Humans and other animals have coexisted for many thousands of years. Evolutionarily, nonhuman animals could be seen as posing something of a risk to human survival because they compete for the available food supplies. From that perspective, human–animal companion relationships should not occur. Nonetheless, archaeological findings indicate that living with animals has long been a universal practice. The wolf was the first animal to live among people. The wolf was the predecessor of the domesticated dog and became a common companion of early humans. Other historical artifacts show that the Greeks often kept cats, the Chinese and Japanese preferred dogs, and the Mexicans favored raccoons. North American Indians kept various wild animals, such as bison, moose, and bears, whereas the South American Indians were likely ...