Medieval Pets

About this book

Animals in the middle ages have often been discussed – but usually only as a source of food, as beasts of burden, or as aids for hunters. Medieval Pets takes a completely different angle, showing that they were also beloved domestic companions to their human owners. It offers a full survey of pets and pet-keeping: how they were acquired, kept, fed, exercised, and displayeda; it looks at the problems pets could cause, and finally, how they were mourned. It also examines the representation of pets and their owners in art and literature; the many charming illustrations offer further evidence for the bonds between humans and their pets, then as now.

Contents

1  The Medieval Pet
2  Getting a pet
3  Pet welfare
4  Living with pets
5  Pets in iconography
6  Pets in literature

Customer Reviews

Biography

Dr Kathleen Walker-Meikle is a Wellcome Trust Fellow at the University of York, working on animals and medieval medicine.