Cat item of the day

Medievalist has an article on pet care in the middle ages.

The 13th century scientist and philosopher Albertus Magnus wrote a book On Animals that details the characteristics of various creatures, and includes some helpful advice on their care. Dogs, for example, should not be fed the food right off the dinner plate or be petted constantly, if you want them to be effective guard dogs. Otherwise, these canines will “keep one eye on the door and one on the generous hand of the master.” Meanwhile, the cat “loves to be lightly stroked by human hands and is playful, especially when it is young.” Albertus advises that you should clip the ears of the felines so that night dew does not get into its ears , and that if you cut off the whiskers around their mouth “they lose their boldness.”