Curiosity Killed The Cat: The role of cats from the Roman Period to the Late Medieval Ages

During the early years of the Roman period, cats were not used for their mousing abilities. Instead, polecats and ferrets were commonly used for vermin control. However, this attitude towards cats changed in the 4th century when the Roman Palladius recommended using cats instead of ferrets to catch moles in artichoke beds (Serpell 2014: 93). By the Later Roman period, cats seemed to be held in greater esteem and care, as evidenced by a cat burial discovered in the northern gatehouse of Silchester. The cat was carefully placed in a cist made of reused roof tiles and sealed before burial. This careful burial indicates that the owner likely cared for the cat and its interment (Morris 2016:16). <a href="https://medium.com/@sandeeoster17/curiosity-killed-the-cat-the-role-of-cats-from-the-roman-period-to-the-late-medieval-ages-22ae25bdca98">Read More</a>