Cats were first domesticated in the Near East, with evidence pointing to the Fertile Crescent region about 9,000 to 10,000 years ago, and possibly earlier in some contexts. Genetic and archaeological findings suggest that African wildcats were drawn to human settlements by food scraps and vermin, and over time these cats became the domestic lineage that spread with agriculture and trade from the Mediterranean basin into Europe and beyond. The idea that ancient Egypt started the domestication is common, but newer evidence indicates a broader, longer process that likely began in the Fertile Crescent and later contributed to cat populations across Europe and the Mediterranean through trade and migration.