Ship's Cat

By Crusader1307

The exact beginnings of the Naval (Sailing) Tradition of a ''Ship's Cat'' is vague. Examples can be found as far back as Ancient Egypt. Much of the tradition became widely written of in the 18th Century AD forward. Many Ship's would bring aboard a Cat. Thought of as a ''Good Luck'' Mascot – the reality was that the Cat was an excellent ''rodent exterminator''. This was important in keeping Rats and Mice from bringing aboard plague. All Crewmen mentored and cared for their ''furry friend'', as it was seen as beneficial for a Ship. Both Civilian (Commerce) and Military adopted a ''Ship's Cat''. However, The Cat also brought with it various ''Bad Luck'' Omens as well. If a Cat was lost (fell overboard) -by accident, it was thought that The Ship would soon sink with all loss of life. Even if no storm was encountered, the very Act would translate into 7 years of bad luck for all Crewmen. The Tradition would last in most Navies and related until the mid-1950s.