In 1850, Gerard de Nerval ceased conforming to existing ideas of suitable pets and acquired a lobster, which he led around the Jardin du Luxembourg on the end of a blue ribbon. ‘Why should a lobster be any more ridiculous than a dog,’ he questioned, ‘or any other animal that one chooses to take for a walk? I have a liking for lobsters. They are peaceful, serious creatures. They know the secrets of the sea, they don’t bark, and they don’t gnaw upon one’s monadic privacy like dogs do’