Cat Food for Thoughts:
As a cat expert who spent decades studying the fascinating history of human cat relationships, I have to be happy to pur when sharing one of the most interesting chapters in urban cat care: the story of a man in the meat of a Victorian London cat.
These honorable heroes of Victorian street commerce played a key role in maintaining the city’s bustling cat population. Their stories offer a glimpse into the forgotten aspects of human ferrin coexistence.
Did you know that while cats today are increasingly important allying, Victorian London cats are primarily valued as practical pest control companies? The explosive growth of rat populations during this era was spurred by poor sanitation and widening sewer systems, making cats an urban ally. This practical relationship explains why cat meat men found such a ready market. Well-bred Mouser was simply a better investment!
Every morning, when the misty streets of London come to life, they echo through cobblestone alleys: “Food! me-eat!” This was the appeal of a cat meat man, a familiar figure in Victorian London who served as an important link to the cat food chain.
These vendors were as part of the London street scene as they pushed wooden carts, carried meat-filled skewers and cleaned lamplighters and chimneys.
What captivates me most is how these entrepreneurs understood cat feeding patterns long before the emergence of modern pet nutrition. Cat meat men arrive every day almost simultaneously, knowing that cats are strict everyday creatures.
Today’s house cats still show the accuracy of this same clockwork in the expectation of feeding.
Fun Historic Nuggets: Cat meat men carried unique wooden containers with metal hooks on their products, and many wore special aprons with leather straps that held dozens of skewers at once. Modern illustrations show these vendors (sometimes over 20) surrounded by a pack of pregnant cats racing alongside their karts!
The meat sold by these vendors was not a major cut directed at the human table. Instead, they sourced horse meat from the Knackers yard. This is a practical solution that we are proud of modern sustainability.
The meat was cut into manageable pieces and sold on skewers for either penny or semi-penny respectively. Attractive information to please my veterinarian colleagues: This practice actually provided London cats with a protein-rich diet that closely matches their natural nutritional needs, far better than the many commercial options available until very recently.
The size of this cat feeding company was truly amazing. By the 1890s, London boasted more than 1,000 licensed cat meat men. My research suggests that each vendor serves an average of 200 households each day. In other words, this network potentially supplies hundreds of thousands of cats across Metropolis. The profession was so well established that several families went through the business through generations, and the usual route became a valuable asset that could be bought and sold.
Henry Mayhew, a well-known chronicler of Victorian London streetlife, recorded in his 1851 work, “London Labour and the Poor of London,” that a successful cat meat man could sell up to 60 pounds of meat every day. Given inflation, today’s equivalents will be thriving businesses with revenues of over $100,000 a year.
A particularly fascinating aspect of this trade was the relationship between cats and their meat men. Historical accounts explain how cats perceive the appeal of local vendors and emerge from their homes on a schedule. As someone who studies cat awareness, I think I am particularly conveying this detail. Cats can actually do complex associative learning, especially when food is involved!
One notable description from the memoirs of author Margaret Harkness describes a cat meat man named Old Tom who trained his cat customers to sit on an orderly line while distributing his parts one by one. This early example of crowd management will impress modern cat behaviorists, especially considering that cats are independent and rarely respond to group training techniques!
Cat meat men also served as numbers for unofficial neighbourhood clocks. They know normal cat customers and will notice if they are lost or not. This role reflects the contemporary understanding of community cats as indicators of neighborhood health and stability. Some vendors maintained informal health records for regular cat customers, ahead of modern veterinary care for decades.
Trade was not without challenges. During the Victorian era, the first animal welfare movements emerged, and concerns were occasionally raised about meat quality and storage practices. However, cat meat men generally maintain good relationships with both human and cat customers, and many have become trustworthy people in the community.
What strikes me in particular is how this historical practice coincided with cats’ natural feeding preferences. Modern research shows that cats prefer multiple small meals throughout the day rather than one or two large servings. Daily visits from cat meat men misprovided a feeding schedule that matched these instinctive patterns.
The decline of male cat meat came in the early 20th century with the emergence of electric transport and commercially prepared pet food. World War I accelerated this transition. The horse meat became scarce, and social attitudes towards cats began to shift from purely utilitarian to more loving. By the 1930s, this once-shining profession had almost disappeared from the streets of London.
The changes in cat conditions since the Victorian era are nothing but astounding. Today’s spoiled housecat enjoys scientifically prescribed diet, regular veterinary care and social media fame. The average British cat owner now spends more than £1,000 a year on cats, compared to the few Pence spent on horses every week in the 1890s.
This change reflects deeper social changes. Modern research into cat behavior, cognitive and emotional life has led cats to be directed from mere pest controllers to complex companion animals worthy of ethical considerations and specialized care. The rise of cat cafes, cat behavior consultants and cat-focused interior design all show how dramatically human relationships have evolved since the time of cat meat men.
But the legacy of these Victorian vendors continues to live out in unexpected ways. The next time your cat runs with the rustling of can openers and bags, this behavior once reflects the streets of London: Me-eat! Even our modern interest in proper cat nutrition has its roots in the practical wisdom of male cat meat.
This fascinating chapter in urban cat history reminds us that the special relationship between humans and cats always includes innovative solutions to feed their furry friends.
Today’s cats may eat with premium wet food from ceramic bowls rather than horse meat on wooden skewers, but the basic bond between humans and cats remains as strong as when cat meat men do their rounds every day.
