History of Pets
Pets have a long and crazy history with humans. We wanted to share a few stories that tell us the companionship and love that people & pets have had for one another – it’s been a long committed relationship!
We really don’t know an exact date of when animals (in this case, dogs) came into the equation. A dog jawbone found in Iraq was discovered to be over 14,000 years old. Although this timeline tells us that dogs have been around in our lives for a while, they have certainly gone through a lot of changes. Most “dogs” in early years were wolves that slowly domesticated as time went on.
In lots of early civilizations in places such as Egypt, Rome, and China, selective breeding shaped the dogs and cats we snuggle into the loveable faces we see today.
Although they are the most popular throughout history, dogs aren’t the only companions who have walked with us over the years! Check out these other animals, weird and cute, who have been companions for humans for thousands of years – and the strange and unusual ones that used to be our friends.
Egypt
Although it’s believed that cats come from somewhere in the Middle East, or possibly Cyprus, Ancient Egypt and it’s culture tells us a lot about how important cats were in their lives and beliefs.
Cats started off in Egypt, and most other places in the world, as pest control. Chasing mice, bugs, and snakes away in homes and crops, humans realized the benefit – and companionship, of the cat. The cat, being a cat, saw humans as an opportunity for free food and shade (and maybe a few scratches).
Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images via History.com
As time went on, the convenience of companionship and protection that cats brought was something humans began to engrain into their cultures. This was reflected heavily in the walls of Egyptian tombs, where wealthy people would depict important moments in their life and people who they wanted to bring into the afterlife. Cats adorned walls in tombs, hinting that they truly were more than lowly mouse catchers in life. Along with many gods and goddesses depicted as wild cats and even domestic cats at times, they were also seen as companions to the gods. Cats were certainly seen as special!
Rome
Besides dogs, birds were a strangely popular pet kept during Roman Empire times! Birds were not only considered a companion and entertainment, but they were also a way to portray wealth and luxury. By owning more exotic birds, or birds with precious and decorative cages, Roman birds were considered to be the pinnacle of a fine and wealthy family or individual.
