Ancient Silk Road Brought First Pet Cats to China, Study Reveals

The first domestic cats arrived in China over 1,400 years ago, new research suggests. They traveled along the ancient Silk Road during the prosperous Tang dynasty. Historical records indicate a provincial governor was the first known person to keep dozens of cats as pets. He even designated a large area of his home to play with them. This finding places the arrival of pet cats in China centuries earlier than some experts previously believed. The animals likely came from regions to the west, via the famous trade network. The Tang dynasty's openness to foreign goods and ideas facilitated the cat's introduction. Later, Empress Wu Zetian, China's sole reigning woman emperor, also famously kept cats.