'Cats often had full rein of the dining hall,'.
Our cat certainly holds full rein over the OH when it comes to meal times. 
A similar book - Cats in Medieval Manuscripts (British Library Medieval Guides)
Interesting subject, and and for cat lovers here's a book about medieval cats.
Ooh, also found a Ukraine smiley. 
Yay! 
How about these ‘normal’ bats (England, ca. 13th century)?
]]>It takes you through why the Medieval people draw such strange doodles and things in their manuscripts.
'These famous Medieval pictures - of half-human creatures, of odd cats, of implausible scenarios like jousting rabbits - have given rise to much laughter.
But what are they? What is this vein of Medieval humour rising through the centuries?
Their technical name is "drollery".'
Reminded me of this post by Alfred. 
From a medieval manuscript, a cat dressed as a nun:
