The modern pet industry is a global behemoth, a world of designer dog breeds, gourmet cat food, social media influencers with millions of animal followers, and even canine yoga classes. It is an industry built on the premise that a pet is not just an animal, but a cherished member of the family. This level of devotion and expense seems quintessentially modern, a luxury born of post-industrial affluence.
When we cast our minds back to the Middle Ages, the popular image is one of stark survival—a world of plague, famine, and ceaseless toil, where an animal’s worth was measured strictly by its utility. A dog was for guarding, a cat for mousing, a horse for pulling a plow.
But what if this picture is incomplete? What if a 14th-century queen commissioned a pearl‑embroidered collar for her pet squirrel, or a nobleman’s hunting hounds received better medical care than most peasants? This report challenges the pervasive and simplistic view of medieval animals as mere beasts of burden.
Table of Contents
While it is undeniable that most animals in the Middle Ages had a practical function, historical evidence reveals that this utility did not preclude the formation of deep, affectionate, and surprisingly modern emotional bonds. The very word pet is an anachronism, not entering common use until the 16th century to describe an animal kept for companionship or amusement. Yet, the practice it describes was widespread. The essence of medieval pet-keeping was the elevation of an animal to the status of a companion—a relationship defined not by its function but by the owner’s perception of a genuine, reciprocal emotional connection.
This hidden history, found in the margins of illuminated manuscripts, the entries of household account books, the verses of courtly poetry, and the very dust of archaeological digs, tells a different story. It is a story of pampered lap dogs sleeping on embroidered cushions, of scholars finding solace in the company of a cat, and of knights carving the image of a favorite hound at their feet on their tombs for eternity.
Far from being a modern invention, the complex, emotionally rich, and sometimes wildly extravagant relationship between humans and their pets is a deeply rooted historical phenomenon. The medieval period, so often seen as a distant and alien era, offers a resonant and strikingly familiar chapter in this long and enduring story.
Part I: The Unexpected Menagerie: Who Kept What, and Why?
The landscape of medieval pet ownership was far richer and more varied than commonly believed, extending across the entire social hierarchy and encompassing a surprising diversity of species.
The choice of an animal companion was rarely a simple matter of personal preference; it was a powerful public statement, a non-verbal communication of one’s status, gender, and place in the world. From the royal menagerie to the peasant’s hearth, animals served as companions, status symbols, and partners—deeply woven into the fabric of medieval life.
A Companion for Every Class: The Social Spectrum of Pet Ownership
Pet ownership was not a monolithic practice but was highly differentiated by social class and vocation. The type of animal one kept, the way it was cared for, and the purpose it served all reflected the owner’s position in the rigid medieval hierarchy.
The Noble’s Menagerie: Animals as Living Luxury
For the aristocracy, animals were a potent and visible currency of power. The ability to keep and care for an animal that served no practical purpose was the ultimate display of disposable wealth and leisure—an extension of the owner’s identity and prestige.
- Noblewomen, largely confined to the domestic sphere, favored small lap dogs. Depicted in portraits and carved on tomb effigies, these pets often wore collars and bells as symbols of refinement. Chaucer’s Prioress in The Canterbury Tales doted on her “smale houndes,” feeding them “rosted flessh, or milk and wastrel‑breed”—luxuries far beyond the means of the poor. This practice was sometimes criticized by moralists as an improper affectation.
- Noblemen, in contrast, manifested masculinity through “useful” animals. Hunting hounds (especially greyhounds) and falcons were prized companions. The 14th-century nobleman Gaston de Foix declared he spoke to his hounds as he would a man—they understood him better than any human in his household.
- Exotic pets like monkeys, parrots, and squirrels were powerful status symbols. Queen Isabeau of Bavaria famously adorned her pet squirrel with a pearl-embroidered collar and gold buckle in 1387. Royal menageries themselves—housing lions, bears, even a polar bear swimming in the Thames—served as geopolitical theatre and demonstrations of power.
The Cleric’s Contraband: Solace in the Cloister
Though the Church officially condemned pet-keeping as a frivolous waste, the practice was rampant within its own institutions—revealing a tension between ideology and human psychology.
- Monks, nuns, and scholars found great solace in animal companionship. The 9th-century Irish poem Pangur Bán lovingly compares a monk’s scholarly hunt for words with his cat’s hunt for mice.
- Nuns kept dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and even monkeys—and were frequently chastised for bringing them into chapel services where they distracted worship.
The Commoner’s Companion: Utility and Affection Intertwined
Pet ownership among lower classes is less documented, but their relationships with animals were often both functional and affectionate.
- Dogs guarded homes or herded livestock; cats kept vermin at bay. Yet affection still thrived alongside utility.
- The 13th-century encyclopedist Bartholomew the Englishman admired “mungrell curres” that fiercely defended their owners’ meager possessions—highlighting emotional loyalty.
- Etiquette rules warning against petting animals at the dinner table imply that such behavior was common across society. Archaeological evidence of dogs buried alongside their owners suggests emotional bonds transcended social rank.
Table 1: A Spectrum of Medieval Pet Ownership
| Social Group | Common Animals Kept | Primary Purpose | Evidence of Pampering/Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty / High Nobility | Lap dogs, greyhounds, exotic animals | Status display, companionship, hunting | Lavish diets, jewel-encrusted collars, dedicated servants, custom housing, inclusion in tomb art |
| Lesser Nobility / Gentry | Hunting hounds, falcons, horses, lap dogs | Hunting, status, companionship | Specialized kennels, diets, veterinary care, quality accessories |
| Clergy (Monks, Nuns) | Small dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, monkeys | Companionship, emotional solace | Shared food, deep emotional bonds (e.g., Pangur Bán), ecclesiastical criticism |
| Merchants / Townsfolk | Guard dogs (mastiffs), cats | Guarding, pest control, companionship | Basic sustenance, archaeological evidence of care, allowed indoors, etiquette rules |
| Peasantry | “Mungrell curres,” terriers, cats | Guarding, herding, pest control, poaching | Shared living space, scraps, loyalty as praise in literature, co-burial evidence |
Beyond Cats and Dogs: A Survey of Medieval Companions
The medieval menagerie extended far beyond dogs and cats:
- Squirrels and Ferrets: Fashionable among the nobility, often shown in illuminations wearing collars and leashes; ferrets sometimes carried in sleeves for companionship.
