Although there are no depictions of cats in prehistoric cave painting, cats have been domesticated for thousands of years and even worshiped by the ancient Egyptians.

However, during the Middle Ages they became associated with witchcraft and over a million cats were put to death which led to an explosion in the black rat population which in turn led to the Black Death.

Throughout history the fortune of cats have thus ebbed and flowed but in art they have always been depicted as witnesses to their times.

Each chapter has an informative general introduction, which is followed by artworks depicting cats in that genre. We see the animal with the Holy Family, in the homes of rich and poor alike, in portraits and as a hunter in famous art works and other lesser known ones.

This is the real joy of this book, discovering paintings unknown to us and coming across them for the first time. The beautifully reproduced pictures are accompanied by a description of the scene and information on the artist.