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.
Posts Tagged ‘Cats of Old New York’
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
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1948: Kilroy, the Last Cat Mascot of the Oak Street Police Station
Posted: 14th April 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat StoriesTags: Alfred E. Smith Houses, Cats of Old New York, Colored School No. 4, New York City History, NYPD history, Robert O. Webb
In March 1934, the newly-formed New York City Housing Authority kicked off its citywide slum clearance campaign. Buildings on Cherry, Madison, Roosevelt, Oak Street, and other old streets in the Two Bridges neighborhood were razed over the years to make way for large public housing developments.
The men and cat of the old police station at 9 Oak Street were the last ones to leave the neighborhood.
1907: The Bowery Saloon Cat Who Befriended Teddy Roosevelt
Posted: 20th February 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat StoriesTags: Bowery, Bowery Art Wall, Capitol Hotel, Cats of Old New York, Teddy Roosevelt, William Straus
I tell my latest animal story backwards in order to encourage readers to appreciate the history behind every building, park, and street in New York City. This cat tale of Old New York will start with a look at the Art Wall on the northwest corner of Bowery and Houston Street, where 100 years earlier a cat named Blackie made friends with a future president.
CAT Chats: Femme Fatales and the Myth of the Crazy Cat Lady
Posted: 8th January 2025 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Crazy Cat LadiesTags: Cats About Town Tours, Cats of Old New York, Enoch's Coffee, New York City History
Introducing C.A.T. Chats
This winter, I will be doing some in-person presentations about cats of Old New York as part of my Cats About Town Waling Tours. My first presentation about the myth of the crazy cat lady will take place on Sunday, February 2, at a coffee shop in Hell’s Kitchen.
1911: The Day it Rained Cats on Putnam Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Posted: 8th November 2024 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Brooklyn History, Bushwick History, Cats of Old New York, Jacob Suydam, Leffert Lefferts
Every so often, I find an animal story of Old New York that is so silly or absurd, I start laughing out loud. I hope this following tale of a neighbor dispute on Putnam Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn will also leave you laughing.
