Published on : 10 Dec 2025, 5:00 am

The domestic cat ( Felis catus ) appeared in China only during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It came to the country through the Silk Road, the vast ancient network of trade routes connecting Asia with Europe, a new study by Peking University has claimed.

Not just this, for over 3,500 years, the cats living near early farming communities in China were not domesticated but wild leopard cats that thrived around human settlements while hunting rodents, according to the study.

A research team led by Luo Shujin from the School of Life Sciences at the University sequenced ancient DNA of feline remains spanning over 5,000 years. The experts analysed mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from 22 ancient feline individuals excavated at 14 archaeolog

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