Judge — October 4, 1890 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Nobody's Pet" - Judge Magazine, October 4, 1890 This cartoon features **Billy McKinley** asking "Say! Does anybody own this cat?" The image shows a man in a striped shirt holding a black cat near water with vegetation. The satire likely references **William McKinley**, who would become the 25th U.S. President (elected 1896). At this 1890 moment, McKinley was a prominent Republican congressman. The "stray cat" metaphor appears to be political commentary—possibly suggesting McKinley's political allegiances or status were unclear or shifting, or that he lacked firm party loyalty. The questioning tone implies ambiguity about whose interests he truly served. The exact political context remains somewhat unclear without additional historical documentation, but the humor relies on equating McKinley's political position to an ownerless, undefined entity.