''Dried'' Cats

By Crusader1307

Although by today’s standards, a Homeowner would balk at the thought of placing a dead animal within the walls of His or Her home. But such a Practice was adhered to in Medieval England. Obscured in origin, documents alluding to the practice start around the 14th Century. The practice was seen as a way of repelling Evil from entering one’s Home. It was hoped that the animal in question was killed before being entombed. At any rate, the body of the dead Cat was placed in the driest and warmest portion of the Home’s walls or foundations (sometimes Basement or Attic, if available). As time progressed, the corpse would desiccate or mummify. Often, Rats and Birds were killed and “posed” along with The Dried Cat. This was seen to approximate a “tableaux of death’’ as it were. The “eternal” Cat was fast defending his “home” from his natural Prey (or Enemy). Even today, after hundreds upon hundreds of years – during renovations, Dried Cats are still found.