Pets in the Wild West: More Than Just Man’s Best Friend–by Laura Ashwood

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Hello everyone! I’m thrilled to be here as a guest blogger today. My name is Laura Ashwood, and I’m a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian historical western romance, small town contemporary romance and women’s fiction. I’ve always been fascinated by the rich tapestry of the past and how it intertwines with our present, including when it comes to our relationships with our beloved pets. I’m excited to share some insights with you today about the role of pets in the 19th century, inspired by my own heartwarming historical romance, A Groom for Violet.

Now, you might be thinking, “Pets? In the Wild West?” Yep, you heard that right. Back in the day, pets weren’t just for the aristocrats in their fancy houses. Nope, even in the rough and tumble world of the Wild West, folks found comfort and companionship in their furry friends.

In fact, it was during the Victorian era that people really started to see pets in a new light. Instead of just being useful for hunting or guarding the homestead, pets started to become part of the family. They were there to lend a listening ear after a long day, to provide a sense of comfort in times of hardship, and to teach kids about responsibility and care.

But let’s not sugarcoat it – being a pet parent back then was a different ballgame. There weren’t 24/7 vet clinics or pet wellness plans like we have today, and pet owners often had to rely on home remedies to treat their pets’ ailments if a veterinarian couldn’t be found. When Daisy, the beloved dog of our heroine in A Groom for Violet suffers an injury, Violet was lucky as a local veterinarian is available to come to come and assist. It’s a reminder that even in the rough and tumble world of the Wild West, there were folks dedicated to the care and well-being of animals. And that’s what love is all about, right?

And it wasn’t just dogs that were popular. From wild birds to rabbits, and even exotic pets like parrots and monkeys, Victorians had a wide range of pets. Each of these animals, in their own way, contributed to the rich tapestry of life in the 19th century.

Interestingly, pets also found their way into the literature of the time. In fact, there were even “diaries” that were written from the perspective of pets, providing a humorous take on their daily lives and adventures. These stories offered a unique insight into the secret lives of pets, and how they might view the world around them.

Portrait of a Maltese dog in winter outdoors

Cats, in particular, were just beginning to be seen as household pets. While they were often compared to dogs, cats were seen as having a particular affinity for the home, and became associated with the household, and by extension, women. Conversely, dogs were known to travel outside with their owners, tagging along for masculine activities like hunting.

In A Groom for Violet, we see the profound impact that a pet can have on a person’s life. Daisy is not just a pet to Violet; she is a friend, a companion, and a link to her past. This relationship underscores the important role that pets played in the 19th century and continues to play today.

Click cover to order.

What do you think are some of the biggest differences between pet ownership in the 19th century and today?

I’d love to give away a free eBook copy of A Groom for Violet to one lucky commenter. Share your thoughts on this blog post, answer the question above, or simply tell me about your own beloved pet. I’ll randomly select a winner from the comments. Good luck!

XO, Laura

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26 thoughts on “Pets in the Wild West: More Than Just Man’s Best Friend–by Laura Ashwood”

  1. One big difference with pets back then was the call of vaccines. Rabies and other diseases would harm not only the animal, but the home. There is speculation now that Poe might have died from rabies caught from his pet cat. The cat was found dead after Poe’s death. People would use a Bazor stone, also a called a mad stone, to try to pull the poison out of thr bite. The Bezor stone is found in the stomach of cud chewing animals.

  3. I think it is more common now then it was to then to view animals as pets. Most people in the 1800s thought an animal had to serve a purpose, today that purpose usually is to just be a pet.

  4. Welcome. This is a very interesting topic. I grew up on a ranch and mom was the one that got me interested in western books. I remember we had a huge discussion on this topic about pets during the western times. Conclusion? yes there were pets throughout history. God gave us humans a desire to have a fur baby, whether small or large or both. I think the only difference would be what pets were allowed and or let into the house. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

  5. My guess is many four-legged pets then probably spent the night outside, even if they were inside during the day.

  6. Pets today are more pampered they have toys, clothes, special dog food, and most stay in air conditioned houses.

  7. I honestly cannot say that I had thought of pets per say in the 19th century. The importance of pets in my life is very strong. In my lifetime I have owned a number of dogs which ran around outside on our farm, but they were not house dogs. After my second marriage we bought a poodle which soon stole my heart, as well as my husband’s. When he became ill from being too close to bug spray when we were working in the hotel business as managers, it weakened his kidneys. Hence, he did not make it past 13 years. When he got to be about 10 years old we acquired another poodle to keep him company. Astoundingly, she brought ne2 life to our first poodle. When he passed away my husband felt our 2nd poodle needed company so we bought our third, and last poodle. They each lived to be 17 years old. Unfortunately, week constitutions took them from us, one at a time. Parting with pets you dearly loved is as hard as losing another family member to us. At that time we decided to not have another one. My husband said he could not stand to lose another loved pet in his lifetime. We often look, but force ourselves to turn away from the prospect.

