[snip] Our research suggests a late arrival of domestic cats in China, with the earliest skeletal remains, imagery, and written records appearing no earlier than 1,400 years ago, in the 7th century, both in China and along the ancient Silk Road (Figures 1B and 1C; Tables S1 and S2). This challenges the common assumption that domestic cats were present in China during either the Neolithic4 or the Han Dynasty.12 Furthermore, our findings indicate that domestic cats were among the latest domesticated animals introduced to China, arriving much later than other Eurasian domesticates such as cattle, sheep, and goats (c. 3000–2000 BCE) and horses (c. 1200 BCE).104 Genomic evidence from ancient cats at key Silk Road sites raises the possibility of merchant-facilitated dispersal along this trade route, highlighting the role of the Silk Road in the spread of domestic animals.Ancient DNA reveals 3,500 years
of human-leopard cat commensalism
in ancient China
Yu Han et al | Cell | November 27, 2025
So the leopard cat locals lost out to cheap African imports.