The Heart of a Wildcat Beats in Every Cute Kitty!

They may seduce you with their deep-throated purr as they wind around your ankles begging for a scratch behind the ears, but today's furry felines are descended from a Middle Eastern wildcat of fabled ferocity.

"House cats -- which include fancy breeds and feral cats -- those cats all form a genetic group that is virtually indistinguishable from ones in the Middle East," said cancer researcher Stephen O'Brien whose paper on the subject recently appeared in the journal Science. Researchers study cats as a model of certain human genetic diseases and to assist in species preservation.

Which means that Fluffy and Muffin are the direct genetic descendants of the ferocious lybica wildcat that was first domesticated in the Middle East 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. As farmers began to grow grains, wild cats moved out of the jungle to hunt rodents attracted to the fields and storage sites. Over time, a relationship developed between the cats and farmers. The earliest archaeological evidence of humans and cats living together dates to 9,500 years ago in Cyprus.

Displaying a whimsical playfulness, just like its subjects, this wonderful souvenir sheet from St. Thomas showcases nine varieties of domestic cats. Click the post title to order from County Stamp Center for only $15.86. Visit our website. County Stamp Center puts the stamp world at your fingertips.