    • Hi Judy, thank you for sharing. Pets can become as close as family I think. We lost one of our dogs to old age last year and are facing the same thing with another soon – so I sympathize with you and your husband. I think the blessing they bring outweighs the heartache though.

  8. I don’t think dogs (or cats!) were as pampered as they are today, and there were probably not a lot of laws about them, either. For sure a dogs voice box wasn’t removed, and cats weren’t declawed.

  9. Welcome back, Laura. I watched the PBS presentation on Marie Antoinette and she had a little pug that loved dearly. It often kept her company. I usually put a dog or cat in my historicals. They add a lot to my stories. Thanks for coming. I hope you enjoy your stay. Best wishes on your gorgeous book!

  10. I don’t think they would have kept pets in the house as much as we do now due to fleas and ticks. Other than bathing the pet, I don’t think there would have been any other means of protection for them like we have now. Can you imagine the ladies sitting in the parlor having tea and fleas start to bite them, ha, ha!

  11. The cover of your book is lovely. The story sounds interesting. I am curious about the veterinarian in the story and am looking forward to getting a view of pets in this time period.
    I would think the availability of commercial pet food would be limited in areas other than big cities, if there. They were likely feed scraps of the meals their owners had. As you said, veterinary care would have been hard to come by and it wouldn’t be nearly as extensive as it is today.

    We have had a wide variety of pets over the years. We are on dog number 11 or 12, and have not been without one or more for more than a few weeks in the past 45 plus years. Our current dog is a dachshund-beagle mix. She was found dumped in the woods and middle daughter said of course we would want it.. She is the most skittish animal we have ever dealt with. We have had her 9 months and she is just now starting to relax a bit. She is afraid of everything. She is about 2 years old and must have had some rough treatment. She has taken to my husband (they all have) which does help. She has no idea how to play or be a dog which is sad for one so young. We need to get her around other dogs so she can learn to be one.
    There have been cats, rabbits, snakes, ferrets, a variety of small rodents, a squirrel, and chickens. We have had some small wild animals for a while while they were healing.

    Our middle daughter who was responsible for many of the pets as a child has continued on as an adult. Her household has included dogs, cats (8 right now), goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkey, rabbit, cow, horses, and llamas. Yes we have all the modern conveniences for our pets, but feed and veterinary care to cost a pretty penny. Our son has 2 dogs a senior and a puppy, both rescues. Our oldest daughter has 2 cats bigger than our dog. They are brothers, one deaf, that she adopted from a rescue. We have done fostering for the animal shelter and help there when we can now. We are proponents of adopting rescue dogs.

  12. I think pets back then sometimes out of necessity were just a farm animal one was close with. Horses, pigs cows etc. Some were raised to show at fairs, and then went to the highest bidder for slaughter (except for horses) Most western homes had barns or outbuildings for the dogs and cats to sleep in, but some were allowed into the home as well. Pets just round your life. at least for me.

  13. I’m not a pet owner, but I think pets now days are generally cared for a lot better. We’ve learned so much as time goes on. It’s amazing what we can do now with the knowledge & resources that we have!

  15. Even a hunting dog or another animal used for work can become a part of the family, but man do they rule a house if you let them in! I think it’s important for us to be in and with nature. I think we get less of that these days. Companionship is important. Pets go back millenia. I think we admire their unique abilities, including a listening ear.

  17. The biggest thing I see is that pets are more pampered today more then they were then. We went many years without a pet while we were working but about 8 years ago we collected a kitten from a stray cat. It is inside and still goes out some. Also there is a ferial momma cat that keeps having kittens outside so we are feeding a lot of those right now. Two of these kittens we had fixed last year so I guess they became ours after that and are tame now. You can’t catch this momma cat even with a trap.

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