Finally, hard proof that cats have been acting like jerks since at least Roman times! Recently, an archaeologist at the Gloucester City Museum was examining a Roman roof tile from 100 C.E. when he noticed it had a cat’s paw print on it. This “tegula” tile was dug up in Berkeley Street in 1969.

“When Romans made roof tiles they left the wet clay out to dry in the sun,” said a museum spokesman. “Animals, and people, sometimes walked across the drying tiles and left their footprints behind. The cat is thought to have snuck across the wet tiles in Gloucester in about AD 100, probably at the annoyance of the tile makers…”

David Rice, curator at Gloucester City Museum, told Discovery News that he believes that there are more cat paw prints found on ancient Roman tiles in Britain than anywhere else in the Roman Empire. Another example of cat’s just being jerks? Or did they have something against the British?

More info: venues.gloucester.gov.uk (h/t: twistedsifter, telegraph)

This Roman roof tile with a cat’s paw imprint is from around 100 C.E.

Image credits: Gloucester City Museum

It is one of the oldest examples of cat “Vandalism” in the U.K.

Image credits: Gloucester City Museum

This one was discovered in Washington State, and must have come to the New World by ship long ago

Image credits: Fort Vancouver Historical National Historic Site

Even this document, from March 11th, 1445, fell prey to the inky paws of a cat!

Image credits: Emir O. Filipovic