LatestCuriosities
The Belgian Cat Post: How Satire Became Postal History
Trace the Belgian mail-cat story to an 1876 satire, compare its later retellings and meet the real cats that protected postal buildings from rodents.
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CuriositiesCat Whiskers: Sensory Hairs and the Evidence About Bowls
How cat whiskers work, what a study of feeding bowls actually found, and why bowl preference is not…
CuriositiesThe Cat Lady Stereotype: What the Historical Record Shows
Witchcraft records, satirical prints and suffrage imagery reveal several histories behind the cat-lady stereotype, rather than one simple…
CuriositiesUnsinkable Sam: What Can We Really Say About the Ship’s Cat?
Unsinkable Sam’s three-ship legend has wartime newspaper references, disputed links and a famous portrait. Here is what the…
CuriositiesCats in the Middle Ages: The Truth About the Medieval Cat Massacres
What medieval sources actually say about cats: papal letters, valued mousers, local cruelty and the shaky claim that…
CuriositiesShip’s Cats: The Naval History of Felines at Sea
From Trim and Mrs Chippy to Simon of HMS Amethyst: the working lives, voyages, legends and changing fortunes…
CuriositiesManeki-neko: The History and Legends of Japan’s Beckoning Cat
Explore the maneki-neko’s nineteenth-century records, temple legends, regional pottery styles, and the varied meanings of its raised paw…
CuriositiesThe Cats of the Roman Empire: How Felines Followed the Legions Across Europe
Explore cats in the Roman Empire through ancient DNA, military supply routes, Latin words, and paw prints left…
CuriositiesCats in Ancient Egypt: Bastet, Mummies, and a Roman’s Fatal Mistake
Discover cats in ancient Egypt through Bastet, Greek accounts of punishment, votive mummies, and the evidence behind their…
Showing 9 of 45 posts