If you think your cat has a mind of its own and doesn’t care one bit about what you want, you’re probably right. Yet researchers once believed that cats became domesticated twice.

Early Chinese farmers may have domesticated wild felines known as leopard cats more than 5000 years ago. Then people in the Middle East domesticated cats 5000 years earlier as well. Although cats may not seem domesticated, it does prove that they’re friendly enough not to rip your face off while you’re sleeping in the middle of the night.

To read more about how cats may have been domesticated twice (and never truly tamed), click here.