Posts Tagged ‘Angora cats’

In December 1897-1899, Wanamaker’s Department Store on Broadway and 9th Street lured shoppers with a “bargain cat day,” in which Angora cats were sold as Christmas gifts for $10 to $40 each, depending on the cat’s color, size, and age.

When we left Part I of this curious cat tale of Old New York, young Margaret Owen was just about to dunk her two Angora cats, Lilly and Otto, into a basin of blue dye. The blue cats would look great parading on the boardwalk at Atlantic City.

Every once and a while I come across an old animal story that goes into my special folder called “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.” The following cat tale is somewhat funny, very bizarre, and a bit tragic.

Lulu B. Grover loved her two Angora cats almost as much as she adored President Theodore Roosevelt. So when she decided to end her life on December 8, 1906, she first made sure that all the necessary preparations were in place to ensure her cats went to a good home after her death – in other words, the White House.