Cats have always been around, since 8,000 B.C. But wildcats were not domesticated for another 500 years, when people began to harvest and store grain in 7,500 B.C.

The storing of the harvests, soon attracted mice and other rodents. This then drew the wildcats into the town and living area, where they hunted and dispatched with the rodents and other pests.

Cats were praised for the pest control and killing deadly cobras. Then later, cats with more docile traits were taken in as pets and cared for as such.

In 2007, it was concluded that all domestic cats are descents of wildcats from Near East. A genetic study was done, showing wildcats having started separating to becoming domestic , in the Middle East after 8,000 BC.

First clues of domesticated cats were found in 1983 on the island of Cyprus, where a cat's jawbone, dating back 8,000 years (6000 B.C), was found by archaeologists. Then in 2004, a dig site at Cyprus more evidence was found, that dated further back, where a cat had been buried with a human. This find pushed the known domestication date back another 1,500 years (7,500 B.C).

Egyptians worship of cats is very well-known throughout history. The Egyptian goddess of love, Bastet, had the head of a cat.

In Egypt, if convicted of killing a cat, often a death sentence would be the outcome for the offence.

In Beni-Hassan, scientists found a cat cemetery with 300,000 mummified cats buried within.

More Info: en.m.wikipedia.org