The modern house cat reached China in the 8th century. Before that, another cat — the leopard cat — hunted the rodents in ancient Chinese settlements.

Cats didn’t become house pets because humans needed them. They didn’t herd animals, pull carts, or guard property.

The contemporary house cats (Felis catus) in China came into the picture much later. Descendants of the African wildcat ( ...

When archaeologists unearthed small cat bones in China dating back some 5,400 years, they figured cats had been hanging out in early Chinese farming settlements since the Neolithic Period. Now, a ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This painting from the bottom of a bowl is one of the earliest depictions of a cat from China, ...

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have unveiled that the feline companions of ancient China were not the domestic cats ...

A leopard cat, which is under second-class state protection in China, is seen in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on ...