Did you know that the Navy has a very catty history? Since the beginning of navies, cats have had a role to play on ships from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and Pacific. Specifically, they were kept aboard to deal with the rodents that constantly follow humans wherever and however they travel. Here are some very interesting and fun stories of Navy Cats.
Here’s the whole narrative from the above post.
As resident mouser at the Royal Naval Patrol Headquarters in Devonport, Thomas C. Crusher was so effective at eliminating the hostile rodent population that he was awarded his second GCB (Good Cat Badge) in 1992. In this photo from the ceremony, Crusher seems to have locked onto another bandit and is ready to deploy the claws of fury.
It doesn’t matter if it’s on a ship that is hundreds of miles from land, a cat will find a box in which to sit. In 1943, Whisky of HMS Duke of York reportedly napped throughout the entire Battle of the North Cape while the guns of the battleship blasted the German battleship Scharnhorst.
This X account is one ALL cat-lovers should follow!
The cats of USS Mississippi in the 1920s were trained to greet visitors and then entertain them by ringing bells, knocking down patterns of pins, and climbing miniature ladders into hammocks. The sailor who trained them claimed he could speak both “seagoing English and cat.”
The above post shows that, indeed, cats CAN be trained to do tricks and other activities that humans want. We have a book that we bought on how to train a cat, and Hubby trained our Kikyo to raise her paw to ask for a treat. It’s a form of operant conditioning like “Pavlov’s Dogs.”
A fox made a huge mistake when he wandered onto the museum ship HMS Belfast in 1997. The ship’s cat, Jenny, was on duty and prepared to repel boarders. Jenny attacked with such ferocity that the crew had to rush to save the outmatched fox. Every time the crew tried to isolate the hissing Jenny in a cabin, she would escape to continue battling her vulpine enemy. The fox finally surrendered to the crew and was later released far away from the ship and Jenny.
Who would have known that Sean Connery was a Royal Navy seaman before becoming an actor?!
Rat Catcher Third Class Tom K. Fathoms was placed on the “Prisoner at Large” list of USS Maury in 1953 for repeatedly going AWOL. On three different occasions, RC3 Fathoms left the Maury and was caught raiding the galley of other ships. He also spent three weeks on unauthorized absence in Puerto Rico before being captured by the shore patrol and returned to his ship.
Enterprising little critter, wasn’t he!
Last, but not least, the cutest little tuxedo SeaCat!
Fred Wunpound was the mascot of HMS Hecate from 1966 until cats were banned on Royal Navy ships in 1975 due to quarantine laws. He got his name because he was bought from an animal shelter for just £1. Leading Seacat Wunpound earned two good conduct badges but also one disgraceful conduct badge for the so-called “fish market incident.”
Happy Funny Sunday, everyone!
Calling-all-RushBabes 