During the 1916 polio epidemic, 80,000 New York City pets died in the ASPCA gas chambers because people were misinformed and thought that pets caused polio. Now, COVID is causing similar irrational fears among pet owners, who worry their cats and dogs could spread the virus.
Posts Tagged ‘New York City History’
1916 and 2020: The Fate of Pets During the Polio Epidemic vs COVID-19 Pandemic
Posted: 19th April 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Animal StoriesTags: 1916 polio epidemic, COVID-19, New York City History, Pets and Coronavirus, Pets and COVID-19
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1904: Speckled Pete, Wild Bill, and the Cat Colony of Adams Express Company
Posted: 3rd April 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Men, Cat StoriesTags: 61 Broadway, Adams Express, Alvin Adams, Cats of Old New York, Express Row, New York City History
One week after a fire gutted the offices of Adams Express on Broadway, cats of all colors and sizes were seen prowling around the financial district. Tenants in neighboring office and residential buildings began receiving visits from these strange cats, who were in turn trying to make new deals to be adopted and furnished with food and lodging.
1904: The Archangel Kittens Who Attended Bishop Potter’s Confirmation Service
Posted: 27th March 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Bishop Henry Potter, Cats of Old New York, Church of the Archangel, Harlem history, New York City History, Rev. George Starkweather Pratt
On March 27, 1904, a mother cat and her kittens tried to attend Bishop Henry C. Potter’s confirmation service at the new Episcopal Church of the Archangel on St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem.
1890: The Cat Lady of Bedford Street and Her 29 Feline Companions
Posted: 25th March 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Crazy Cat LadiesTags: Cats of Old New York, Crazy Cat Lady, Herring Farm, Jane Duncan, Jefferson Market Court, New York City History, William W. Duncan
On March 25, 1890, Jefferson Market Police Court Justice White committed Mrs. Jane Duncan to the care of the Commissioners of Charities and Correction “for examination as to her sanity.” The sentencing stemmed from charges from her landlord, Dr. Thomas C. Knox, who feared that Mrs. Duncan had too many cats in her apartment at 30 Bedford Street.
1904: Red Cross, the Spring Kitten of Bellevue Hospital
Posted: 20th March 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Stories, Cats in the MewsTags: Bellevue Hospital, Cats in New York History, Cats of Old New York, New York City History
Red Cross was a pure white kitten who was born at Bellevue Hospital in 1904, All the doctors adored her, and she had full run of the hospital grounds–including one very tall tree.
