Medieval Cats: Claws, Paws, and Kitties of Yore

A hilarious celebration of cats in artwork from medieval times.

Look what the cat dragged in from the Middle Ages—a curious compendium of cats unlike any you’ve ever lapped up before. Here’s the purrfect bedside companion for cat people! Witty captions accompany these darkly depraved cat illustrations, and they're hissterical!

For more than a milliennium, between 500 and 1500, a myriad of medieval manuscripts and artworks painted an unpretty picture of cats as nothing more than lazy, selfish, and vicious. Centuries later, these masterpieces live on, shining a bright light on the dark age of cats, and telling a brand-new story of their paw-some glory. From bum-licking to cat-fighting, Medieval Cats is a hilarious celebration of more than 100 cats who are up to no good.

Also included are cat facts from the Middle Ages as well as poems and excerpts from literature where cats were mentioned, such as The Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare, and illustrated medieval manuscripts. Both humor book and peek into medieval art and literature, Medieval Cats will appeal to cat and art lovers everywhere.

About the Author

Professor Catherine Nappington teaches felinology—the study of cats—at Maine (Coon) University. She lives with her two tabbies in Portland, a city with more than 700,000 cats (true fact), and is the cat-lady capital of the U.S. She doesn't get out much.

Author Residence: Bristol, England