1871 – Angora Tom nursing chickens

This somewhat incredible but true story of a Tom cat nursing chickens, is taken from the 1878 edition of “Chatterbox Album of Animals”, published by W.W.Gardner. The drawing however, is signed and dated 1871, which means it was possibly drawn in the period between the first two cat shows at the Crystal Palace, in July and December 1871. During that period, the fame of the first show, would have put Harrison Weir under considerable pressure to bring forth illustrations of cats from anecdotes that would have been circulating at the time. Whether drawn from life, or from his imagination, the care with which the drawing was executed, showing the delight of the male cat and the pleasure of the chickens, is happily conveyed in the illustration. Prints currently available in A4, A3 and A2 sizing options.