Vintage British Suffragette Cat and Mouse Act Mug

The Cat and Mouse Act was the nickname for the Prisoner's Temporary Discharge of Ill Health Act introduced by the British Government in their fight against the introduction of votes for women. Suffragettes who found themselves in prison for destroying public and private property to highlight their cause went on hunger strike. As soon as they fell sick as a result of their starvation, the women were set free only to be arrested again and sent back to jail to complete their sentence, thus the cat and mouse nickname for the legislation. This is my restored version of the original 1913 postcard produced by the Women's Social & Political Union (WSPU) showing a suffragette trapped in the jaws of a predatory cat. The wording on the poster reads: ‘The Cat and Mouse Act Passed by the Liberal Government - The Liberal Cat - Electors Vote Against Him! Keep the Liberal out! Buy and read The Suffragette. Price 1d.’ The mug would be the perfect gift for feminists and cat lovers, of course!