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Native to the Greek islands known as the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, these are natural cats, meaning they developed without humans getting involved in their breeding. As a breed, Aegean Cats are rare, although they are numerous on their home islands.
The Historyof Aegean CatsAegeanCats likely go back many millennia. Archaeologists have foundevidence that early domesticated cats lived on the island of Cyprus, a neighborof Greece, some 10,000 years ago. It seems reasonable that over the years, someof those cats migrated to Greece on fishing or trading vessels, where they wereno doubt welcomed for their mousing ability. Aegeans may also be related toTurkish cat breeds such as the Angora.The cats, common in their homeland, have beenrecognized as a distinct breed only in the past couple of decades. Some considerthem a Greek national treasure. So far, they have not been recognized by anycat registries such as The Cat Fanciers Association or The International CatAssociation.
