Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which wildcat is considered the closest ancestor of the domestic cat?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
cats as pets
A boy hugging a pet cat.
The wildcat generally considered to be the closest ancestor of the domestic cat is the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), a small wildcat native to the Middle East and Africa.123
This subspecies is genetically virtually identical to domestic cats and interbreeds with them readily. Because of this close relationship, domestic cats have retained much of their independent nature and predatory instincts, leading some experts to suggest that the cat is not a fully domesticated animal in the same sense as other household pets. The association between humans and these cats likely began 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, when the cats were drawn to rodents feeding on human grain stores, establishing a mutually beneficial partnership.14