Maosheng 貓乘

Maosheng 貓乘 is the earliest known systematic record of the cultural history of cats in China. The author, Wang Chutong 王初桐 (1730-1821), original name Yuanlie 元烈, courtesy name Yuyang 于陽 or Gengzhong 賡仲, 耿仲, Wuyan 無言, style Zhusuo 竹所 or Quanmao Shanren 巏堥山人, from Jiading 嘉定, Jiangsu. He once occupied the post of vice district magistrate of Qihe 齊河, and was later district head of Xincheng 新城 in the prefecture of Zichuan 淄川. Wang was known as a master of lyric-metre poetry and wrote the books Qi-Lu-Han Shipu 齊魯韓詩譜, Xia xiaozheng zheng'e 夏小正正訛, Erya Zheng Qiao zhu jiaomiu 爾雅鄭樵注就糾謬, Wujing wenzi kaozheng 五經文字考證 and Xiao langhuan cihua 小嫏嬛詞話. His collected writings are called Quanmao Shanren ciji 巏堥山人詞集.

The introduction (Xiaoyin 小引) is dated to 1798. The book is divided into eight juan, which explain various expressions and terms for cats, methods of calling and training, and appearances of different races (Juan 1), "matters" concerning cats (2 Maoshi 貓事), breeding, care, burial, and rituals associated with cats (3), the hunting activities of cats, the coexistence of several animals, nursing behaviour of cats, "moral responses", words, "transformations", spirits, ghosts, magical creatures, and immortal cats (4), cat races (5), various paintings of cats (6), prose literature (7), and poetry on cats (8). References to cats are relatively rare in Chinese literature. The content was assembled by a staff of clerks under the supervision of Wang and aimed at supplementing other scholarly books on animals like the medical texts Xiangmajing 相馬經, Xiangniujing 相牛經 and Tuojing 駝經 or the books Huyuan 虎苑 and Huhui 虎薈.

The work is described as rich and varied in content, leaving readers in awe. It discusses topics ranging from ancient to contemporary matters in a grand and expansive style. The author says in the preface that although the subject of cats may not involve profound philosophical principles, it does not diminish people's love for cats or interest in studying them.

The text is found in the series Zhaodai congshu 昭代叢書 and Congshu jicheng xubian 叢書集成續編.