Figure 1.--This littlevAmerican boy photographed about 1910 shows that boys were not always photographed with dogs, although this was the most common trend that we have noted in old photographs.

All children like animals. Pets are thus often held by boys and girls. Girls might be more likely to hold a cat and boys more likely to hold a dog. One researcher reports that she had heard that during the Victorian era, boys were generally given puppies as pets and girls kittens, but neither she nor HBC has any written evidence substantiating this. Certainly this was an issue that must have ben addressed by some of those advise books and eomen's magazines that were o popular in the 19th century. Children's literature does seem to make this connection. HBC has noted that in the old photographs that we have noted, that dogs are more common with boys and girls with cats. This is certainly not a perfect indicator, but as a general rule, we believe that it does tend to be the case. We note, however, that there are many complications including country differences an chronological trends as well as other factors. The ease of handling dogs as compared with cats may affect how common portraits were--especially the older photographs taken in studios.

Children and Pets

All children like animals, although some ar a bit afraid of them. Children also like to be photogrphed with their favorite possessions. Pets are thus often held by boys and girls, both in formal portraits and snapshots.

Types of Pets

Children have had many different types of animals as pets. The two favorite pets are of course cats and dogs. The tabby cat seems a standard for children. There are of course many different breeds, but we note that the basic tabby is usually the cat pictured with children. Dogs have come in many different breeds and we see children with virtually every different breed as wellmas the standard mutt. While cats and dogs predominate as pets, we see many other pets that children have enjoyed. Guinnea pigs are popular pets for younger children who parents may not think are ready for the responsibility of larger pets. Or parents who live in apartments or other circumstances that make keeping pets difficult. Farm children of course of much greater lattitude for keeping a wide range of pets.

Gender Trends

Pets can provide helpful clues as a child's gender in old photographs. The question arises as who is more likely to have cats as pets and who is more likely to have dog. This is important as they are the two most common pets. The question has occurred to HBC as a understanding of such trends would be helpful in identifying the children in old photographs. The same question has occurred to other reserchers. Clea Simon , the author of the The Feline Mystique (St. Martin's, 2002) write to us. "I'm researching an article on "Why we love the pets we choose" for the Boston Phoenix. I'm trying to track down whether it is true that in the Victorian era, boys were generally given puppies as pets and girls kittens. Do you have any information on this?". HBC does not at this time have any solid evidence on this. We believe girls might be more likely to hold a cat and boys more likely to hold a dog--but this requires some research to determine this.

Old Portraits

HBC has noted that in the old photographs that we have noted, that dogs are more common with boys and girls with cats. This is certainly not a perfect indicator, but as a general rule, we believe that it does tend to be the case. We note, however, that there are many complications including country differences an chronological trends as well as other factors. The ease of handling dogs as compared with cats may affect how common portraits were--especially the older photographs taken in studios. We have noted numerous portraits with both dogs and cats Dogs are much more prevalent in studio portraits. We begin to see more cats after te tirn of the century when amateur snapshots became more common. An early America depoctions we have is a young boy with a cat about the 1830s.

Presents

A historian who specializes in Victorian England tells us, "I don't think I have any evidence to either confirm or deny your idea [about cats for girls and dogs for boys]. I have never run across it before, although it is certainly true that cats were more strongly associated with females (but women at least as much as girls) in the 19th century, as they still are. I would think that puppies were more likely to be given as presents than kittens to people of both sexes and all ages." [reference provided courtesy of Clea Simon]

Written Information

HBC at this time has no written evidence substantiating this. Certainly this was an issue that must have ben addressed by some of those advise books and eomen's magazines that were so popular in the 19th century. HBC plans to research some of this literature and perhaps references to pets will turn up there.

Adult Literature

Pets sometimes come up in adult as well as children's literature. Again these can be clues on contemprary attitudes. Here we need to investigate Ogden Nash and Cleveland Amory. One Victorian look at the relation of pet choice to personality is avilable in George Eliot's (Mary Anne Evans) Middlemarch (1871-72) especially how inappropriate the gift of a little toy dog is to the heroine, Dorothea Brooke. Laura Ingalls Wilder mentions two cats in the Little House series. Black Susan was the family cat described in Little House in the Big Woods. She was not taken with the family when they moved to the Midwest. A new cat appears in Little Town on the Prairie. It was a tiny kitten and became known as just "Kitty". Cats must have been much in demand at the time, perhaps because of their mouse catching abilities. Laura's father paid 50 cents for the kitten, a considerable sum for a pioneer family. ot of money for the cat: fifty cents. This cat was simply known as "Kitty." Kity was mentioned again as a competent mouser and implacable opponent of neighborhood dogs in These Happy Golden Years. Cats are mentioned in James Herriot's books, but the individual accounts do not come to mind at the moment. Anne Frank in her diary mentions two cats. Moortje was the cat left behind with a boarder as the Frank family went into hiding. Mouschi was brought into the hiding place by the young Peter van Daan. Flora Rheta Schrieber in Sybil (1973) describes Sybil's cat Capri. HBC can think of the relationship between cats and men as being viewed as almost evil, such as in Ian Flemings, From Russia with Love.

Children's Literature

Children's literature may provide a good indicator of popular attitudes toward pets, include the gender of owners. Children's literature does seem to make this connection of dogs for boys and cats for girls. The most famous dog is of course Lassie and major books and movie/television productions show Lassie's owner as a boy. The comic strips tend to associate dogs with boys: Buster Brown (Tigre), Charlie Brown (Snoopy), and Dennis the Menace (Ruff). We can think of fewer cats, but of course there is Mary ??? (Thomasina). There are exceptions of course such as Dorthy (Toto).

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Created: March 11, 2002
Last updated: 6:32 PM 3/9/2005