Ship's cat

Ship's cats are domestic members of the feline animal family. Scientifically known as Nauticis Felis Catus. Originally brought onto ships to hunt rodents, later turning into mascots.

History

Cats where domesticated by the Ancient Egyptians and they were also the first who brought the cats onto their ships, as they had problems with mice and rats eating their food supply and even the ship itself. With them the custom of having cats on board ships spread around the Mediterranean. And from there, further into the world. By the 8th century BC, Vikings had brought cats all the way home to Scandinavia on their ships.

Tasks

Pest control

Originally cats were brought on board to hunt down the rodents that were eating the crew's food and the ship itself. Wood and rope are ideal for mice to gnaw on. In later, times rubber used to waterproof doors or isolation material for electrical wiring. That rubber turned out to be a delicacy for the rodents.

Health

Due to the reduction in on board living rodents, the amount of lice, fleas and other parasites also reduced. Which had a big positive effect on the health of the crew members. Also, having no mice and rat excrements within your living space or food store might have helped.

Pommern - Seaman enticing the ship's cat up on of the shrouds

Comfort

Being far from home, for long times, can weigh heavily on the mind of sailors. Their feline shipmates have proven to be excellent comfort creatures, and bringers of entertainment on those long journeys across the world's oceans.

Divination

Due to the sensitive ears of the miniature tigers, they notice drops in atmospheric pressure where our feeble human ears fail completely to notice such things. Sailors noticed that their cat friends tend to hide below decks in advance of foul weather. When they themselves had no idea this was coming. Naturally they concluded that the cats had magical powers, sensing the bad weather coming, and their act of seeking a hiding place became a warning to the crew.
See also: Meteorological prophecies

Superstition

Maybe Ancient Egyptians did worship cats themselves or they thought felines where divine in some way or another, at least it is known that some of their gods, for instance Bastet were displayed as humanoid figures with the head similar to that of a cat.

Modern sailors aren't Ancient Egyptians, but it is still considered good luck to have a cat on board a ship. Nowadays their role is mostly that of a mascot.

Trivia

A lot of times cats were listed as crew members on the ship's muster roll in the logbook. Their journey recorded, for instance, the ship's cat Chibley of the tall ship Pitcon Castle circumnavigated the world five times in her life, covering over 180.000 nautical miles.

Crew members liked their cat colleagues, that they often crafted things for them. Their own hammock was a common item among those things made by sailors.

For an unknown reason, navy cats somehow love to be photographed while inspecting gun barrels.

Roger

Roger inspecting potential targets in port. by Ümit Karabayir

Roger was the ship's cat of the Sunset Dawn. He was found as a stray kitten by the cook Alejandro, hanging on to his last of nine lives.

Alejandro nursed Roger back to life, but his right eye couldn't be saved. After his unfortinate start in life, he was a jolly cat. The Sunset Dawn, being a modern ship, didn't have a rodent problem or any rodents on board. So mouse hunting wasn't on Roger's to-do list. He lived off the galley scraps Alejandro fed him, or whatever any of the other crew members gave him.

Most of the time, Roger could be found hanging out on deck where he would find a sunny spot to sleep in. As soon as there was even a slight chance that the weather turning bad, he would head below and sneak into the captain's cabin to hide in Rose her bunk.

Roger did hate birds, and any seagull or other feathered creatures he'd promptly chase off the deck. Often looking up in utter discontent as the birds choose safer spots up high in the rigging.

Whenever the crew was fishing, Roger was the most active, making sure the sailors paid attention to their lines, and even checking them himself to make sure the delicious snacks were brought to him on deck.

Unfortunatly Roger went down with the ship, when the Sunset Dawn was bombed by the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela.

Gallery

Ship's cat of the HMS Belfast by Denis Bourez

Tiddles, ship's cat of the HMS Victorious by Royal Navy official photographer, Parnall, C H (Lt)

Ship's cat on the HMAS Encounter

ship's cat on board the CSS Acadia by Gregory B. MacKenzie

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