Cats, Dogs, and Humans

Cats and dogs have been human companions for thousands of years, but when it comes to cat and dog domestication, who came first? In ancient Egypt, cats can be seen in writing, as statues, and even buried in tombs next to humans, and dogs can be traced back to the Inuit, helping them hunt, herd, and sled. Looking at which family evolved first, according to The National Library of Medicine, cats win by about 2.5 million years. Cats first branched off 10.3 million years ago, while dogs branched off only 7.8 million years ago. Looking at domestication, however, cats are only thought to have been domesticated around 9,500 years ago, while dogs are believed to have been domesticated around 20,000-40,000 years ago.

The early domestication of dogs was brought about by their usefulness for guarding and hunting, while cat domesticates only appeared after humans developed settlements and farms. Early humans would take wolf pups from a less-fearful pack, developing these wolves to be more socialized to humans. Eventually, people controlled the mating process, and the wolf in question became more like the dog we know today.

Unlike dogs, cats are unlikely candidates for domestication. They have limited ability to digest anything but proteins, live independently and defend their territories (making them less likely to attach to people), and do not perform directed tasks. While humans actively sought wolves to assist their everyday lifestyles, wildcats presumably exploited human environments to a point where humans were forced to tolerate it. In time, they split from their wild relatives and became more socialized. However, wildcat domestication may not be over. Of the 1 billion domestic cats, 97 percent are randomly-bred and the majority of feral cats acquire food without human assistance, leading experts to believe domestication is incomplete. 

Although dogs are more social by nature, human interaction over the past 10,000 years has socialized cats, making both equally fitting household pets.