Many cultures throughout the world associate cats with good fortune. Our relationship with these fascinating creatures goes back thousands of years. We’ve relied on them for pest control and companionship. But from ancient Greek vessels to modern American naval craft, cats have a special place on the open seas. This fascinating history reveals some special insight into human-feline relationships and especially cats on the high seas.
A Time-Tested Partnership
Humans and cats have a long shared history. English philosopher John Gray explains housecat origins in his 2020 book “Feline Philosophy.” Its ancestor, Felis silvestris lybica, started living with humans 12,000 years ago.
This North African wildcat began inhabiting settlements in ancient Turkey, Israel, and Iraq. Its East Asian cousin did the same thing about 5,000 years ago in China. Lured by pests threatening food supplies, cats started a symbiotic relationship with us.
It wasn’t long before humans gave cats mystical meanings. Ancient Egyptians revered their feline friends, as journalist Jacob Brogan mentions. But these animals were also protectors and were often associated with deities like Bastet and Sehkmet. The god Bes had no temples dedicated to him, but he guarded children in Egyptian households.
The ancient Egyptians are the most famous for their love affair with cats. Yet they’re not the only ones. There’s Maneki Neko, the legendary Japanese feline who saved a samurai from a deadly lightning strike. Norse legends said that two tomcats pulled the chariot of Freya, the goddess of love and fertility.
How Cats Got Their Sea Legs
Ships’ cats have a rich history protecting our cargo. Atlas Obscura explains that Felis catus spread throughout the world on sea-faring craft. Ancient Egyptian and Phoenician mariners first took them on board to kill rats. Later, Viking sailors invited cats on the high seas.
While records are a bit scarce, historians believe that cats also rode on pirate ships. During the Golden Age of Piracy between 1650 and 1730, cats handled rat infestations. But they also bolstered crew morale. Black kitties were the luckiest–keeping them fed and safe ensured good luck for their ships and crews.
Even with new ships and tech, our whiskered companions didn’t disappear from the high seas. In modern times, rodents also threatened electrical wiring and equipment. Like their medieval ancestors, rats spread diseases such as the plague and salmonellosis. Naval historian Scot Christenson remarks that cats have better distance and night vision. Both are invaluable at sea, whether on a merchant ship or war vessel.
Four-Legged War Heroes
Cats offer good fortune on vessels in both war and peacetime. But you may not expect one to become a decorated war hero. Journalist Robin Hutton profiled Simon, a black-and-white tomcat aboard the HMS Amethyst in 1949. A crew member brought Simon onto the ship to tackle its rodent problem. But while sailing to Nanking that April, Chinese forces opened fire on the vessel.
Simon suffered grave injuries during the attack, and hope for his survival was bleak. But the little tomcat pulled through and returned to rat-catching duties while recovering. To date, he is the only feline to have received a Dickin Medal. It’s the highest honor the United Kingdom awards for animal bravery during battle.
Simon isn’t the only notable cat in modern military history. CatTime mentions Crimean Tom, a gray tabby who helped British and French soldiers find a hidden storeroom full of food. This was a welcome find for Tom’s human companions, who were running low on essential supplies.
By Land and Sea
Cats and humans have a comfy coexistence. Feline care experts like Hannah Shaw and Jackson Galaxy offer sage advice on caring for these amazing animals. But our furry friends have also been on our sea-faring vessels for thousands of years. They began as pest control, but cats have also captured our hearts on the open seas.