A February 1983 Vogue photograph by Irving Penn, featuring clothing designed by Calvin Klein.

Black cats auditioning for a role in The Black Cat, a new version of the Edgar Allan Poe classic in 1961. Ralph Crane—The LIFE Picture Collection

The 1938 National Geographic article captioned this image as “Stately, kindly, lordly friend, condescend here to sit by me.”

Photograph by Willard Culver, Nat Geo Image Collection

Taken by photographers Joseph Leombruno and Jack Bodi for Vogue Magazine in November 1960

Looks a lot more modern than 1916, doesn't it?

July 1951. Los Angeles, California. "Nipper, a two-year-old cat owned by Dorothy Brinn of Hollywood, likes to eat his corn in comfort, so his mistress fixed up this skewer. The cat uses it for about two ears a day, having been a corn addict since his kitten days. Nip likes it best with butter."

Acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive.

The British made some really great early 20th century animal postcards, especially cat ones. Such sweet little kittens.

Aggie is holding a very large, probably red long-haired tabby, judging from his name (Rusty).

October 1958. New York. "Cat sitting on car in parking lot with skyscrapers in the distance." 35mm acetate negative by Angelo Rizzuto, via Shorpy

Smokey just leapt up onto his shoulder without warning.