Philip M. Rule

Philip M. Rule was an English author who lived from 1843 to 1925. The biographical record available online is quite thin, but library and public-domain sources consistently connect him with one well-known book: The Cat: Its Natural History; Domestic Varieties; Management and Treatment.

That book was published in London in 1887 and presented as an illustrated guide, with an additional essay on feline instinct by Bernard Perez. It blends observation, animal lore, and practical household advice, making it interesting both as a cat book and as a snapshot of late 19th-century attitudes toward pets.

Today, Rule is remembered less as a widely documented literary figure than as the author of a specialized work that has stayed in circulation through archives, reprints, and audiobook editions. If you enjoy older nonfiction with a mix of curiosity and period charm, his writing still has plenty to offer.