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.)
Archive for the ‘Cat Stories’ Category
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
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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.
CAT Walking Tours for NYC Cat Lovers Are Back: 2025 Bookings
Posted: 27th April 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat StoriesTags: Bowery walking tours, Cats About Town Walking Tours, Cats of Old New York, New York City walking tours, Walking tours for cat lovers
Cats About Town Walking Tours for NYC cat lovers are back! We have just posted available tours for May through August, which include a few early-evening and Friday afternoon tours, plus a brand-new tour of the Lower East Side/Bowery.
1895: The Comical Court Case of Tommy, the Stolen Cat of East 41st Street
Posted: 25th April 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Anna Staubstaudt, Cats of Old New York, James Quackinbush, Murray Hill, New York City History, Robert Murray
Tommy was a cat of remarkable beauty, but he also had strong lungs and fighting qualities. Mrs. Hall acquired the cat in 1887, and though he often wandered the neighborhood looking to stir things up, he never strayed far from home. That is, until the summer of 1895.
