The Tiniest Tiger’s Ancestor’s First Thanksgiving

We Cats have been co-existing with humans for thousands of years. I use the word co-existing because I think it is a much more accurate description of the feline-human relationship than the word domesticated.  Domesticated is a terrific description for dogs, but not for cats.

Over a relatively short period of time, our ancestors the African wildcats, were able to infiltrate human settlements, by endearing themselves as protectors of the Egyptian grain stores.  Their hunting prowess drew amazement and praise from the Egyptians and our ancestors found themselves invited into the inner circle where they were provided shelter and food.  It wasn’t long before our fore-cats were exalted to deity status.

This Thanksgiving, I started thinking about my ancestors. With Bad Kitty’s help, I was able to stalk and pounce on a few tidbits of information about my family. Here is what we found

Humans and cats and a couple of dogs too, spent weeks, maybe months, I mean a super long time on ships at sea. I don’t even like to get into my carrier to go to the Morris Veterinary Clinic and yet my ancestors were trapped on wooden ships, surrounded by water for incredibly long periods of time. ~shiver~  As you can see in the picture, they spent a lot of time looking for land. I would too, wouldn’t you?

Eventually, they saw land in the distance and I bet there was quite a celebration when they were able to disembark and put their paws on land.  Bad Kitty told me it appeared like there was an endless supply of clean sand too.

The ship was in rough shape after such a long journey, so all the people, that we now know as Pilgrims, settled into the new land. Plimoth Colony was established and in the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated the colony’s first successful harvest. Everyone was super hungry, and a big meal was prepared to give Thanks for the food. The Wampanoag were invited to join in the feast.

If you look close, you can see a family resemblance to me and the Cat in the picture that is waiting patiently under the turkey being served.

I was happy to learn a little bit about my ancestors. Instincts are handed down generation after generation and we all adapt and make do in our surroundings. Just recently, for some unknown reason I was compelled to leap up on the island in the kitchen and wait patiently for the turkey that was roasting in our oven. I must have inherited this behavior from my fore-cats.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!!