An almost-complete cat skeleton discovered at a medieval village site in southern Kazakhstan has been analyzed, and the researchers concluded it was likely kept as a pet. The village was located along the Silk Road and was home to Oghuz, who were Turkic pastoralists. There were multiple indicators suggesting the Oghuz had kept this cat as a pet.
First, the cat had healed through several broken bones suggesting it was cared for by others while recovering. Also, because it lost all its teeth, it was likely unable to feed itself without human help. In addition, the cat’s remains were found because they were buried – unlike other animal bones at the site which were discarded. Analyses of the chemical composition of the cat’s bones show the cat ate a higher-protein diet than dogs whose remains have been found at the site, and other cats that lived during the same time period.
Keeping a pet cat was thought to be unusual for the Oghuz. This particular pet cat’s presence suggests cultural exchanges facilitated by the Silk Road which passed by the village.
