Cats are one of the most popular pets in America today. They can be found in about one-third of all homes, plus there are a lot of stray cats out there that are at least partly domesticated since people will often feed them. Given the fact that they are so common here, it is natural to assume that they have been around this area for a very long time, but that is not actually the case.

A new study was recently published in the journal American Antiquity by researchers who looked at the skeletal remains of at least two domestic cats from a shipwreck off the coast of Florida.

The Spanish galleon sank during a storm in 1559 CE, and researchers say that they were likely the earliest cats in what is now the United States.

It is very likely that these cats were brought on board to help keep the population of rats and mice in check, but they weren’t likely there just to do that type of work. Researchers looked at the isotopes of the remains and found that the diet of the cats likely included plenty of fish, pork, poultry, and even beef.

This indicates that the crew was feeding the cats from their own rations, a clue that they were domesticated.

This diet also means that the cats weren’t likely brought onto the ship as a source of meat, which was not uncommon in England during those times. Another potential use of cats is for their fur, but again, that is not likely on a ship like this.

So, while it is not possible to rule out that cats came over to America even earlier than this, the 1559 ship is the earliest known time.

Famous ships from before this time, including those on which Columbus sailed, did not have any documentation of cats onboard, and certainly not domesticated cats.

However it happens, thousands of cat owners are so happy it did.

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