An engaging and informative survey of medieval pet keeping which also examines their representation in art and literature. Animals in the Middle Ages have often been discussed - but usually only as a source of food, as beasts of burden, or as aids for hunters. This book takes a completely different angle, showing that they were also beloved domestic companions to their human owners, whether they were dogs, cats, monkeys, squirrels, and parrots. It offers a full survey of pets and pet-keeping: from how they were acquired, kept, fed, exercised, and displayed, to the problems they could cause. It also examines the representation of pets and their owners in art and literature; the many charming illustrations offer further evidence for the bonds between humans and their pets, then as now. A wide range of sources, including chronicles, letters, sermons and poems, are used in what is both an authoritative and entertaining account.

"A novel and comprehensive survey. [...] Not only a milestone in the history of our obsession with pets, but also furthers our understanding of the complexity of human-animal relations in the past." - BBC HISTORY

"Medieval Pets is a highly accessible and digestible look at one small slice of medieval life." - STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE TEACHING

"A delightful read for anyone interested in the history of pet-keeping, human-animal relations in general, and identity construction in later medieval Europe." - MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY

"A useful addition to a growing body of specialist literature, and in addition, anyone who has ever owned a pet will find it fascinating." - REVIEWS IN HISTORY