Skeletons Reveal Cats Have Grown Larger Since the Viking Age
Since the Viking Age of around 800 C.E., cats have actually grown in size, which is the opposite of what is seen in most animals as they become domesticated.
Via Sciencemag.org, a report in the Danish Journal of Archaeology has shown that domesticated cats have grown by about 16% between the Viking Age and today.
For comparison, the average domesticated dog is around 25% smaller than a wild gray wolf.
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While this study, which looked at cat bones from over 2000 years, only focused on Danish cats, there was also a study in 1987 from Germany that also reinforced the idea that medieval age cats were smaller than those found today.
According to this report, all domesticated cats can be traced to the Near Eastern wildcat, a “diminutive, tawny feline that still stalks the Middle Eastern deserts.”
While the oldest evidence of a domesticated cat dates back to 7500 B.C.E in Cyprus, many suggest that Egyptians were instrumental in the process of taming the wild cat.
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Around 1700 B.C.E., seafaring folk began to bring cats as gifts and ways to deal with pest issues as they sailed the Mediterranean.
One of the main reasons for the growth may have been related to easier access to food. Especially during the medieval period, towns with excessive waste attracted more pests and provided cats with plenty of opportunities to eat to their heart’s content.
Beginning in the Middle Ages, cats “became treasured and well-fed” and this change in lifestyle may also have contributed to these findings.
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For more cat awesomeness, check out Captain Marvel’s cat in the newest trailer and our The Sims 4 Wiki for everything on the Cats and Dogs expansion pack.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer who loves cats and owns a beautiful Maine Coon named Winnie. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.
