Secrets Beneath the Waves: How a 1559 Shipwreck Revealed North America’s First Domestic Cats
Who knew that the earliest housecats in what is now the United States were actually shipwreck survivors? Yep, long before the internet was a thing or cat memes ruled our screens, a couple of feline castaways went down with a Spanish ship off Florida’s coast in 1559. These aren’t just any old bones; they represent the very first known domesticated cats to set paw on U.S. soil. Imagine that—a hurricane, a sunken vessel, and there they were, quietly rewriting history by proving cats came to America hitching a ride on conquistadors’ ships. It makes you wonder—were these cats sneaky stowaways, or clever pest controllers receiving royal treatment from sailors sharing their fish dinners? Either way, this shipwreck tells a purrfectly fascinating tale about how our feline friends went from mysterious sea travelers to the pampered pets who gracefully rule a third of U.S. households today. Who says history can’t have a little feline flair? LEARN MORE
Cat bones found among the wreckage of a Spanish ship from 1559 represent the earliest known example of domesticated cats in what is now the United States.
Ludemeula Fernandes/UnsplashThe first domesticated cats in North America likely came on ships alongside Spanish conquistadors.
Countless studies have examined the historical link between mankind and dogs, given their status as “man’s best friend.” Cats, however, haven’t received the same archaeological attention despite also living alongside humans for thousands of years, largely because they are more independent and offer less insight into society.
That said, a new study published in American Antiquity claims to have found the earliest evidence of domestic cats in what’s now the United States. The felines perished in a shipwreck off the coast of Florida in 1559, but their remains are providing fresh insight into the history of cats in America.
Post Comment