How did cats spread from the Middle East into Europe?

The spread of cats from the Middle East into Europe occurred in two primary waves of expansion, largely facilitated by human activity and the need for rodent control.1

• First Wave: Following the origins of agriculture, cats moved from the Middle East into the eastern Mediterranean. As humans transitioned to farming, they encouraged the presence of cats to protect stored grain from rodents, creating a partnership based on mutual need. Genetic studies indicate that one lineage of cats emerged in Asia Minor as early as 6,400 years ago, dispersing northward and westward into Europe.213
• Second Wave: Thousands of years later, a second wave of expansion originated in ancient Egypt. From there, cats spread throughout the Mediterranean and into Eurasia, often carried by seafarers who kept them on ships to manage rat and mouse populations. Notably, DNA evidence suggests that cats from Egypt were transported by mariners, including Vikings, to various regions, including sites in Germany.13

Evidence of this migration is seen in early archaeological findings, such as a 9,500-year-old burial in Cyprus, which confirms that cats were transported by boat to islands where they were not native.2