A.D. 1: Alexandria, Egypt
	Cats Cats were sacred to the Egyptians, who sometimes even mummified them. Greek and Roman settlers in Alexandria were more likely to regard their feline neighbors as handy, perhaps likable rat catchers.
A.D. 1000: Córdoba, Spain
	Doves Not quite wild but not quite tame, doves adorned Cordoban gardens. They also inspired Cordoban poets—and cooks.
A.D. 2000: New York City, U.S.A.
	Iguana An iguana offers a taste of the exotic for a busy New Yorker. But many such pets, bought more as curiosities than companions, suffer from their owners’ ignorance about how to tend them.

© 1999 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.