Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK prison) in debtor’s prisons, to remove a prisoner’s clothes and then sell or pawn them, ostensibly to pay ward dues that the inmate cannot meet.

1826

Pierce Egan’s Life in London 19 Nov. 758/3: Yes, your Worship, we call it call it catting [...] and what are we to do ? We have no other way of enforcing the ward dues; and if the ward dues are not enforced, who is to clean the wards!’ .