Historical Cat Photos Prove We Were Always Obsessed With Felines

If you're a cat lover you can't help but pamper your pet and take photos of her quirky behavior. Our love for cats goes back centuries -- they were sacred and worshiped in ancient Egypt. Following are some amazing historical photos featuring cats that prove we've been obsessed with them for years. And some photographers even went to great lengths to pose them in very unusual positions...

Kitten Feast

This woman is absolutely delighted with her trio of kittens. She gave them a huge bowl of what's likely milk, and she can't wipe the smile off of her face. Perhaps she found the kittens as strays and wanted to give them a little snack so they wouldn't be malnourished. Or maybe they're her pets. Either way, she took time out of her busy day to make sure they were all well cared for. Notice how the bowl is on a table and not on the ground. That proves that the cats were very special to her, and she wanted them to eat in peace.

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Kitten In A Bonnet

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Cats are known for their curious natures. They love to go into places and spots that aren't necessarily kitten-friendly or meant for animals their size. This little guy found a comfortable spot in somebody's bonnet. Either a young woman carelessly left it on the floor, or, more likely, the cat pounced on it and the hat dropped to the ground. The bonnet is perfect protection for the little creature. He is able to stay warm and feel safe inside the material. And there's nothing cuter than a cat plopping down on your hat for a nap.

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Kitty In Profile

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Some women in the 1900s had no problem posing in photographs with their cats. These animals were obviously very important to them, and they wanted to forever preserve their memories in a picture. This attractive young woman decided she wanted to hold on to her kitty during the shot. While the woman looks happy and peaceful, the cat looks a bit startled. Maybe she was bothered by the flash bulb or she's just a shy character. In addition, it's hard to keep felines still if they don't want to be. Somehow, the photographer managed to get a pretty good shot of the duo.

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Bowling Cat

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Now this is something you don't see everyday. First, the cat is wearing a dress. Second, the cat is holding on to a ball. Third, the cat is preparing herself to go bowling. While this picture may seem ridiculous today, it wasn't uncommon for people from the past to pose animals doing human-like things and take photos of them. Even though a cat can't actually bowl, it's pretty funny to see one who's just about ready to throw the ball. The only thing that's missing is bowling shoes. Now that would have increased the hilarious factor at least two notches.

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Wide Eyed Cat

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We can see it now: a mom wants her daughter to take a photo, but she refuses to do so unless she's allowed to include her cat in the picture. The girl has a smug look on her face as though she got what she wanted. The cat, meanwhile, looks like a deer in headlights. There's something unnatural about this photo, but it's obvious that the girl loves her cat and wanted him to be a part of the image. The question is: how did the photographer manage to keep the cat still while he was taking the photograph?

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Sick Cat

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This is another cat photo that is obviously staged. While some cats will resist their owners and refuse to follow any of their directions, other cats object a little less. Either this cat is sleeping or drugged on catnip. He is sleeping underneath some covers with a bandage wrapped around his head. Next to him is some sort of elixir, which we assume is medicine. It's actually a pretty cute picture, but it's not very believable. What type of cat would actually allow its owner to stage such a photograph? A very patient one who loves taking catnaps.

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Baby Cat

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Little girls have loved playing with dolls for hundreds of years. But if a doll isn't available, why not use a cat? This young girl looks to be around four years old. She is glancing lovingly at the package in her arms, which happens to be a cat wrapped in a blanket. The girl is holding the cat as if it's a baby, and the cat appears to be perfectly happy acting out the part of an infant. Her paws are in the air, and her eyes are closed. She may even be sleeping. Both girl and cat are content in their roles.

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Cat Playing Doctor

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We can't imagine how many tries it took to get this photo just right. There are two cats here, one is playing the doctor, and the other is playing the patient. The patient's head is wrapped (perhaps for a migraine?) and the doctor is standing by his bedside making sure he is okay. Next to them is a miniature table topped with several bottles and a cup. It appears as though the medicine has already been administered, and the sick cat is sleeping. We particularly like how the doctor cat's head is tilted as though she's looking directly at the patient.

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Musical Cat

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This little girl is showing off two of her favorite things -- her piano and her cat. The pretty little girl with ringlets is smiling as she looks down at some sheet music in her hand. She also has her tiger-striped cat in her lap. While the human looks pretty happy, the feline looks the opposite. This is another situation in which the cat probably wasn't consulted about the photograph but was forced to participate. The eyes say it all. But it's clear the girl loves her pet and wanted to include him in the photo regardless of whether or not he wanted to do it.

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Kitten Horseplay

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This looks like a cat photo that went horribly wrong. Ideally, both kittens would be sitting on their toy horses with twinkles in their eyes. But as everyone knows, it's nearly impossible to pose a cat. The cat on the left is doing his job by sitting relatively still on his horse. The one on the right either fell off or tried to get off because she didn't like being told what to do. It looks as if both cats are wearing pajamas. Why cats wearing PJs would ever want to pretend to ride a horse is a mystery. But it's adorable nonetheless.

