Some animals, such as Laika the Russian space dog, Lassie or Babe the piglet become famous in their own right. Other animals have made their mark because their owners were or are famous. Did you know that Mozart had a pet starling? And Lord Byron kept a pet bear?
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Lord Byron was not permitted to keep a dog in his rooms at Cambridge University, so he had a pet bear instead. As there was no mention of bears in the college statutes, the authorities had no legal basis for complaint.
Byron's Menagerie
The principal theme of the last movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto K.453 was suggested to the composer by a tune whistled by his pet starling. The bird also knew his Concerto no. 17, for Mozart had devoted some idle moments to teaching the bird the principal theme of the last movement, a theme that is, admittedly, rather chirpy and bird-like in nature. Yet the starling was an imperfect student. One note it sang wrong every time and, according to the composer, another note was consistently held too long. It seems that even the example of the concerto's creator was insufficient to convince Mozart's starling to sing the piece exactly as written. On May 27, 1784 a strange funeral was held. As usual, hymns were sung at the graveside. Then Mozart recited a poem he'd penned. Finally, the composer's pet starling was laid to rest.
The Roman poet Virgil spent the equivalent of £50,000 on his pet fly's funeral.
American writer and wit, Dorothy Parker, had a pet dog called Cliché. She also had a pet parrot which she named Onan because it spilt its seed on the ground.
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise of Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XVI, was the first person in France to have a pet goldfish.
(source: The Ultimate Irrelevant Encyclopaedia, Bill Hartson & Jill Dawson, Allen & Unwin, 1984)
In 1907 Mrs Clarice Ashton Cross of Ascot, Great Britain turned down an offer of £32,000 (equivalent to $1,380,000 in 1985) from the American financier and industrialist J. Pierpont Morgan for her famous Pekinese Ch. Ch´êrh of Alderbourne. Mr Morgan then came back with an "open" cheque, but again she turned him down.
The oldest cat ever recorded was probably the tabby Puss, owned by Mrs T. Holway of Clayhidon, Great Britain, who celebrated his 36th birthday on 28 November 1939 and died the next day.
Lena, an American foxhound, produced a litter of 23 on 19 June 1944. All the puppies survived.
A tabby cat named Dusty (b. 1935) of Bonham, Texas, USA, produced 420 kittens during her breeding life.
In 1923, a collie named Bobbie, lost by his owners while they were on vacation in Wolcott, Indiana, USA, turned up at the family home in Silverton, Oregon six months later, after covering a distance of some 2,000 miles.
The largest legacy devoted to a dog was by Miss Ella Wendel of New York, USA, who bequeathed her standard poodle, Toby, $75 million in 1931.
When Mrs Grace Alma Patterson of Joplin, Montana, USA died in January 1978, she left her entire estate, worth $250,000, to her white alley cat Charlie Chan. When the cat died, the estate, which included a three-bedroom house, a 7-acre pet cemetery and a collection of valuable antiques, was to be auctioned off and the proceeds donated to humane societies.
(source: The Guinness Book of Records, Donald McFarlan, editor, Bantam Books, 1992)
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What do you think of this article? Do you think it is right for animals to inherit lots of money when their owners die? Send us your opinions.
Sangarovskaya writes “I think that such rich people as Miss Ella Wendel and Mrs. Grace Alma Patterson were lonely or they loved and worried about their pets more than about relatives. It is not madness, it’s just the individuality of human nature. To my mind, in general, the actions of famous and rich people are comical.”
Eric Ramirez Rodriguez writes “Each person can do with her/his money whatever s/he wants as often as s/he does not do any harm.”
Annie writes “I think it's not realistic. An animal cannot manage its own finances. The owner would do better to look for a good home for the pet before he or she died. Money is not what a animal needs in that case.”
Izabela writes “I think it is not right. That money could be donated to organisations for helping needy people rather than be left to animals which are not able to give it any use. I cannot stop asking myself what is in those people's minds who leave their money to pets.”
Jenny writes “Many people like adopting animals as their pets. They treat their pets as family members. In their free time, they feed their pets and give them a bath. Indeed, adopting baby animals could make their owners more friendly, more tender, and relieve the pressure. I like pets. In the future, I will adopt a cat for cats never fail to attract me.”
Fernando Mendez from México writes “I think anybody has reason enough to leave all his money to his pets, but I think the pet dies eventually and all the money passes into other hands, for example parents, friends or the government, so finally the pet loses his owner and the money. “
Jana writes “I love animals but inheriting something from their owners seems crazy to me.”
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Wikipedia: pet
The Index of Famous Cats
The Index of Famous Dogs
Famous Critters Info Center
The British Council is not responsible for the contents of external websites.
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