From the late 10th century until perhaps the early 15th century and final collapse of Norse Greenland, the Norse were in sporadic contact with North America, exemplified by the expeditions to Vinland by Leif Erikson and Thorfinn Karlsefni, although the Norse of Greenland periodically sailed to Markland (Labrador) until the early 15th century to harvest timber, in short supply in Greenland.
To my knowledge, neither rats (black rats) nor cats were introduced in the Americas in this era, although both animals found their way to Greenland thanks to the Norse, yet it doesn't seem hard to establish a population of either animals considering they are some of the most successful invasive species globally along with relatives like Polynesian rats which are important marker of human presence on remote islands.
The PoD here would be that enough cats are brought to Vinland alongside rats to establish a breeding population. These animals will spread from initial Norse landings in Newfoundland and Labrador to elsewhere in the Americas. OTL demonstrates that black rats in the Americas (along with later brown rats which arrived after this POD) outcompete native mice for resources. Cats have been found to also decimate native mice and birds and prefer hunting them over Eurasian mice and rats.
So if Leif or Thorfinn leaves behind a few cats along with some mice in Vinland in the early 11th century, and the Norse and/or Beothuk are mobile enough in trade to the mainland and spread cats and rats to mainland North America, what happens next? I'd assume we'll have feral cats which look like Icelandic feral cats (and more distantly the more refined Norwegian Forest Cat breed which is similar to the Maine Coon, Siberian Forest Cat, etc.), so generally bulky and fluffy cats. Rats will spread quickly and will outcompete native species.
Likely American Indians will use these feral cats for fur and maybe meat, but would this new species of rat impact American Indian civilisation? Are there any other notable impacts caused by this earlier introduction of two notable invasive species?
To my knowledge, neither rats (black rats) nor cats were introduced in the Americas in this era, although both animals found their way to Greenland thanks to the Norse, yet it doesn't seem hard to establish a population of either animals considering they are some of the most successful invasive species globally along with relatives like Polynesian rats which are important marker of human presence on remote islands.
The PoD here would be that enough cats are brought to Vinland alongside rats to establish a breeding population. These animals will spread from initial Norse landings in Newfoundland and Labrador to elsewhere in the Americas. OTL demonstrates that black rats in the Americas (along with later brown rats which arrived after this POD) outcompete native mice for resources. Cats have been found to also decimate native mice and birds and prefer hunting them over Eurasian mice and rats.
So if Leif or Thorfinn leaves behind a few cats along with some mice in Vinland in the early 11th century, and the Norse and/or Beothuk are mobile enough in trade to the mainland and spread cats and rats to mainland North America, what happens next? I'd assume we'll have feral cats which look like Icelandic feral cats (and more distantly the more refined Norwegian Forest Cat breed which is similar to the Maine Coon, Siberian Forest Cat, etc.), so generally bulky and fluffy cats. Rats will spread quickly and will outcompete native species.
Likely American Indians will use these feral cats for fur and maybe meat, but would this new species of rat impact American Indian civilisation? Are there any other notable impacts caused by this earlier introduction of two notable invasive species?
