Ancestral cattle shared their environments with numerous powerful predators, some of which are currently extinct. These included ancestral subspecies of tigers in Eurasia, Asiatic and African lions, Asiatic leopards, Eurasian brown bears, hyenas, and wolves. The effects of these species on the huge and powerful aurochs are disputed, with some researchers assessing the adult aurochs as too large for predation by some of the predators, and predation mostly focused on juveniles. Issues also concern the reduction in cattle size with the evolution of taurine and indicine cattle from the larger aurochs. Hunan management of cattle was also important, in terms of the killing of large cattle predators, the modification of habitats, and the further breeding of cattle and the consequent impacts on cattle ecology. This chapter examines the evidence of aurochs carnivore ecology, taking case studies of tiger, lion, leopard, bear, hyena, and wolf subspecies. This is followed by an examination of Eurasian and African taurine and indicine cattle and the predators of these smaller cattle species in succeeding chapters. This chapter also examines the role of domestication in the possible reduction of the defensive capabilities of cattle and the role of human protection in this process. It is argued that the changing relations between cattle of declining size, the increased role of human protection, and the adaptation of cattle predators provide the background for current cattle carnivores. This contributes to knowledge of cattle management, carnivore conservation, and ecological implications.