The earliest cats probably appeared about 35 to 28.5 million years ago. Proailurus is the oldest known cat that occurred after the Eocene–Oligocene extinction event about 33.9 million years ago; fossil remains were excavated in France and Mongolia's Hsanda Gol Formation.

What is the common ancestor of felines?

According to a recent study by Claudio Ottoni, cat domestication took place in two strains, but all domestic cats have a common ancestor: the North African / Southwest Asian wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica (Ottoni and others 2017). ... The cat – Felis domesticus.

What was the first ever cat called?

Earliest cat to have a name The first known cat with a name was called Nedjem meaning `sweet' or `pleasant' and dates from the reign of Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC).