Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.
Get connected to the Library’s large and diverse collections related to science, technology, and business through our Inside Adams Blog. This blog also features upcoming events and collection displays, classes and orientations, new research guides, and more.
Cats were social companions in some Eastern countries even in Ancient times. However, in Europe and the United States, cats were mainly used as mousers or studied as biological specimens until the mid-19th century, when their position shifted to that of household companion animals. Along with this shift, the focus of scientific study of the cat moved away from simply serving as biological specimens to researching the ancient origins of domestic cats, origins of coat colors, and cat diseases in relation to humans.
Except for the more modern books on the history of cats as pets, the books in this reference guide primarily span the years between 1858 and 1922, when the shift in the role of cats took place. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, cats effectively transitioned from serving as vagabond mousers and biological specimens to becoming beloved household pets and pedigree display objects. Cats as pets became recognized for their intelligence, independence and personalities.
Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Science Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of science, medicine and engineering. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of science and engineering assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of science, medicine, and engineering materials.
