Cats occur fairly often in heraldry. "Roger Adams and John Hills, both of the City of London," we are told, "bear cats"; Sir Jonathan Keats charges three "cats-a-mountain"—wild cats—upon his shield, as also do the Schives of Scotland; the Dawson-Damer's crest is a tabby cat with a rat in her mouth. She would be blazoned as preying.
The dog, fox, and cat have each their typical meaning in heraldry. The dog symbolizes courage, fidelity, affection, and sagacity; the fox, great wit and cunning; the cat, boldness, daring, and extraordinary foresight, so that whatever happens she always falls on her feet. She was formerly the emblem of liberty, and was borne on the banners of the ancient Alans and Burgundians to show that they brooked no servitude.
The squirrel is rather a favourite charge, notably in the arms of landed gentry—such as the Holts, Woods, Warrens—because the little nut-cracker is typical of parks and woodland property. It occurs either singly or in pairs or trios. It is always represented sejant, and usually cracking nuts, as seen in the arms of the Nuthall family.
A hedgehog usually figures in the arms of the Harris, Harrison, Herries, and Herrison families, and is undoubtedly borne in allusion to their surname, hérisson being the French for hedgehog. Lord Malmesbury—family name Harris—bears a hedgehog in his coat of arms. It is generally blazoned as an "urcheon" in heraldry. The hare occurs but rarely in English arms; the Clelands bear one as a single charge, and the Trussleys charge their shield with three little hares playing bagpipes, probably in allusion to the hare's traditional love of music. The rabbit—known to heralds as a coney—is oftener met with in armorial bearings; the Strodes of Devon bear three conies couchant; the Conesbies, three conies sejant; the Cunliffes, three conies courant.
BARON HAWKE.
Arms.—A chevron erminois between three pilgrim's staves purpure.
Crest.—A hawk, wings displayed and inverted ppr.
belled and charged on the breast with a fleur de lys or.
Supporters.—Dexter, Neptune, Sinister, a Sea-horse.
Motto.—Strike.
Three moles are borne by Sir John Twistledon, of Dartford, Kent—a mole was sometimes blazoned "moldiwarp"—whilst the Rattons very aptly bear a rat.