Cats in the 1800s by Nancy J. Farrier

I came across a rather funny story about cats from the 1800’s and wanted to share that story, but as I did some research I found other reports of interest involving cats. So, I thought I would share that information too.

London Crystal Palace

In July of 1871, Harrison Weir, a cat lover, organized the very first cat show. The show was held for one day at the London Crystal Palace. Mr. Weir wrote the standards for the different breeds and was also one of the judges. Now, this may not seem so odd to us, but at that time cats were not considered an animal worth much. They weren’t like cattle, horses, or even dogs. You couldn’t train a cat to perform worthwhile tasks such as rounding up the sheep, or plowing a field. 

The venue for the cat show was one of note, so many people paid attention. 

Weir wrote his guidelines according to length of fur, color, shape and build. His regulations were put into a manual to be used by other cat show organizers.

On the way to the show, Weir worried that the cats would be unruly or difficult to manage, however he loved cats. He’d been long concerned over the ill treatment of house cats and wanted to change how people saw them.

The first cat show was a huge success. The winning owners included 32 gentlemen, 15 married women and 4 spinsters. People were surprised because up to now, cats had been considered the pets of spinsters. In the unusual category was a 20 lb. cat who won both the fattest and biggest of the show.

Manx Cat

A second show was held in December at the same location and lasted three days. People loved coming to see the unusual animals. I’m sure the animals in those early shows were unique and interesting to look at.

The funny story I wanted to share happened in 

Deadwood

Deadwood, in the Dakota territory. In 1876, there were no cats in Deadwood, but they had an abundance of rodents. One enterprising gentleman, Phatty Thompson, decided to bring in some cats and sell them. He traveled to Cheyenne and offered to pay some boys twenty-five cents for each cat they would bring him. The cats had to be in good condition and salable. 

Thompson ended up with more than eighty cats, which he put in crates for the journey. The trip from Cheyenne to Deadwood by wagon would take twelve days. Imagine riding that distance with eighty cats in crates. Accounts say they were meowing and caterwauling, making quite a racket.

The trip wasn’t without incident. At one point, the wagon overturned near a creek he was crossing. Most of the cats escaped. Some miners working nearby helped Thompson round up the cats. In Deadwood, he sold the cats for as much as $20 to $30 each, making quite a profit.

There is only one account of Thompson doing this trip. Having traveled with cats before, I know it can be unpleasant for even a short time and in a much more comfortable vehicle than a wagon. I can’t imagine more than eighty unhappy felines - not to mention traveling with them for 12 days. 

Have you every traveled with a cat? Have you ever attended a cat show? I haven’t been to a cat show, but would love to do so one day. Leave a comment and let me know if you have a cat and what kind.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.