How Animals From Around the World Ended Up in Our Homes

Right about now, something remarkable is happening overhead.

The ruby-throated hummingbirds that have spent the summer flitting around New Hampshire are beginning their journey south, with some traveling as far as Central America.

It’s hard not to marvel at a creature that weighs about as much as a penny traveling thousands of miles.

Watching those little travelers head south got us thinking: our own pets have some pretty amazing travel stories in their family trees, too.

Your Dog’s Family Tree Has Traveled the World

Pinning down exactly where dogs originated is complicated but most scientists agree that modern dogs have an ancient history that reaches back to gray wolves in Eurasia. 

Over 15,000 years ago, our four-legged friends became man’s first domesticated animal partnership. They were hunting buddies, guards, working companions, and eventually became pampered members of households around the globe.

As humans moved, dogs moved with us. Archaeological evidence shows dogs accompanied us through Eurasia and down to parts of Australia and Polynesia thousands of years ago.

It’s hard to believe that after millennia of traveling alongside humans, one of their descendants, whether it’s a regal Great Dane or a scrappy Chihuahua, ended up snoozing on your couch.

Cats Took a More Opportunistic Route

Cats have an equally fascinating story, although they took a somewhat different path to domestication.

Today’s domestic cats descend from the African and Southwest Asian wildcat. Their relationship with humans appears to have begun in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East, where early farming communities provided food for humans, which also came with plenty of rodents.

In other words, cats moved into the neighborhood because humans had built a very attractive mouse buffet.

Over time, that mutually beneficial relationship developed into the cats we know today. From ancient settlements in the Near East and Egypt, cats eventually traveled with people and spread around the world.

And now they spend their days reminding us that the food bowl is empty…even when it isn’t.

Guinea Pigs Came From the Andes

These furry little nuggets have a surprisingly long history with people, too.

Their wild relatives originated in South America, particularly the Andes of areas including Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia. Guinea pigs were domesticated thousands of years ago by people in the Andes before they made their way to Europe and North America.

So the next time your guinea pig squeaks enthusiastically while it nibbles treats from your palm just remember they’re part of a very old South American story.

Bearded Dragons Traveled From Down Under

These scaly companions have an equally interesting origin.

Today, they’re one of the world’s most popular pet lizards, but bearded dragons are native to the dry regions of central and eastern Australia. 

Though their wild ancestors spent their days navigating harsh landscapes, today’s dragons have traded the Australian outback for a warm spot basking in a terrarium and occasionally staring judgmentally at their humans.

Your Parakeet is an Australian Traveler, Too

That cheerful little parakeet sitting in your home may look far removed from the wild, but the budgerigar—or budgie—is native to Australia.

Wild budgies are nomadic, moving across the Australian landscape in search of food and water. They can gather in enormous flocks called a “chatter.”

Because of their friendly social nature, Parakeets as pets gained momentum in Europe in the 1800s before making their way to the US. Today, they are the world’s most popular companion bird.

Now, that is something to tweet about!

A World of Pets, Right at Home

So the next time you watch a hummingbird preparing for its journey south, take a moment to appreciate how far it will travel, then take a look at the critters in your own home.

The dog asleep at your feet has ancestors who crossed entire continents faithfully alongside their humans. Your purring cat was a mighty mouse hunter from the Middle East and Africa. Your fuzzy guinea pig comes from South America, while your bearded dragon and colorful parakeet hail from Australia.

Our pets may be contented homebodies now, but their stories are anything but.

Somehow, through thousands of years of travel, exploration, domestication, and companionship, our favorite furry friends made their way from faraway places into our homes, and eventually into our hearts.

We think that’s a pretty wonderful destination.