- Birds: Exotic parrots (popinjays) were rare luxury gifts. Native jays, magpies, and jackdaws were popular and trainable. Songbirds like nightingales and finches were kept in gilded, jewel-studded cages to fill homes with music and divine harmony.
Part II: Pampered Pooches and Privileged Felines: The Culture of Care
Contrary to common belief, medieval pet owners—especially nobles—provided sophisticated, attentive care, expressive of their emotional investment and understanding of animal welfare.
A Regimen of Royal Treatment
- Specialized Diets: Nobles produced “panes pro canibus” (bread for dogs) using whole wheat. Hounds received bran bread and meat; sick animals enjoyed therapeutic diets such as goat’s milk, bean broth, chopped meat, or buttered eggs.
- Advanced Accommodations: The 14th‑century Livre de Chasse describes kennel design for comfort—wooden structures raised above ground, straw bedding changed daily, sunny yards accessible to the dogs.
- Dedicated Staff and Routines: Teams of servants (e.g., “dog-boys,” “leoniers”) maintained daily care—cleaning kennels, fresh water, walks, and play in sunny meadows to keep animals healthy and happy.
The Medieval Pet Market: Collars, Cushions, and Cages
Luxury for pets fueled a fledgling market:
- Fashion Accessories: Ornate collars made of velvet, leather, silver, or gold—often with bells—were common. Queen Isabeau’s squirrel is a famous example. Embroidered cushions and tailored coats for monkeys were other expressions of status.
- Gilded Cages: Elaborate birdcages crafted from gold and studded with jewels elevated pets to objects of art and prestige.
Medieval Veterinary Arts: Science, Saints, and Sorcery
Healthcare for animals combined rational practice, religion, and magic:
- Practical Medicine: Veterinary manuals offered treatment guidelines—wound care, broken bone splints, quarantines for rabies, and preventive grooming techniques.
- Saintly Intercession: Owners turned to saintly shrines when medicine failed. For example, Louis I, Duke of Orléans, sent his hounds on a pilgrimage to St. Hubert’s shrine; an abbot offered a wax falcon effigy in place of an ailing bird.
- Charms and Incantations: Local healers used magical charms—such as counting down worms—to treat ailments, blending faith and folk medicine.
Part III: The Animal in the Medieval Mind: Symbol, Superstition, and Soul
In medieval society, animals were not merely physical beings—they were rich with symbolic meaning.
Creatures of God and the Devil: The Duality of Perception
The Case of the Cat: Saint and Sinner
- Chaotic perceptions gave rise to contradictory roles: cats were beloved mousers and companions (even to isolated anchorites), while also feared as devilish familiars associated with pagan goddesses.
- Pope Gregory IX’s 13th-century bull Vox in Rama linked black cats with witchcraft, leading to widespread persecution. This may have inadvertently worsened the Black Death by reducing predators of rats.
The Noble Dog: A Symbol of Fidelity
- Dogs symbolized loyalty—integral to feudal values. In heraldry, greyhounds often represented fidelity; tomb effigies commonly include a dog at the knight’s feet.
- One legendary dog refused to leave its master’s grave so faithfully that the Duke of Berry intervened to ensure it was fed—highlighting deep societal reverence for canine loyalty.
Folklore, Faith, and Furry Friends: Shaping the Human-Animal Bond
- Bestiaries and Allegory: Medieval bestiaries taught moral lessons through animal symbolism—lions as symbols of Christ or Pride; pelicans as allegories of sacrifice. Pet-keeping often incorporated symbolic meanings.
- The Church’s Official Stance vs. Lived Reality: Despite ecclesiastical condemnations, many clergy kept pets—and so did commoners. Complaints about animals in church suggest that emotional bonds often outweighed doctrinal restrictions.
- The Anthropology of Pet-Keeping: Naming pets, allowing them into private spaces, dressing them, and mourning their deaths elevated them to honorary-human status. Emotional personalization transcended social class—a queen mourning her cat or a peasant sharing scraps illustrate the same impulse for companionship.
Conclusion: An Enduring Bond
The medieval world was rich with pet companionship across all levels of society—coexisting with symbols, status, and care. The evidence dismantles the misconception of purely utilitarian relationships; instead, it reveals a world strikingly similar to our own, defined by affection, identity, and an enduring human-animal bond.
- The 14th-century nobleman crafting a perfect kennel mirrors modern orthopedic dog beds.
- The jewel-encrusted collar for a pet squirrel is a precursor to today’s designer pet carriers.
- A monk’s friendship with his cat (Pangur Bán) parallels the writer with a cat curled next to their keyboard.
Looking back, we find that humans have always reached for connection through the simple, profound act of stroking a beloved animal—a timeless bond surviving centuries unchanged.
Sources, Tech & Where to Follow
Most of the research in this post comes from Kathleen Walker-Meikle’s excellent book, Medieval Pets (Boydell Press), which dives deep into the surprising emotional world of medieval animal companionship. If you’re curious about the quieter corners of history, it’s a gem.
This piece was outlined and organized using AI tools (like ChatGPT) to help present academic material in a calm, clear, and structured way—perfect for bedtime reading or gentle background listening.
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