What Animals Were Kept in a Medieval Castle?

Did medieval people keep pets? They did keep animals in their castles and homes, after all.

The rich people kept pets, although many pets had purposes. Poor people also sometimes had pets, but they all would have helped in some way or another. There wasn’t always enough food for everyone in the Middle Ages, so there had to be a good reason to keep an additional mouth in the house. Still, many people came to love their animals, and there are even some sweet graves for dead pets.

What animals were kept as pets in the medieval ages? What purposes did they have?

Hawks and the Mews

What sport lets you catch food, enjoy yourself, and impress your friends? Which sport is good for rich men and women and the clergy besides? The first thing that comes to mind is hawking.

Hawks were common animals in a medieval castle. However, hawks were expensive, so the poorer people would not have been able to participate. Manors would often house at least one hawk, but often many more than that. The master wanted at least one hawk, the lady often required at least one too, and the children and some other people in the manor enjoyed the sport with their own hawks.

The hawks were so loved that the owner’s favorite one would sometimes be taken to church with its owner. Needless to say, the church wasn’t particularly impressed with this behavior. The hawks were kept in the mews, hooded when they were not off hunting. The mews was originally for the hawks in the process of molting to keep them away from others. Sometimes, when the hawk was really loved and cherished, it would be placed in its master’s room.

When the master wanted to show off his wealth, he would put his hawk in a commonly accessible place in his castle so all could see it. He would also take it hunting with his friends to show its strength and ability.

Horses and the Stables

Before cars, how did people get around? One way was walking, but who has time to walk across Europe? A lot of people did, but was there a faster way? Yes, there was! People would ride horses which was quicker and easier than walking everywhere on their own two legs.

Horses were used in work and as messengers because of their impressive strength and speed, especially compared to humans. Noblemen would usually have many horses in their stables with many different uses. One use was hunting. When he went to war, a nobleman would take many horses.

He would take one or two comfortable riding horses for all the traveling. Besides the comfortable riding horses, called palfreys, he would take a destrier for battles and a few swift chargers for escape. All animals kept in a medieval castle had a place to sleep or live, and horses were no different. During the winter, they lived in the stables. During the summer, they grazed in fields belonging to the owner.

The stables also often hosted haylofts for the stablehands to sleep in. The stables were decent so the horses were in good condition for their work.

Dogs and their Masters

Many people call dogs man’s best friend. They are loyal, loving, and wonderful. In the Middle Ages, people had dogs, and they loved them, too.

There were many different kinds of dogs that they kept. First, for the peasants, there were trusty, loyal guard dogs to protect children, livestock, and land. Next, there were hunting hounds of various sizes, chiefly medium to large.

In addition, wealthy women could afford lap dogs. Priests and other church workers also enjoyed them. These served almost no purpose other than to amuse and please their owners. Two of their few functions were to show loyalty and help their owners avoid loneliness and boredom.

A few pups were simple house dogs, though they served their masters, too. Every living thing had to help provide for its food and bed since food was scarce. People preferred their children to survive rather than their dogs, given the choice.

Cats and their Masters

Cats have been accused of being witches’ familiars for a long time. They have also been loved for a very long time. During the Middle Ages, people had mixed feelings about them. They were handy in removing mice, so even people who feared them, tolerated them.

Poor people could be accused of witchcraft for owning a cat. Medieval people thought cats were the spawn of the devil. During a time when the church ruled, that wasn’t a safe thing to be. Rich people were much safer from witchcraft trials and happily raised their little kittens. Fancy ones came from other countries. Others were ordinary strays.

On an entirely different note, some nuns secluded themselves and left their worldly possessions behind. They were only able to have cats. The church also tolerated cats for their mice-catching abilities. The cats were paid employees. The money they made was used to feed them if they didn’t catch enough mice. Even though they were sometimes hated and killed, many cat owners still enjoyed them.

Songbirds and their Cages

Have you ever heard a songbird sing? It is lovely to hear anywhere you go. One of the animals kept in a medieval castle was the songbird. There were quite a few varieties that people owned. Nightingales and Larks were two common ones.

Most, if not all, were pretty. They showed off their owners’ wealth. Magpies, Jays, Popinjays (parrots), and other astute birds learned to talk, so they were impressive. Birds’ uses included simply looking cool and providing companionship.

Not everyone would have loved the constant noise songbirds made, but they were still common pets. Birds lived in beautiful, intricate cages made by masters. Only particular people could make them.

Pigeons and the Dovecote

The pigeon, also known as the dove, can find their childhood and current homes with ease. They have been helpful to humans for centuries. Our ancestors used pigeons in their castles.

They carried messages tied to their legs between castles because of their remarkable homing instinct that helps them to go home, no matter what. When collected by humans, their feathers provided warmth and comfort in beds and blankets, and there were many of them, too.

Another reason to keep them was that they tasted good. They also had eggs, which are good to eat. We may not love them today, but people in the Middle Ages kept them as pets.

Pigeons lived in the dovecote. Usually cone-shaped with space for eggs, chicks (called squabs), and adults, the dovecote was fine for the animals inside. Sometimes the dovecote wasn’t as nice, but people wanted the meat, eggs, and feathers to be good quality, so they treated all of the animals in the medieval castle well.

Other Pets

You’ve seen some more common animals in a medieval castle, but people in the Middle Ages had some less common pets. One you may recognize from today is the ferret. It helped hunt rabbits and worked with hawks to do so.

Another one that is not a pet today, is the monkey. They came from far away, so they were accurately pricy. Another you know is the squirrel, but you probably think of it as a pest or a wild animal.

They were pretty prevalent and are in a lot of art. They are often depicted wearing a collar with bells and a leash or chain which shows the squirrels’ domestication.