Cats were far less popular as pets in Victorian times than today. Articles about cats often focused on their lore and history in ancient times rather than their role in the Victorian home. Though there are plenty of pictures of little girls hugging cats, the cat is far less often depicted in Victorian art than the dog - and it is often depicted far less kindly. The cat's role was more often as a worker and mouser than as a companion.

Anecdotes of the Cat (Chambers Miscellany, 1845)

Domestic Warfare, by Dolly Doolittle (Demorest, 1873)

A battle against rats, won only by the acquisition of the rats' most ancient foe!

Our Pets: Cats (Little Folks, 1878)

Our Mutual Friend, Puss, by Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N. (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Puss in the Witness Box/Won by a Bird, by Lt. W.R. Hamilton (St. Nicholas, 1889)

Cats and Kittens, by J.E. Panton (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

Subtitled "In Defence of Cats," this article defends the notion that cats make good pets - and also gives us wonderful illustrations by Louis Wain.

The Cats of Ancient Egypt, by Prof. W.M. Conway (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890A)

Cats, by J. MacLaren Corban (The Strand, 1891B)

A Kitten, by Agnes Repplier (Atlantic Monthly, 1893)

Anyone who has ever watched a kitten grow up will identify with this charming description of Claudius Nero.

Concerning Cats, by E.F. Bridell-Fox (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

A look at some of the folklore surrounding cats.

The Tree-Kittens, by Eliza Brightwen (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Animal Actualities 9: Three-Legged Tommy (The Strand, 1899)

A rich-cat, poor-cat romance.

Animal Actualities: Puss and the Parrot (The Strand, 1900)

What terrible creature was this, that talked like a man?

Animal Actualities: Savage Forbearance (The Strand, 1900)

A cat learns the consequences of stealing a bloodhound's meal.

Cats by Philip G. Hamerton (Chapters on Animals, 1900)

Timma, by Frederick Crowest (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

A tale of an artist's cat.

Worth Twice His Weight in Gold (Strand, 1901A)

A golden-coated French angora named Napoleon, owned by Charles Weed of New Jersey, may be the most valuable cat in the world. (At least his owner thinks so!)

Dogs and Cats as Sitters, by Nellie Hadden (Windsor Magazine, 1902)

An artist shares recollections of some favorite pets whose portraits she painted.