Cats have always lived outdoors, so community cats are not a new phenomenon.
Domestic cats (Felis catus) came into existence about 10,000 years ago, when humans began farming. According to scientists, cats are one of the only animals who domesticated themselves. Evolutionary research shows that the natural habitat of cats is outdoors in close proximity to humans. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1940s and the invention of cat litter that “indoors only” for cats was even a concept.
Learn more at alleycat.org/CatHistory.