A recent study has revealed that the earliest known domestic cats in the United States died in a shipwreck off the coast of Florida over 460 years ago. The ship was part of a Spanish colonization expedition led by conquistador Tristán de Luna y Arellano, who was traveling from Mexico under the Spanish crown. In September 1559, a hurricane struck Pensacola Bay, sinking several of the 11 ships anchored near the Spanish settlement of Santa María de Ochuse.
Archaeologists discovered the wreck, known as Emanuel Point II, in 2006. The remains of an adult and juvenile domestic cat (Felis catus) were found on the ship, according to a study published on April 14 in American Antiquity.
Martin Welker, an anthropological archaeologist at the University of Arizona and co-author of the study, explained, “All domestic cats are descended from ancestors in the Middle East. So, they had to be brought to the Americas by people.”
While earlier discoveries have found cat remains in Spanish settlements, including the Indigenous Taíno town of En Bas Saline in Haiti (where Columbus landed in 1492), these expeditions did not reach mainland North America. The Spanish expeditions to Florida, however, marked the first introduction of domestic cats to what is now the U.S.
To analyze the cat bones, the research team used several methods, including zooarchaeological comparisons, isotopic surveys, and genetic analysis. The results confirmed that the bones belonged to domestic cats and revealed insights into their diet and ancestry.
Study co-author John Bratten, an anthropologist at the University of West Florida, said, “What was interesting is that our cat wasn’t eating the rats on the ship, but had a diet similar to the sailors.” This suggests the sailors may have fed the adult cat, either because the rats didn’t provide enough food or out of affection. “It was interesting to think about the idea of the cat being a pet or one looked after by the Spanish sailors,” Bratten added.
The genetic analysis showed that both the adult and juvenile cats were related to European cats. While it’s unclear exactly how the cats boarded the ship, Bratten speculated that they may have slipped aboard while the ship was docked in Mexico before heading to Florida. However, it’s also possible the cats were intentionally brought along, as they were valuable for controlling rats and mice that could damage food supplies and spread disease.
Welker noted that cats were often kept for pest control throughout history. “From their domestication until their arrival in the New World, cats’ primary role in many communities was pest control,” he explained. “The ancient Romans likely introduced cats to Europe for this reason.”
Today, cats are common household pets, with one in three U.S. households owning a cat, according to the study. Worldwide, there are more than 600 million domestic cats.
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