A poorer family might share its home with a cow, goat, or chickens, gaining winter warmth while keeping the animals safe at night. Horses and oxen supplied traction, dogs guarded property and herded sheep, and cats protected stored grain from vermin. Animals also supplied food, clothing, and transport, while a knight's warhorse made rank visible. Companion animals included squirrels, birds, spiders, monkeys, and parrots as well as cats and small dogs. An ermine or stoat in a da Vinci portrait provides another example of an animal used to signal the sitter's social position.
Notable Point · 3:29-4:18
Animals as household workers and companions
Livestock and working animals shared space with medieval households, while pets offered companionship, warmth, and displays of status.