| Cat rescue -- New York (State) -- New York -- History. |
| Animal welfare -- New York (State) -- New York -- History. |
| Cats -- New York (State) -- New York -- History. |
Available:*
Library | Collection | Material Type | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Cobourg Branch | Searching... Unknown | Adult Non-Fiction Book | 636.8 Gav | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Winner of the 2019 Certificate of Excellence and MUSE Medallion from the Cat Writers Association
The nineteenth century was a rough time to be a stray cat in New York City. The city's human residents dealt with feline overpopulation by gassing unwanted cats or tossing them in rivers. But a few lucky strays were found by a diverse array of men--including firemen, cops, athletes, and politicians--who rescued them from the streets and welcomed them into their homes and hearts.
This book tells the stories of these heroic cat men of Gotham and their beloved feline companions. Not only does it introduce us to some remarkable men, but we get to meet many extraordinary cats as well, from Chinese stowaways prowling the Chelsea Piers to the sole feline survivor of the USS Maine explosion. Among the forty-two profiles, we find many feline Cinderella stories, as humble alley cats achieved renown as sports team mascots, artists' muses, and even presidential pets.
Sure to appeal to cat fanciers and history fans alike, The Cat Men of Gotham will give you a new appreciation for Old New York and the people and animals who made it their home. As it takes you on a journey through the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn, it will amuse and astound you with tales of powerful men and their pussycats.
Author Notes
PEGGY GAVAN is a journalist and senior editor who lives in Warwick, New York. She is the author of several children's books and the blog The Hatching Cat: True and Unusual Animal Tales of Old New York , which has been profiled in Newsweek and the New York Times .
Reviews (1)
Booklist Review
Cats, they say, have nine lives. If so, then the 42 felines featured in Gavan's notable niche history of nineteenth-century New York exhausted their allotment and then some. From death-defying felines that survived as stowaways from China to life-affirming cats whose presence brought luck to their caregivers, these plucky, scrappy, feisty, and gentle cats witnessed some of the city's and the country's most pivotal events and cavorted with humans notorious and obscure alike. Take Tom, the tabby who miraculously survived the explosion of the USS Maine, or Bambino, the little black kitten who wiggled his way into Mark Twain's heart. Charming as they are, such feline escapades do double-duty, providing the pretext for Gavan's epically researched history of New York's architectural, cultural, and social history. Each cat's tale is the catalyst for riveting backstories of the police stations, theaters, speakeasies, and hotels that have always made Manhattan a mecca for the rich and powerful, the quiet and quirky. A fun and factual adventure that appeals to cat lovers and history buffs alike.--Carol Haggas Copyright 2019 Booklist
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| 1 Seafaring Cats | p. 5 |
| 1893: The Brave and Brawny Cats of the Brooklyn: Navy Yard | p. 7 |
| 1898: Tom, the Old Navy Cat Who Survived the USS Maine Explosion | p. 12 |
| 1917-1922; Woo-Ki, Tai-Wan, and the Refugee Pirate Cats of Chelsea Piers | p. 16 |
| 1929: Olaf, the Viking Cat Rescued at Sea En Route to Brooklyn | p. 19 |
| 1933: Tommy Mulligan, the Norton's Point Lighthouse Cat of Coney Island | p. 22 |
| 2 Police Cats | p. 28 |
| 1893: The Tombs' Feline Warden That Befriended Prisoners on Murderers' Row | p. 30 |
| 1904-1911: Pete and Bill, the Bronx Mousers on the Job in Morrisania | p. 36 |
| 1909: Claude, the Police Cat of East Harlem Who Did Justice to a Red Fox | p. 41 |
| 1911: Buster and Topsy, the Rival Feline Mascots of the Lower East Side | p. 44 |
| 1915: Sir Tom, the Rural Police Cat of Washington Heights | p. 50 |
| 1934: Arson and Homicide, the Fiat-Footed Felines of Police Headquarters | p. 57 |
| 3 Fire Cats | p. 62 |
| 1886: The Ten Lives of Hero, the Fire Cat of Engine Company No. 1 in Chelsea | p. 64 |
| 1894: Ginger, the Shipbuilders' Fire Cat of the Lower East Side | p. 71 |
| 1895: Tootsy, the Feline Firefighter of Engine Company No. 27 | p. 74 |
| 1896: Peter and Chops, the Ebony and Ivory Fire Cats of the Flatiron District | p. 77 |
| 1913: Peter, the Pole-Sliding Fire Cat of Bushwick, Brooklyn | p. 81 |
| 1924: Smoke, the Famous Lafayette Street Firehouse Cat Who Went on Strike | p. 84 |
| 4 Artist and Editorial Cats | p. 90 |
| 1884: Mutilator and the Legendary Newspaper Office Cats of the New York Sun | p. 92 |
| 1891: Princess, Josephine, and the 101 Feline Models of the Cat Artist J. H. Dolph | p. 97 |
| 1895: Taffy, the Laird, and the Clowder of Town Topics Office Cats | p. 102 |
| 1905: Bambino, the City Cat Who Stole Away from Mark Twain | p. 106 |
| 5 Hospitality Cats | p. 113 |
| 1920: Minnie, the Female Mouser of a Manhattan Men-Only Speakeasy | p. 115 |
| 1928: Abe, the Times Square Tiger Cat Who Refused to Scat from the Hotel Lincoln | p. 120 |
| 1936: Rusty, the Famous Feline Host of the Algonquin Hotel | p. 124 |
| 6 Theatrical and Show Cats | p. 129 |
| 1877-1881: The Felines of the Cat Congress on Bowery and Broadway | p. 130 |
| 1888: Union Square Jim, the Mascot Cat of the Union Square Theatre | p. 135 |
| 1895: Nicodemus, the Prize-Winning Alley Cat of the Prankster Brian G. Hughes | p. 142 |
| 1932: Tommy Casanova, the Lady-Killer Cat Mascot of The Lambs | p. 147 |
| 7 Civil Servant Cats | p. 152 |
| 1891: Old Tom, the Brazen, Pampered Pet of New York City Hall | p. 154 |
| 1904: The Feline Police Squad of New York's General Post Office | p. 160 |
| 1904: Jerry Fox, the Spectacled Cat of Brooklyn Who Saved Borough Hall | p. 165 |
| 1930: Tammany, the Democratic Boss Cat of New York City Hall | p. 171 |
| 1939: Snooky, the Sophisticated, Salmon-Loving Cat of New York City Hall | p. 175 |
| 8 Good-Luck Cats | p. 178 |
| 1905: Bright Eyes, the Good-Luck Kitten of the Battery-Joralemon Street Tunnel | p. 180 |
| 1910: Trent, the Airship Mascot Cat Who Wowed the Crowd at Gimbels | p. 185 |
| 1927: Ranger I and Ranger III, the Mascot Cats of the New York Rangers | p. 190 |
| 1927: Victory, the Feline Good-Luck Charm of the Brooklyn Robins | p. 197 |
| 9 Lucky Cats | p. 201 |
| 1899: Olympia, the Dewey Arch Cat, and Her Lucky Christmas Kittens | p. 202 |
| 1904 and 1908: Holey and Gittel, the Cats with Ten Lives on the Lower East Side | p. 206 |
| 1906: The East Harlem Cats Bequeathed to President Theodore Roosevelt | p. 212 |
| 1912: Kaiser, the Feline Survivor of the Great Equitable Life Building Fire | p. 217 |
| 1925: Blackie, the Mother Mouser Who Stopped Traffic on Lafayette Street | p. 226 |
| Suggestions for Further Reading | p. 231 |
| Notes | p. 233 |
| Index | p. 269 |