Johnny was a fancy-schmancy feline. So it’s no surprise that the pampered pet lived in one of the fanciest apartment buildings in Brooklyn Heights, at 62 Montague Street. Johnny was a black Persian cat owned by Mrs. Gordon Gray (nee Jane Donaldson Myers). Jane Gray was a childless widow and a proud Daughter of the […]
Archive for the ‘Cat Stories’ Category
1930s: Johnny and Snooky, the Aristocratic Cats of Montague Street
Posted: 20th August 2026 by The Hatching Cat in Cat StoriesTags: 62 Montague Street, Anna Juliette Osborn, Cats of Old New York, Jane Donaldson Myers, Lady Mary wortley Montagu
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Hatching Cat Talks Grimalkins on the Gilded Gentleman
Posted: 22nd May 2026 by The Hatching Cat in Cat StoriesTags: Cat Stories, Cats of Old New York, New York City History
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of being the guest of Carl Raymond on his popular podcast, The Gilded Gentleman. Carl started his podcast in 2021, and it is now at an impressive #21 on Apple’s top history podcasts. During the hour-long program, I share many of my favorite cat stories of Old […]
1894: The Astor Kitten Who Caused a Stir at 320 Fifth Avenue
Posted: 7th May 2026 by The Hatching Cat in Cat StoriesTags: Albert Bierstadt, Charlotte Augusta Astor, Fifth Avenue, Hallet Alsop Borrowe, James Coleman Drayton, Mary Bell, New York City History
When a little black and white kitten fell from a ledge on Fifth Avenue, everyone who witnessed the event placed the blame on the ASPCA and the fire department. We’ll never know who was at fault, but what I want to know is this: Was this in fact a pet cat of Charlotte Augusta Astor? […]
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
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.
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.
