Scholar Emir O Filipovic was working in the Dubrovnik State Archives, Croatia, and going through a manuscript from the 15th century when he discovered paw prints in the book.
The “paw prints appear to be a result of a cat jumping on to the paper”, according to Daily Mail Online, which evidently proves that cats interrupting work—by climbing across keyboards, paper and the likes—is nothing new.
In fact, the cat must have stepped into ink before stepping onto the manuscript, as the marks could still be seen today—it could’ve been trying to mimic the man writing in the book.
The book is an official archive of the ‘Lettere e commissioni de Levante’, which recorded the activities of the Drubrovnik government in the Middle Ages.
Filipovic also added: “You can almost picture the writer shooing the cat in a panicky fashion while trying to remove it from his desk.”
“Despite his best efforts the damage was already complete and there was nothing else he could have done but turn a new leaf and continue his job. In that way this little episode was ‘archived’ in history.”
According to Daily Mail Online, cats were allowed to live in scriptoria back in medieval times as they helped to chase away mice, that might nibble and destroy the manuscripts.
So, cat owners, forgive your cat the next time it tries to help you type and take a ‘paws’ from the computer.
[via Daily Mail Online]