Remains Of Domestic Cats Found In Wreckage Of Ancient Ship Were Likely First To Arrive In United States

Cats person lived alongside humans for thousands of years, and nan remains of 2 home felines recovered successful a astir 500-year-old Spanish shipwreck apt correspond nan earliest illustration of nan animal successful what is now nan United States, according to a caller study. 

"Cats accompanied sailors connected ships wherever they were relied connected to hunt rats and mice that were infesting ships’ holds," researchers wrote successful a study published successful American Antiquity past month. 

The Emanuel Point II, a Spanish conquistador ship, wrecked successful Florida’s Pensacola Bay successful 1559 during a hurricane. 

The shipwreck was discovered successful 2006, and nan researchers said nan remains of an big and juvenile feline were recovered successful nan wreckage. 

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A feline surviving connected a Turkish ship.  (Gazi Nogay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"Cats person received constricted archaeological attention because their independency limits nonstop penetration into quality societies," nan researchers said. 

The study said that analyses of nan 2 cats and different humanities feline remains show the pets ranged dramatically successful size from normal location cats to overmuch smaller. 

The researchers wrote that, based connected a chemic study of nan remains, nan big feline doesn’t look to person relied connected rats for nutrient and chiefly ate a fare of food and perchance home meat. 

"These pests were unintentionally introduced to nan New World, and cats would person followed, hunting some autochthonal and invasive pests," nan study said of rats. 

Cats person agelong accompanied sailors connected ships.  (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Within nan U.S., early feline remains person besides been recovered successful nan assemblage settlements successful St. Augustine, Florida, and nan British colony of Jamestown successful Virginia and were perchance aboard nan Mayflower.  

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Cats aren’t autochthonal to nan U.S. and are believed to person originated successful nan Middle East earlier they were brought to nan Americas by Europeans. They were apt introduced to Europe for (seed) disease control, nan scientists said. 

The researchers said they weren’t judge if nan cats connected nan Emanuel Point II were brought connected committee intentionally, but study co-author John Bratten, an anthropologist astatine nan University of West Florida, told Live Science nan cats apparently ate a akin fare to nan sailors, which showed that they were fed either because location weren’t capable rats aliases retired of kindness. 

Cats were first brought to nan Americas by Europeans.  (Getty Images)

"It was absorbing to deliberation astir nan thought of nan feline being a pet aliases 1 that was looked aft by nan Spanish sailors," Bratten told Live Science.

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The study said, "That cats were connected committee [the Emanuel Point II] suggests their superior domiciled whitethorn person been arsenic commensal ratters and mousers that kept nan onboard rodent organization successful check. This does not, however, preclude nan anticipation that these cats were good liked and cared for by nan sailors." 

Cats were besides considered fortunate by sailors, nan researchers added. 

Today, 1 successful 3 U.S. households has a pet cat.