 2nd century BCE and another during the Roman Empire that brought domestic cats to the rest of Europe.

The University of Exeter’s study came to similar conclusions but suggested that domestic cats had already appeared in Britain by the 4th to 2nd centuries BCE, possibly brought over during Iron Age trade. This study also highlighted the role of cultural and religious influences in spreading cats. In ancient Egypt, cats were revered as sacred animals, linked to the goddess Bastet, and their religious significance could have played a key role in their movement across different parts of the Mediterranean.

The research, available as a pair of papers in bioRxiv (1, 2) at the time of writing, not only challenges the traditional timeline of cat domestication but also shows that the spread of domestic cats was driven by cultural, religious, and trade factors rather than merely by their association with agriculture. The introduction of domestic cats led to competition with Europe’s native wildcats, contributing to their decline. These studies provide a fresh perspective on the history of one of the world’s most familiar animals, suggesting that cats did not just silently follow humans but were actively transported and revered across ancient civilizations.

References

• Jackson, J. & Phys.org. (2025, April 16). The complex origin story of domestic cats: Research points to Tunisia. Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-complex-story-domestic-cats-tunisia.html
• De Martino, M., De Cupere, B., Rovelli, V., Serventi, P., Baldoni, M., Di Corcia, T., Geiger, S., Alhaique, F., Alves, P. C., Buitenhuis, H., Ceccaroni, E., Cerilli, E., De Grossi Mazzorin, J., Detry, C., Dowd, M., Fiore, I., Gourichon, L., Grau-Sologestoa, I., Küchelmann, H. C., … Ottoni, C. (2025). The dispersal of domestic cats from Northern Africa and their introduction to Europe over the last two millennia. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.28.645893
• Doherty, S., Krajcarz, M., Carmagnini, A., Dimopoulos, E., Jamieson, A., Alves, J. M., Bălăşescu, A., Baker, P., Baranowski, P., Beglane, F., Bitz-Thorsen, J., Bolton, A., Bowden, W., Britton, H., De Cupere, B., De Martino, M., Donnelly-Symes, B., Evin, A., Fowler, T., … Sykes, N. (2025). Redefining the timing and circumstances of cat domestication, their dispersal trajectories, and the extirpation of European wildcats. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.28.645877