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Cat With A Faraway Look

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This is genuinely a beautiful photograph. The young girl appears to be around five years old, and the cat looks to be an adolescent. Both of them are looking away from the camera at something we can't see. What's great about this picture is that it doesn't look posed. The camera man snapped the photograph at exactly the right moment. That cat appears happy and has a twinkle in his eye. The girl also seems very pleased. It's nice to see a cat who is perfectly content to spend time with his human. It's difficult to decide which one of them is more cute.

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Cats Playing Poker

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We're all familiar with the famous artwork "Dogs Playing Poker," a 1910 painting by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. Perhaps this is the cat version? Probably not. For starters, there are only two cats in this photograph, and it doesn't look like they have a clue about playing poker or any other card game for that matter. It appears as if someone just threw down a deck of cards and deposited the kitties on top of them. Now focus on the felines. They are brand new! They don't look very old in this image. They probably weren't even weaned from their mother.

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Cats With A Cannon

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We're trying to imagine what was going on in the photographer's mind when he came up with this photo. Perhaps he thought, "I know, let's do one with cats shooting a cannon ball!" This is a very odd image. The two cats in the picture are standing up, which is unusual by itself. The one on the right somehow managed to activate the cannon, and maybe the other one was there for moral support. We're not sure what they're wearing, but they don't appear to be military uniforms. These two civilian cats, while quite strange, are very intriguing.

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Cat With A Head Scarf

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Little girls love playing dress up, so it makes sense that they would get their cats involved in the game as well. Here's a young girl who loves her cat so much that she can't help but cuddle up with her and make her look pretty. She chose a very pretty scarf for the cat to wear on her head. In case you didn't know, most cats don't like wearing clothes. Yet this one loved her human so much that she suffered the indignity of wearing a head piece to placate her. It doesn't take much to demonstrate your love.

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Basket Cat

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Some of the best pictures of cats are catching them when they're doing what they do best -- just hanging out. These two cats were photographed in their (somewhat) natural environment. In other words, they weren't dressed up or forced to pose uncomfortably. We all know that cats love sleeping in cat beds (as well as cardboard boxes). The white cat on the left looks very regal and satisfied in her wicker basket. The black cat by her side doesn't seem to care one way or another. That describes the life of a cat perfectly. They do what they want and don't care what people think.

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Cats On A Train

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We are seeing a pattern here. Again, here are two cats posing with something they typically wouldn't be associated with. We have a feeling these are all the same cats who grew accustomed to modeling for the camera. These two kitties are wearing pajamas as they get ready to take a trip. One cat is the conductor, while the other is a passenger. They both seem to be absorbed by something off camera (perhaps the photographer's assistant was waving a feather in the air?) At least they don't look dead. We started to wonder if these photos involved taxidermy.

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Cat And The Hat

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This photo is great. The woman is on the older side but has no qualms about showing her affection for her cat. She is also wearing the most amazing hat. It appears to have some sort of fur around the brim, but it is also sprouting two giant feathers. The hat also features a polka-dotted veil. To make the image even more fashionable, the woman decided she wanted to hold her cat. The feline looks a bit freaked out to be in the picture. Is it our imagination, or is the woman holding on a bit tight to keep him in place?

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Cat On A Plane

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This cat is showing off her piloting prowess. Although, sadly, we have to admit this airplane looks as though it could use a little work. This kitten appears to be resigned to the fact that she has to model a gingham dress while pretending to fly a plane. It could be worse -- she could be wearing pajamas. One of her paws is positioned so that it looks as though she's actually steering the plane in a certain direction. But her expression reveals that she really doesn't care about flying a plane. She'd probably rather be sleeping in a wicker basket.

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The Cat That Stalked The Canary

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There's a popular expression that describes someone who is very satisfied with himself but feels a bit guilty: "The cat that ate the canary." Well, here's a cat who's playing with a canary and may very well have eaten the bird if he got inside the cage. What bothers us about this picture is that it looks as though the cage is about to fall off the table. With just a little bit of effort, the cat would have no problem toppling it to the floor. But maybe the cat just wanted to play with the bird and wasn't hungry at all?

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Cat With Matching Ribbons

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Some mothers like wearing the same clothes as their daughters. It's cute when they're young, but it gets a bit creepy when their kids become teenagers. Apparently some people like wearing the same clothes, or accessories, as their pets. This young woman decided she wanted to put ribbons in her hair when she posed for a photograph. The catch was that she also wanted her cat to wear a matching ribbon around her neck. It's actually quite adorable and shows how much the young lady loved her cat (even if the feline appears a bit stiff in the photo).