5 Fascinating Facts About the African Wildcat: They Are the Earliest Evidence of the Cat-Human Relationship

We call the species the African wildcat, but this name can be misleading as it is native not only to Africa but also to West and Central Asia. At first glance, the African wildcat resembles a stocky house cat; not by coincidence!

In the following, you can learn more about the habits, evolution, and unique characteristics of the African wildcat, or the African wildcat.

1.) The closely related species are just as adorable

“Adorable” might not be the most scientific term, but we can’t help ourselves. The African wildcat is part of an evolutionary lineage that, based on nuclear DNA analyses, is estimated to have diverged from the common ancestor of the Felis genus around 2.16-0.89 million years ago. First to evolve was the jungle cat, followed by the African black-footed cat, the sand cat, and finally, the African wildcat.

2.) This is why they resemble domestic cats so much

To be precise, it’s not that these wildcats resemble domestic cats, but rather that domestic cats resemble African wildcats. Recent studies indicate that the cradle of domestic cats was in the Fertile Crescent. About 10,000 years ago, a few African wildcats became tamed—note we don’t use the word “domesticated”—and these cats became the ancestors of modern domestic cats. African wildcats were also domesticated in ancient Egypt, and this lineage began to spread in the Mediterranean basin starting from the 8th century BCE.

3.) An Afro-Asiatic wildcat was found in a tomb in Cyprus

In a burial site in Cyprus, an African wildcat was found buried next to a human skeleton. The graves in the area are estimated to have been created by Neolithic farmers around 9500 years ago. This is a significant finding, as it is the earliest known evidence of a close relationship between cats and humans.

4.) They rarely drink water

The African wildcat hunts small rodents at night. Its hearing is extraordinarily refined, allowing it to pinpoint the location of its prey with almost flawless accuracy. It patiently and slowly crawls towards its target, using the environment for concealment, then pounces. It obtains nearly all of its required fluids from its prey, drinking water very rarely.

This is why we also emphasize this ancient instinct when it comes to caring for domestic cats. It’s advisable to feed pets with higher moisture content food, which can significantly reduce the risk of kidney disease.

5.) Not an endangered species

According to the Red List, the African wildcat is not an endangered species, but it still faces a significant problem. Unfortunately, genetic pollution of the population by domestic cats is a real issue. Currently, only one organization, Alley Cat Rescue, is working to reduce this pollution.

However, the effective cooperation between the two species has its advantages. It has been discovered that domestic cats can serve as surrogate mothers for wildcat embryos. Due to the many similarities between the two species, a domestic cat can carry and give birth to an African wildcat embryo.