Cute Cat Wash mounth

The domestic cat is a member of the Felidae family, which shared an ancestor approximately 10–15 million years ago. Around 6–7 million years ago, the genus Felis split from the other Felidae. Phylogenetic research confirms that wild Felis species evolved via sympatric or parapatric speciation, whereas domestic cats evolved via artificial selection. Both the domesticated cat and its closest wild ancestor are diploid, with 38 chromosomes and approximately 20,000 genes. Around 5500 BC, the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was tamed independently in China. This line of partially domesticated cats has left no trace in today's domestic cat populations.