<P> Because cats were venerated in ancient Egypt , they were commonly believed to have been domesticated there , but there may have been instances of domestication as early as the Neolithic from around 9,500 years ago ( 7500 BC ) . A genetic study in 2007 concluded that all domestic cats are descended from Near Eastern wildcats , having diverged around 8000 BC in the Middle East . A 2016 study found that leopard cats were undergoing domestication independently in China around 5500 BC , though this line of partially domesticated cats leaves no trace in the domesticated populations of today . A 2017 study confirmed that domestic cats are descendants of those first domesticated by farmers in the Near East around 9,000 years ago . </P>
<P> Because cats were venerated in ancient Egypt , they were commonly believed to have been domesticated there , but there may have been instances of domestication as early as the Neolithic from around 9,500 years ago ( 7500 BC ) . A genetic study in 2007 concluded that all domestic cats are descended from Near Eastern wildcats , having diverged around 8000 BC in the Middle East . A 2016 study found that leopard cats were undergoing domestication independently in China around 5500 BC , though this line of partially domesticated cats leaves no trace in the domesticated populations of today . A 2017 study confirmed that domestic cats are descendants of those first domesticated by farmers in the Near East around 9,000 years ago . </P>
when did the first cat appear on earth
when did the first cat appear on earth
around 9,500 years ago ( 7500 BC )
around 9,500 years ago ( 7500 BC )