New York City financier Russell Sage, aka Uncle Russell, had a reputation on Wall Street as being a spendthrift, a workaholic, and a ruthless money lender without emotion. So when he failed to show up at work after offering a $10 reward for the return of his missing cat, his financial cronies thought he’d gone mad.
Archive for the ‘Cat Stories’ Category
1905: Malta, the Wandering Cat of NYC Financier Russell Sage
Posted: 20th February 2026 by The Hatching Cat in Cat StoriesTags: Cats of Old New York, Columbia University, Elgin Botanic Garden, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, New York City History, Russell Sage
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1908: Haggerino the Harlem Tramp Cat of West 115th Street
Posted: 10th January 2026 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Adolphus Bussing, Father Divine, Harlem history, King Towers, Sweet Daddy Grace
A tale of cats, spiritual leaders, a war on rats, and a baptism by fire hose. In other words, this is not your average cat story.
1884: Peter, the Feline Muse of Famous Cat Artist Louis Wain
Posted: 15th November 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Men, Cat StoriesTags: Cat artist, Cats of Old New York, Emily Marie Richardson, Famous cat painters, Louis Wain
Cat artist Louis William Wain was not a New Yorker but he did live in New York for a few years, so there is a New York City connection to his amazing life story. In this post. I share some of Wain’s reflections on Peter, his pet cat, and on New York City cats in general. (I even found out exactly where he lived when he was in New York City.)
1893: A Crazy Cat Tale From Hart Street, Bushwick
Posted: 10th October 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Adolph H. Goetting, Bushwick, Cats of Old New York, Hart Street, Theodore Loeffler
Sometimes I find a ridiculously absurd story that isn’t specifically about a cat or dog or other animal, but I can’t resist sharing it. This crazy “cat tale” of New York City’s Gilded Age involves a two-family home on Hart Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a large hole in the ceiling, an even larger sabre, a bit of indecent exposure (for those days), a court hearing, a street chase, and a few cameo appearances by an unnamed cat.
1912: Don Dai, the Quakeress, and the Feline Wedding at the Plaza Hotel
Posted: 9th July 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Crazy Cat LadiesTags: Cats of Old New York, Fred Sterry, George B. Brayton, New York City History, Plaza Hotel
In December 1912, a wealthy and well-known cat fancier from Brighton, Massachusetts decided that the Plaza Hotel in New York City was the perfect setting for a feline wedding for her two show cats.
