Learn about the island where the human passion for cats began

It’s no secret that cats are a lot of people’s favorite pets. To give you an idea, in Brazil alone, the number of cats present in homes is around 24 million. They are so high that, according to a survey carried out by the Instituto Pet Brasil, it is possible that, very soon, cats will surpass dogs in the national preference: the estimate is that, in 2022, there will be a kitty for every dog. in the country. But have you ever stopped to wonder how this human passion for cats began? Know that an island in the Mediterranean is behind it all.

In this post, the awesome.club tells how the ever-increasing friendship between humans and cats began.

Cyprus (Cyprus, in English) is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea and close to countries such as Syria, Israel and Lebanon. Its southern part is the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, while the north is occupied by Turkey. The place was colonized by Greeks in antiquity, so much so that Greek is one of its official languages. However, in the course of its long history, it also received populations originating from the then Assyrian, Persian and Egyptian empires.

According to the story traditionally told in Cyprus, Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, ordered in the 4th century that cats be brought to the island from Egypt. Her intention was to use the animals’ natural abilities to end an infestation of venomous snakes, which threatened local residents amid the desert climate.

The version is not proven and many people think it is nothing more than a legend. The fact is that Cyprus harbors the oldest proof of the friendly relationship between humans and cats and it dates back to centuries before the birth of Constantine.

When experts from the Natural History Museum in Paris were excavating in the locality of Shillourokambos, a region in southern Cyprus known for containing records of human occupation dating back to the Neolithic period, they found a tomb containing the remains of a man in his 30s. and a cat, which died at about 8 months. In the tomb, dating from 9,500 years ago, there were still utensils such as tools and axes, which may indicate that the man occupied a privileged position in that community.

As the human and the feline were buried very close to each other, both facing west, scholars believe there was an affective bond between them. The discovery proves that humanity already enjoyed the company of cats long before thought.

Author of a study on the domestication of felines, biologist Carlos Driscoll, from the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, considers that, as cats do not originate in the Mediterranean, it is possible to say that they were taken there in boats during a time in which the region called the Fertile Crescent began to produce and store grain. And it didn’t take long for food storage places to attract unwanted visitors like rats. For experts like Driscoll, this is where the close relationship between men and cats begins. After all, as we know well, cats are very useful for controlling certain pests.

Today, locals and tourists alike can see how at ease the cats felt in Cyprus. Kittens are everywhere on the island, and they are super docile. Whether they were introduced to kill snakes or to keep mice away from the food consumed by humans, we can say that they are here to stay.

While Cyprus currently has around 1.2 million inhabitants, the number of cats on the island is estimated by animal protection groups at 1.5 million!

The strong presence of cats in Cyprus led to the emergence of a breed of cats originating on the island, which today is officially recognized by entities such as the International Feline Federation. The so-called Aphrodite is big, strong and muscular without being stocky. The coat tends to be short or medium, in just about any color.

Are you one of those people who can’t see a cat who already wants to run to pet the kitty? Do you have cats at home? Leave a comment with your impressions of these animals and if you have photos of your pets, be sure to post them too!