Reading Comprehension · History
History of the House Cat
A reading lesson about the history of the house cat — from worshipped Egyptian pets, to medieval suspicion during the bubonic plague, to one of America’s favorite household animals.
Subject
Reading Comprehension
Grade Level
Grades 3–6
Format
Lesson + Printable PDF
Access
Full Member
Cats in the Ancient World
Cats have lived alongside people for more than five thousand years. In ancient Egypt, people were fascinated with cats. They tamed wild cats from Africa and brought them into their homes. Cats appear in a great deal of the artwork from ancient Egypt — on tomb walls, on pottery, and carved into statues. The Egyptians believed cats had special powers and even worshipped gods that had the bodies of cats, such as the goddess Bastet. When an Egyptian cat owner lost a beloved pet, they would shave off their eyebrows as a public sign of their grief.
About three thousand years ago, European and Middle Eastern traders brought cats home with them from their journeys. The Greeks and Romans valued cats because they kept rats and mice from spreading disease through people’s living areas. Because of this, cats became known as guardians of the home. In Asia, cats had a similar role — they protected silkworm cocoons from rats and mice. Silk was an extremely valuable trade good, and silkworms had to be carefully protected to keep the silk industry alive. Wherever cats traveled, they earned their keep by hunting pests.
During the Middle Ages, cats began to lose their popularity in Europe. Some people grew superstitious and even claimed that cats were evil — possibly connected to witchcraft. People killed cats out of fear. That all changed when rats and mice multiplied without cats to keep them in check. The famous bubonic plague of the 1300s, which killed millions of people, would not have spread so easily if there had been more cats around to control the rat population. After that hard lesson, cats quickly became popular again.
Cats in America Today
When the Pilgrims came to the New World in the 1600s, they brought their cats along on the long voyage. Cats were valuable on ships because they kept rats and mice away from food supplies. Most pet cats in the United States today are descendants of those original ship cats. Cats also helped the colonists protect grain stores from rodents once they reached land. Without cats keeping rodents in check, life in early America would have been much harder.
Today there are over 70 million pet cats in the United States — making them one of the most popular pets in the country. Cats come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Some breeds, like the Maine Coon, are large and fluffy with long fur. Others, like the Siamese, are slim and graceful with sleek coats. Some cats, like the Sphynx, have almost no fur at all. Each breed has its own personality traits, but all domestic cats share the same basic instincts that helped their ancient ancestors survive in the wild.
Cats today are mostly indoor pets, kept for companionship rather than for hunting. They still purr, stretch, pounce, and chase — just as their wild ancestors did thousands of years ago. Modern cats are loved for their independence, their affection, and their playful behavior. Whether a cat is curled up on its owner’s lap, watching birds out a window, or napping in a sunny spot, it is following habits that go back to the very first cats that befriended humans long ago in ancient Egypt.
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