Why the Number of Cat Breeds is Smaller than Dog Breeds? 0 7

Dogs were domesticated at least 15,000 years ago and spread around the world, which contributed to the emergence of local breeds. They were used for various purposes, leading to the development of hunting, herding, and guard breeds…

Cats became truly domestic much later, about 3,500 years ago (the famous Egyptian cats served as temple animals, similar to monkeys in modern India) and were used exclusively as exterminators of household rodents.

The selection of cats was conducted much less strictly: people certainly chose the kittens they liked, but there was virtually no targeted breeding.