Cats have been part of sailing history for thousands of years, partly for company and partly because they provided critical pest control. Saipan of the USS New Mexico. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205185505
I love these! I just can't imagine how a cat could get into a hammock though, without it going into a cartoon style fast rotation that ends up with cat like a sausage!
Thank you for this delightful thread. Also, when I shared some of your posts and pictures with friends, they shared this delightful tale with me, about the only dog to ever enlist in the Royal Navy! Not a cat but not bad! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Nuisance
Oh my goodness, these are so adorable! I knew that cats have been on ships and boats for ages, as you said, providing pest control, but I had no idea they slept in their own little hammocks! It's cuteness overload!!
This is my favourite.
"A cat celebrating International Dogs Day by pushing a dog into Dunbar harbour"
This is "giant cats of dunbar" on xitter formerly of facebook
In my country we call polydactyl cats "ship's cat" because some ship's cats developed extra toes to improve their grip so they weren't washed overboard, and it made them better at climbing and hunting. Polydactyl cats were considered by sailors to be good luck
Such a great thread. I’m reminded of the famous seafaring cat Trim, born 1799, who circumnavigated Australia with Matthew Flinders. He has his own statue in front of the Mitchell library in Sydney.
I was just thinking of Trim. Matthew Flinders was so attached to Trim he even wrote a book about him Trim the Story of a Brave Seafaring Cat. It is in our local libraries.
Loved all these pix! I wrote a book about my grandfather who was Irish but a sailor in the British Navy, who deserted ship up near Cairns, in 1908. I included a part about the tradition to have a cat on board. Officially for rodent
control, but a happy distraction for the sailors too. 😸😹😺😻
My father was a submariner, during the North Atlantic Battle. He never discussed what he, and our Allies, went through. However, he mentioned the fact that they had a cat on board the sub. I asked him how they managed to toilet it- "We'd go up to the surface and she went to the toilet, outside!" 😂
My live-aboard sailor parents' ship's cat Habibti keeps the tradition alive by claiming any available container as an honorary tiny hammock, favorites include the linens storage under the galley table while underway and the trolling gear baskets while at anchor
It’s never easy to lose a faithful pet. That’s why I am currently catless. I do have a nice kitty that comes by my kitchen window most mornings for some kibble 😻 You can encourage cats where you find them
So sorry for your loss. Your boy looked a real character and can imagine what a great companion he would have been. I have one similar and often think how much I would miss him. He is another tuxedo cat with character. He has me very well trained!
An old colleague of mine worked on international cargo ships in his youth, and told me all about the wars and intrigues of crew ingratiating themselves to and attempting to monopolize the ships cat.
Apparently things got very tense at times.
The amphetamines they were on probably didn't help.
This is lovely, thank you. My dad was on the HMS Eagle around that time as a CPO radio/radar expert + it was known as a happy ship. I don’t know if it was the same tour but they lost engines + limped across the Indian Ocean escorted by Destroyers, in case of attack. This was of course the Cold War.
And I do believe he mentioned a ships cat at some point 😃
Of course he’s dead now, my dad. Finally passed away in 2009. It’s a lovely photo, thank you so much 😻
Comments
"A cat celebrating International Dogs Day by pushing a dog into Dunbar harbour"
This is "giant cats of dunbar" on xitter formerly of facebook
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_(cat)
control, but a happy distraction for the sailors too. 😸😹😺😻
Elbows up for Canada, our Sovereign Country Friends! ❤️❤️
https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social/post/3kz2ga63pxs2g
That says something about cats!?
For comparison 38 dogs, 33 pigeons, and 4 horses have been awarded the Dickin Medal.
thank you for sharing.
Apparently things got very tense at times.
The amphetamines they were on probably didn't help.
Of course he’s dead now, my dad. Finally passed away in 2009. It’s a lovely photo, thank you so much 😻
https://www.usni.org/press/books/cats-navy
Caturday Grand Prize 🏆