Parasites of human societies: How did we come to live so closely with cats?

Rob Dunn argues in The Call of the Honeyguide that the human–cat relationship challenges traditional ideas of mutualism; domestic cats descended from African wildcats and spread alongside early farming, initially helping control rodents.

Rob Dunn argues in The Call of the Honeyguide that our relationship with cats may not fit standard ideas of mutualism. He notes that hundreds of millions of house cats now live with humans and that domestic cats trace back to the African or Libyan wildcat. Early cats entered farming settlements and ate rodents, offering benefits to both species. Over time, Dunn suggests, the functional role of cats shifted and our bond with them took new forms. Key points: - The book frames the human–cat relationship as one that may force a rethinking of what mutualism can mean. - There are hundreds of millions of house cats worldwide, with more than 70 million in the United States and a global estimate around half a billion. - Domestic cats descend from the African/Libyan wildcat and moved with humans into farming settlements; a 9,500-year-old burial on Cyprus demonstrates early human transport of cats. - Early cats likely reduced rodent numbers and may have lessened food loss and disease risk in small settlements, though their impact probably declined in very large grain-storage cities. - Archaeological and artistic evidence, including Egyptian depictions of leashed or under‑chair cats, shows the relationship evolved beyond simple pest control. Summary: Dunn’s account suggests that what began as co‑occurrence and pest control between humans and wildcats evolved into a complex, widespread relationship that challenges neat categories of mutual benefit. Undetermined at this time.