Cats have always tended to be near people, no matter their age, even if they are hiding in the shadows. As a result of the massive daily uploads of cat images and videos, which are nearly causing the internet to crash, we are now more exposed than ever to their peculiar behaviors.
That does not, however, imply that those traits were never noted or only recently identified. For those of us who like to travel back in time and see the evolution of these furry creatures, the “Cats of Yore” Twitter account compiles old cat pictures.
Now that we have everything out of the way, scroll down to see historical cat photos!
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A baby linnet and a newborn cat were saved from starvation and malnutrition by two criminally guilty inmates at Folsom State Prison, who then nursed them back to health. In perfect harmony, the cat and bird reside at the prison’s print shop. 1936.
The owner of the “Cats of Yore” account, Molly Hodgdon, was contacted by Embora Cats. Below is what she told us in response to our initial question about how the whole thing got started.
“History and a love of cats were the real inspirations for it. not attempting to gain popularity or anything of the sort. I’ve always had a thing for cats, and I adore how art and photography allow me to connect with cat lovers from all different eras.
Many of the historical image accounts on Twitter are just bots or people who perform image searches without ever providing any further information, or worse, incorrect information, which irritates me. So I’d see a great cat picture, but I’d have to do a lot of image research to discover where it came from and/or refute the idiotic made-up “facts” that went along with it.”
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“Instead of whining, I reasoned, I should just start one for myself, and if anyone else found it afterwards, all the better. If not, it was ok too. If you go back to the beginning, all I did was upload a ton of pictures with links to museums for months on end with no engagement or followers at all. In an effort to expand the account, I didn’t utilize hashtags, spam anyone, or follow a lot of people. It really is a labor of love, not a gimmick for Twitter popularity because I thought ‘Oh, the internet loves cats so I’m going to use that’.”
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It’s noteworthy to note that Hodgdon keeps adding to her database of cat images because she frequently finds them at flea markets and yard sales.
“I have dozens and dozens (maybe hundreds?) of different things. I believe) of old cat pictures and postcards from around the world. I look for them in flea markets, yard sales, thrift shops, and online sources. I store them in sizable picture books that have small adhesive photo corners and traditional black pages.
You may see a portion of it in the picture I shared here. Even though it seems perfectly beautiful to me, most people would just nod nicely and head for the nearest exit if I tried to show them. As a result, I rarely talk about or demonstrate this type of thing to others.
One of the best things about Cats of Yore is that I’ve met a community of folks who share my enthusiasm for ancient, dusty cat pictures.”
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My favorite of the Victorian and Edwardian cat photographers, C.E. Bullard, took this image. He didn’t force them into stiff costumes or restrain them in unpleasant anthropomorphic poses, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy cats.
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We were curious if Molly had any favorites given how many photos she has amassed over the years. The Twitter page’s creator quickly shared, “It’s difficult to choose, but some of my personal favorites are:
Fay, a woman, keeps petting her kittens without their consent.
A ghost cat from the 1960s that is ethereal.
This cool lady with her fiercely independent cat.”
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We couldn’t help but wonder why Molly didn’t chose to upload historical photos of other animals like dogs despite the fact that “Cats Of Yore” is an account devoted only to cat shots (as well as occasionally humans in the pictures with the cats).
“I’ve always been a cat lover. My parents are huge cat lovers, and there are lots of cats in our family photo albums. Everyone has a favorite animal, such as a tiger, dolphin, or panda. It just so happens that I get to live with and get to see my favorite animal every day. I also adore dogs, reptiles, and other animals as pets. Also, I support various farm sanctuaries and am a vegan. I adore all animals, including pigs, cows, goats, and turkeys. But cats will always hold a special place in my heart.”
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Molly utilizes her social media website to collect money for animal shelters in addition to sharing unique and historic cat photos.
“Although I still maintain 99% of the focus on ancient photographs, I’ve started to insert a bit more of myself as my following count rises. At first, it was only about honoring these images and the history behind them. I’ve raised more than $20,000 for cat shelters through social media over the years, and I’ll definitely use Cats of Yore to add to that total.”
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“Promoting “less adoptable” pets is one of my other objectives. My cats have a virus called FIV, which is misunderstood and leads to the eventual euthanasia of these cats despite the fact that they can live long, healthy lives. Thus, it’s very essential to me that I speak out on their behalf and on behalf of the other shelter animals who are overlooked because they are older, have medical conditions, or exhibit challenging behaviors. So in essence, I have no aspirations to personally monetise my blog, create a book, or do anything other than a lot of completely pointless good deeds.”
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Finally, we were interested in learning a little bit more about Molly and her two kitties!
“Not much can be said about me. I live in Vermont and work as a freelance writer. But my cats are fantastic. Despite the fact that they both come from difficult backgrounds and have ongoing medical issues in addition to FIV, which necessitate daily medicine and regular veterinary appointments, they are both incredibly sweet and content. Even after everything they have been through, they are little supernovas of delight because they love me, they love each other, they love playing together, and they adore snacking. That tenacity astounds and motivates me. As I type this, Fergus is snuggled up next to us and Francie is purring in my lap. It’s a completely ordinary scene that happens every day, but it makes me feel grateful and satisfied. The beautiful thing about cats is that they provide people with comfort, humor, and beauty for thousands of years.”
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