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Perhaps not surprisingly, the oldest known breeds of cats are from the Middle East, where they were first domesticated or at least lived along with humans. The history of cat breeds is not clear, but it is likely that it was only after the late Medieval period and Renaissance that people began to have a taste to breed cats. The Turkish Angora and Persian cat are among the oldest known, where they are documented by the 1600s. The Chartreux might be the oldest European breed, where it is mentioned to exist by at least 1558. The likely origin in Europe for this cat suggests by then Europeans were developing their own breeding tastes. Other breeds that originated from the Middle East and Asia, such as the Japanese Bobtail, Siamese, and Siberian Cat, suggests that Asian societies were likely specifically breeding certain types of cats for either domestic use such as hunting rodents, kept as household pets, or used as both.