Cosby and the kittens

One of Bill Cosby’s best comic routines has to do with a family debating over which TV show to watch. (Obviously this routine originated in the days when most families had only one TV.) In the routine, Dad wants to watch the western Gunsmoke, but the kids want to watch Froofy the Dog.

The kids finally win the battle when they air the rumor that the Gunsmoke episode is going to feature the drowning of kittens. (In case you were wondering, there never was a Gunsmoke episode in which kittens were drowned.)

Granddad Darwin

The scientist Charles Darwin, famous for his theory of evolution, had a famous grandfather, Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802), who was both scientist and poet. He combined his interests in The Botanic Garden, a long poem on flowers and other plants.

He was fascinated by all of nature and, of course, he was intrigued by cats. On one occasion he wrote, “To respect the cat is the beginning of the aesthetic sense”—that is, if you appreciate the cat’s beauty, you probably have a good sense of beauty in general.

The cynical Mr. Twain

One of America’s best-loved authors was Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. Though known as a humorist, Twain had a cynical view of human beings. He was fond of cats, and you can see both emotions in this quote: “If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat.” Twain gave his own family cats some truly off-the-wall names (Blatherskite, for example), and he also gave the world one of its funniest cat stories, the chapter “The Cat and the Painkiller” in his classic novel Tom Sawyer.

Pasteur’s admiration

Science and human health both took a great leap forward thanks to French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822–1895), who made world-changing discoveries about germs and vaccinations. Pasteur had a profound effect on animal health as well, finding methods to prevent rabies and other lethal illnesses.

Probably more than any other individual, Pasteur helped mankind understand the importance of cleanliness in preventing the spread of disease. Naturally he had great admiration for the cleanest of animals, the cat.

After Albert, what?

Queen Victoria had the longest reign of any English monarch (1837–1901), but sadly she spent much of it mourning for her dear husband, the handsome and high-minded Albert. But she wasn’t without affection, and she continued to dote on the cats she and Albert had always adored. Her very special cat was White Heather, who outlived her famous mistress but continued to be a pampered resident of Buckingham Palace in London.

Nurse Nightingale

It’s always nice to learn that people who show great love for their fellow humans can also be very fond of cats. One of the great humanitarians of history was Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the English woman credited with improving the science of nursing and of making hospitals more sanitary. The amazing Miss Nightingale had a whole bevy of cats, mostly Persians, who often accompanied her on her travels. With her sensitivity to human suffering, she was well aware that pets (cats especially) made good companions for sick people, especially those with chronic illnesses.

The original Egyptian sex kitten

Perhaps the most famous woman of ancient times was the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra reigned over a cat-loving country, so it is no surprise she was fond of cats herself. Like many public people, the queen was obsessive about her looks, and it is said that she modeled her distinctive eye makeup on her cats’ faces.

Mr. Lewis’s step-cats

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), a quiet professor of English literature, penned a popular science fiction trilogy, the well-loved Narnia series for children, numerous books of literary essays and many still-popular books on Christianity. Like many literary types, Lewis adored cats. In one of his letters he noted, “Yes, it is strange that anyone should dislike cats.” When Lewis finally married late in life, he referred to his wife’s pets as his “step-cats.” Like many cat owners, he learned not to get ruffled when a rambunctious cat scattered his papers all over the floor.

Mr. Will

George F. Will, the newspaper columnist and political commentator, is known for being fond of baseball—and cats. In one essay, Will noted, “A cat does furnish a room. Like a graceful vase, a cat, even when motionless, seems to flow.” Will has also written that “even wellfed cats are predators, apparently for the pure pleasure of the craftsmanship involved.“

Cardinal Richelieu

Armand Jean du Plessis (1585–1642) is better known as Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of France’s King Louis XIII and just as autocratic and pleasure loving as the king he served. Though he was technically a high official in the Catholic Church, Richelieu was as worldly as could be, living in grand style.

Among his more innocent pleasures was his bevy of cats, including a black angora with the very un-Christian name Lucifer. Richelieu had no children (none that he acknowledged, anyway), and he left some of his vast wealth for the continuing care of his cats. But the powerful cardinal had made a lot of enemies in his day, and his will proved to be meaningless, for after his death his beloved cats were massacred by Swiss soldiers.