THE SHORT-HAIRED DOMESTIC CAT. The origin of the domestic cat. Part 1.

     Specialists are not agreed either on the exact links between the members of the cat family or on the origin of the domestic cat, as we know it. What is certain is that the relationships are close and that the domestic cat is descended from one of the wild cat species; exactly which one is still disputed. Wherever in the world smaller wild cats exist, crossings between them and the local ordinary domestic cats presumably occur. This applies to the native European wild cat. Prowling queen cats in season successfully mating with wild toms are a frequent occurrence. However, to conclude from this that all these subspecies are in some form the ancestors of the domestic cat would be a mistake. It is probable that several thousand years ago there was one central area where domestication began, but that there are also several different sub-species of the wild cat which may be regarded as the ancestral forms. Some authorities present the primary markings of the coats of embryo European domestic cats, which show stripes and not spots, as evidence for the theory that our European domestic cat is descended from the African wild cat. The domestic cat’s marked preference for keeping itself warm and dry could support this theory.