For centuries, people enjoyed the game named variously bowling, nine-pins, jeu de quilles, or skittles. Egyptians indulged in a form of bowling by 3,200 B.C. King Henry VIII banned lawn bowling in 15th-century England because too many tradesmen neglected their vocations. Washington Irving immortalized nine pins in his 19th-century tale of Rip van Winkle. By 1900, Americans formed formal bowling associations to play the game competitively.
McLoughlin Brothers' "Pussy Cat Ten Pins" game uses images of cats in different poses, instead of the more common toy soldiers, for a ten pins set. Perhaps little girls found this set more appealing.