Reigning Cats and Dogs: A History of Pets at Court Since the Renaissance
by Katharine MacDonogh
Category: Pets

When the Dowager Empress of China died in 1908, her favorite Pekingese was led before her coffin by the chief eunuch, following a 900-year precedent. Queen Victoria, entertaining Napoleon III & the Empress Eugenie at Windsor, regarded a visit to the kennels as the high point of an afternoon's walk. For monarchs & their consorts, cats, dogs & the occasional parrot have acted as constant companions, unquestioning allies, & surrogate children. For their isolated children, cats & dogs were often the only source of emotional comfort & warmth. The history of these pampered pets offers us a fascinating & often hilarious peek into the exalted world of their owners. Illustrated.