International research transforms understanding of the history of cats in Europe

An international team of researchers has found new archaeological and genetic evidence which transforms our understanding of the history of cats in Europe. They then assessed the patterns of hybridisation after domestic cats were introduced to Europe over 2,000 years ago and came into contact with native European wildcats. Wildcats and domestic cats have only hybridised very recently. Understanding why this is true will be fun to explore.’We tend to think of cats and dogs as very different. The nature of the Scottish wildcat and its relation to feral domestic cats has long been a mystery.