ANIMALS abounded in all walks of medieval life. Humans hunted them, ate them, milked them, sheared them, skinned them, rode them, ploughed with them, and used them to draw wagons; they imbued them with symbolism, and put those symbols to work in contexts ranging from Bible exegesis to heraldry. However, this book examines pets: animals chosen by humans simply to perform the task of being companions.

Pet keeping is one of the most remarkable relationships between humans and animals. The pet is often allowed into restricted spaces, enjoys close physical proximity with its owner (whether carried around or allowed to sleep on beds), is often fed luxury food and indulged with specialist goods, such as cages or collars. It is frequently treated with greater kindness and care than that accorded to most of the owner's fellow humans. Unlike a fine horse or a falcon, which might also be treasured, nothing is asked of the pet except to provide companionship and amusement.

There has not previously been a broad overview of pets in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Pets and their upkeep are mentioned occasionally in the secondary literature, but little space has been devoted to the practice of pet keeping itself. In the following pages I aim to shed light on that practice and draw attention to the evidence for its prevalence in the medieval period, drawing on a range of historical, literary and iconographic sources.