Feared, revered, respected, and beloved, cats have left an indelible paw print on the histories and civilizations of humankind. Over the last two million years, cats and people have interacted in diverse and unexpected ways, but the predecessors of today’s furry friends were predators, not pets.
Leading anthropologist Jerry Moore charts the cat’s path from deadly enemy to improbable roommate, making use of the latest archaeological evidence to produce an original and revealing narrative. Starting with the terrifying prehistorical scimitar-tooth cat of the Pliocene age and the lion drawings of the Paleolithic Chauvet caverns, Moore journeys through our complicated history with these charismatic creatures. He travels along the Nile and across the Mediterranean, sailing on to South America, exploring pet cemeteries, cat mummies, and exquisite statuary across continents and centuries.
Illustrated throughout with photographs, artifacts, and artworks, this book surveys our relationships with cats from the Paleolithic period to the present day, unlocking the mysteries of these remarkable creatures. While cats are now beloved members of families around the world, our attempts to bring cats in from the cold have not always had happy endings, as Moore explores through such famous feline fanciers as Joe Exotic, Siegfried Fischbacher, and Roy Horn. From incredible archaeological finds to cave paintings, and from classical statues to contemporary social media, Cat Tales surveys ancient and modern interactions between humans and cats, wild and domestic, to ask a simple question: who domesticated who?
Reviews
Cat Tales is an eloquent, yet learned, technically accurate excursion into the feline world that is destined to become a classic. I look at my cats with different eyes after reading Jerry’s entertaining excursion into cattery.
— Brian Fagan, distinguished emeritus professor, University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of "The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History"
Cats, large or small, wild or domesticated, have played multiple roles in human history as: fearsome deities, emissaries between worlds, protectors against vermin, and beloved companions. Moore's eminently readable book explores the wonderful world of felines, tracing their relationship with humans worldwide, from when we were their prey to the present.
— Salima Ikram, distinguished university professor of Egyptology, The American University in Cairo
Contributors
Jerry D. Moore
Author
Jerry D. Moore is an archaeologist, writer, editor, and professor emeritus of anthropology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. His books include The Prehistory of Home (winner of the Society for American Archaeology Popular Book Award) among many others. He has also written for Archaeology Magazine, and he was the editor of Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of Andean Archaeology. Moore lives in Long Beach, California, where he provides food service to two cats.
