The researchers support their conclusion based on information gathered concerning early Middle-Eastern cats, specifically, that their growth in numbers was as a direct result of farming practices during that time. Geigl argues that these cats enjoyed hunting the mice which were drawn to the grains sown in the fields. When humans realized that these animals hunted the mice which were a nuisance to their crop, they elected to keep them as domestic animals.
Source: Viking Cats – DNA Study Shows the Crucial Role Felines Played in Viking Life