04/29/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15dNnTbc6t/
Mark twain’s love for cats was so deep that when he traveled, he refused to go without feline company. in 1906, while staying in dublin, new hampshire, he rented three kittens to keep him company, affectionately naming two of them “sackcloth” and “ashes.” one black kitten grew so attached to twain that it even shared his bed.
back at his connecticut home, twain often kept up to 19 cats at once, surrounding himself with their playful, independent spirit. he famously quipped that if man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve man—but worsen the cat. for twain, cats weren’t just pets; they were companions, muses, and comforting presences through every chapter of his life. 🐾📖
sources: mark twain, autobiography of mark twain; national geographic, mark twain's cats (2017); hartford courant archives