It's #NationalPetMonth so here is a thread of medieval women with their pets! First off is Miss Zeng, a young student of history from Song Dynasty China. Cat fancying was big in upper-class China and they bred the shimao, or "lion cats", some of the first known long-haired cats!

The medieval Mountain Sami people of Scandinavia domesticated reindeer. They would keep a few tame reindeer for riding and draught labour. They would also use them as decoys when hunting wild reindeer. Pictured here is a female reindeer watching a Sami woman ski.

Medieval Irish farmers kept many domestic animals, but the cow was the most fundamental. Teenage women accompanied dairy cows to the summer pastures. The season began with Beltane, where the cows were walked between fires to protect them from evil influences while giving milk.

Empress Chengtian of the Liao Empire was an accomplished equestrian and hunter. She was a feared military leader who forced Korea and China into submission. The Liao nobility rode in camel-drawn carriages to their hunting grounds, where they used horses and eagles to hunt swans.

Bonna, the wife of Rabbeinu Gershom of Mainz, worked hard to keep her husband's school running. Synagogue cats, known as schul katze in Yiddish, also helped rabbis by protecting the sacred books from mice. Here Bonna sews a Torah scroll while her cat snoozes on the bookshelf.

Some Australian Aboriginal people semi-domesticated dingoes, bonding with the puppies but ultimately releasing them back into the wild. Here a Wiradjuri woman cuddles with a dingo puppy under her possum-skin cloak while looking up at Mulayndynang (the Pleiades).

Sitt al-Mulk was the daughter of Fatimid caliph al-Aziz, who built her a splendid palace across the street from his own in Cairo. She later advised her brother (before having him killed) and ruled as regent for her nephew. Peacocks and parrots were popular pets for the elite.

Thanks for reading this thread of medieval women with their pets! Be sure to check out @NatPetMonthUK who are spending this month raising money for UK pet charities and promoting responsible pet ownership. Read more about the featured women at https://womenof1000ad.weebly.com/