1,200-year-old paw print discovered on pottery proves cats have made 'biscuits' forever

Some of the most intriguing evidence of early human and animal interactions is often preserved in materials like clay or stone. Recently, an expedition team uncovered what might be the oldest known evidence of a cat “kneading,” according to Smithsonian Magazine. The ancient feline is believed to have left a distinct set of paw prints on a clay jug fragment, likely while the clay was still soft. This characteristic “kneading” behavior, affectionately known as “making biscuits,” is familiar to cat owners today.

The pottery shard was found at Mount Zion, a historic hill just outside Jerusalem’s Old City, during an excavation led by archaeologist Shimon Gibson from the University of North Carolina, along with Rafael Lewis from Bar-Ilan University in Israel. Surprisingly, the paw print went unnoticed at first; it was only later, when laboratory director Gretchen Cotten was sorting through stored materials, that she spotted the ancient cat’s paw imprints on the clay fragment.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, cats knead for various reasons. They often do this to show affection and knead their favorite people, toys or other household pets, just like they used to do with their mothers. They also mark their scent through kneading. They leave scent markings from glands in the feet to claim an object or place as their own. The mark discovered at the site was distinct with visible paw pads that measured 1.2 inches and marks of nails. "We think the cat was kneading rather than just resting on the jug because its claws were extended and left deep marks in the clay surface," Gibson told Live Science.

The shard of clay was possibly part of a jug at one point where it was used to store water, wine or olive oil. Other pieces of potters found at the site dated to the Abbasid period, which was around 750 C.E., that rose with the Abbasid caliphate in the Middle Eastern regions. Researchers studying the pottery fragments believe that the jug was made during or around the 9th century C.E. Cats hold significant value in Islamic culture, and Prophet Muhammad reportedly loved animals, allowing them to roam freely inside mosques. "The paw print indicates that the small cat was probably reclined on the curving edge of the jug, likely basking in the sun. We can only imagine that the cat was purring as it soaked up the Jerusalem sun," Gibson said.

She also mentioned that "cats are often mentioned in early Islamic sources, including Hadith literature." The Hadith is a written record of the sayings and practices attributed to Prophet Muhammad. "Pawprints exist in abundance, but not with evidence of claws and kneading," Gibson added. Archaeologists have also discovered many small human fingerprints on other pottery fragments uncovered at the excavation site of Mount Zion. It's believed they belonged to the children of the potters, who were often tasked with adding the handles to the jars. The shard of the jug with the cat's paw print has been processed and will soon be handed over to the Israeli authorities, who will decide its fate.