Changes

Cats were not widely discussed in ancient Greece, suggesting they may have not been a primary pet. One vase shows a cat fighting a dog, while another shows a music player with a cat. However, in ancient Rome, cats are mentioned by Plutarch and Pliny. Mosaic depictions indicate that cats were common household pets (Figure 2). Cats seem to have been kept in the house to help keep away mice and common pests as well. One text mentions using cats to catch moles in vegetable beds. A Roman tomb has even been found with a cat and its name, suggesting that it was loved by its owner. One Galic-Roman relief shows a little girl holding a kitten, suggesting that cats were kept as pets for children as well as adults. Some breeds, such as the British Shorthair, appear to have been bred by the Romans and then introduced to places such as Britain perhaps as early as the 1st century AD. In effect, the love for cats may have led to the different breeds, as some cats appear to be bred to develop their hair or decorative features.<ref>For more on how cats were treated in ancient Greece and Rome, see: Bradshaw, J. (2013) <i>Cat sense: how the new feline science can make you a better friend to your pet.</i> New York, Basic Books.<ref>