Who is Fluffy?

Fluffy is a domestic house cat.

Scientifically known as Felis catus.

Where did Fluffy come from?

Well,

Scientists can't be certain, because nobody was there at the time to watch it happen.

But with the information we have, we can reach some reasonable conclusions about the origins of Fluffy.

Fluffy's closest living relative is the African wildcat, or Felis sylvestris lybica.

Fluffy's DNA is most similar to this species.

Fluffy and Felis sylvestris likely started out as the same species.

Physically, there are few differences between the domestic cat and the African wildcat.

Felis sylvesteris lybica tends to be slightly larger than Fluffy.

Felis sylvesteris lybica also tends to have longer legs and a longer tail.

Longer legs and tails help the African wildcat jump higher and keep its balance better than cats like Fluffy.

Jumping high and keeping balance helps wildcats catch prey and effectively hide from predators.

Fluffy doesn't need to be able to jump high or have excellent balance.

Given Fluffy's typical environment, she is getting along just fine without these characteristics.

However, wildcats benefit from having longer legs and tails. These traits increase their chances of survival.

This is called natural selection.

When a creature has traits that help them survive, they are more likely to live and pass those traits on to their offspring.

So,

How did Fluffy go from being a wild animal to a house cat?

Given the evidence we have, Fluffy became a house cat through natural selection. Rather than artificial selection.

Humans domesticated dogs, horses, pigs, hamsters, corn, and many other species through artificial selection

Artificial selection is when people decide which traits are passed on to the offspring

We have evidence that cats lived alongside humans at least 9500 years ago.

During this time, humans had early villages and settlements.

They stored grains like wheat to save for later.

But storing a lot of grains in one place attracts mice.