Cats of the National Trust

Book excerpt: From Sir Winston Churchill to Ellen Terry; Beatrix Potter to Vita Sackville-West: many of the National Trust’s former residents were cat-lovers. Cats of the National Trust explores these feline fanatics and the animals (or animal objects) with which they filled their homes. Each entry includes gorgeous photos and accompanying text describing the collection item, person or animal in the photo and their relevance to the Trust. In Cats of the National Trust, we’ll meet Sir Winston Churchill, who requested that a marmalade cat with a white bib and four white socks should always be in (comfortable) residence at Chartwell, Kent. Thomas Hardy’s ‘Snowdove’ is buried at Max Gate, Dorset; Hardy wrote ‘Last Words to a Dumb Friend’ in eulogy. Discover Victorian actress Ellen Terry, who transported ‘Boo-boo’ between her homes in London and Smallhythe, Kent, and Betty Hussey, who crammed Scotney Castle full of feline objects; its current occupant, a cat named Betsy, can sometimes be found roaming the halls. Together with modern-day examples, Cats of the National Trust is an amusing and heart-warming guide to National Trust pets – and the people who revered them.