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==Rise of Cat Pets==
While the transition of wild cats to domesticated cats appears to be relatively clear, particularly as agriculture became prominent around the world. Not surprisingly, we do find cat remains in Europe and other parts of Asia as agriculture became more established. However, it is less clear when humans began to actively let cats into their homes.
The earliest evidence of close contact between humans and cats comes from Cyprus from 7500 BC, where a human was found buried next to a cat. In ancient Egypt, by around 2000 BC, we find the first cat cemetery with mummified cats and tomb paintings showing cats. In fact, something on the order of 80,000 mummified cats have been found in the cemetery, making it still by far the largest known cat cemetery. The goddess Bastet was depicted as a cat and the association of cats with this goddess may have made cats sacred. However, from tomb paintings, it is also clear that the Egyptians had an affinity and care for the cats, suggesting that cats by then were now more intertwined with daily life and people actively took care of cats.
==Recent Developments==
