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Twitter User Shared 14 Historical Photos Of Cats Chilling In Their Tiny Hammocks Aboard Naval Ships
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Twitter User Shared 14 Historical Photos Of Cats Chilling In Their Tiny Hammocks Aboard Naval Ships

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Are you aware of how beneficial it is to own a pet? These days, life’s flooded with stress and anxiety. We constantly pressure ourselves until it eventually becomes the new norm—however, having a furry companion relaxes people and melts the worries away. In fact, previous studies have shown that having pets helps people lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Plus, pets are great at listening and keeping secrets, so you’ll always have someone to chat to about your day!

More info: Twitter

Everybody loves seeing animals online and this Twitter user decided to fuel our addiction

Image credits: Manglewood

A Twitter user that goes by the name @Manglewood was kind enough to bless our eyes with an adorable thread. They’ve gathered several archive photos of the naval ships’ cats in their tiny hammocks. Not many of us are actually aware of this matter, but cats are great sailing partners.

@Manglewood made a historical photo list of cats who served on naval ships and had their own hammocks

Image credits: Manglewood

Back in the days, it was very common to have a cat aboard, as they’d protect the ship and its cargo from rodents, preventing chewed ropes and electric wires, as well as a number of diseases that would spread through those small gnawing mammals.

Image credits: Manglewood

An example would include rat fleas that transmit the plague, plus it’s also believed that rats on ships might have been the reason why the Black Death became a pandemic.

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Image credits: Manglewood

Superstition also played a part in having a cat aboard, as people believed that they bring good luck.

Cats were essential on ships as they would protect the environment from rodents

Image credits: Manglewood

For example, sailors’ wives would keep a black cat at home as they thought that it’d use its powers, which would serve as some sort of protection for their husbands at the sea.

Image credits: Manglewood

Sailors themselves considered it to be a lucky sign if a cat would come upon the deck and unlucky if it would only come halfway and then turn around.

Image credits: Manglewood

Many others also thought that a cat’s sharp eyesight would help them out during a shipwreck at night, as they could easily detect distant lights.

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Image credits: Manglewood

The Twitter thread went viral soon after, getting over 85k likes and over 22k retweets

Image credits: Manglewood

Image credits: Manglewood

Image credits: Manglewood

Image credits: Manglewood

Most of these photos were actually taken around WWII

Image credits: angryalgonquin

Talking about a shipwreck—there was a cat named Oscar on a German battleship. When the ship sunk, Oscar survived and got picked up by a different craft. He relived the same story three times until it was decided to give him a permanent home on land. And once Oscar got assigned to a new place, he was given a new nickname—Unsinkable Sam.

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Image credits: McDonell44

However, since 1975, the Royal Navy doesn’t allow cats or any other pets to ride aboard anymore due to hygiene concerns.

Here are the honorable mentions from the thread

Image credits: mel_cbe

Image credits: TragicFrenchman

Some Twitter folks were so inspired by the post that they decided to reply with their own pictures.

Image credits: RidgewayGirl01

Image credits: MissCellaneou16

Image credits: HelenKennedy

Image credits: FirdaMaryvel

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Image credits: LeashaKnight

Image credits: sunset_breaker

Some were thinking about how the cats were definitely mind-controlling the crew.

Image credits: buddywriterdude

Image credits: ButterflyGhost_

The post was warmly welcomed as it received 85K likes and almost 23K retweets. Bored Panda hopes that you enjoyed reading this article and is eager to know if you’ll be DIYing a hammock for your cat!

 

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libstak avatar
Libstak
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cats are such experts at enlisting human slaves to tend to their every need. I bow down to our rightful overlords.

tylersix avatar
Tyler Six
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Adorable...but I feel bad for those ship cats because they very much could have been sunk during WWII...althought I am buying all the cat hammocks for my cats

vickyz avatar
phil84vaive avatar
toabhishekverma avatar
jaynekyra avatar
Jayne Kyra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry to bother, but could you please send me a link to your profile photo? I absolutely LOVE whales!

Load More Replies...
leodomitrix avatar
Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad's cousin got in *huge* trouble at a certain naval base for introducing a "ship's cat" into barracks. And that's how we ended up with Foofoo, rather than the name given him by the cousin: Charlie Fox. (For the unfamiliar, that's military shorthand for clusterf*ck... Foxtrot is usual, IIRC.)

satu-portimojarvi avatar
Big Blue Cat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like it or not... can you imagine what comfort those cats offerd to these young men. Cuddling and sleeping next to a purring cat.

elin_stenquist avatar
Elin Stenqvist
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the most important article on BP right now! Everybody needs to see this!

lisacampbell avatar
Lisa Campbell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let us not forget Able Sea Cat Simon of the HMS Amethyst, recipient of the PDSA's Dicken Medal, Blue Cross Medal, and the Naval General Service Medal with Yangtze 1949 Clasp.

c_mayo_1 avatar
RatherLoopy
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Damnit. Now I have to make little hammocks for all the feral cats I've been feeding.

camlynn1234 avatar
Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They aren't allowed on ships anymore due to hygiene concerns? Daily ship's detail roster. Cleaning the cat's boxes.

alexandrite avatar
Alex Andrite
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While aboard the U.S.S. Krishna, ARL-38, anchored half way up the Mekong Delta, we had a resident mongoose who would keep the rat population in fear. Mongoose would sleep all day, then come out and roam the decks at night, especially the aft area of the main deck, where the food garbage was in barrels awaiting to be tossed overboard for down river fish feeding. The aft look out, stationed above the barrel area, would keep track of the mongoose score each night. Rats did not have a chance !

feonaboock avatar
Feona Boock
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So great to discover this is a cat thing that's been happening for a while - our kitty made a hammock out of the green mesh meant to keep her out of our neighbour's garden. Got to love cats 💗🐈

m2crows avatar
Mike Crow
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Top photo of HMS Hermione, and their kitty Convoy, the ship was torpedoed on the 16th of June 1942 in the Mediterranean. 88 crew and the kitty Convoy were lost. RIP

phil84vaive avatar
Phil Vaive
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I'm not a fan of this at ALL. Don't take animals to war.

markhowell avatar
Mark Howell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our plans for world domination, now include aircraft carriers, cruisers, battleships etc. But we need air power as well. Oh and a death ray/star. ;o))

libstak avatar
Libstak
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cats are such experts at enlisting human slaves to tend to their every need. I bow down to our rightful overlords.

tylersix avatar
Tyler Six
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Adorable...but I feel bad for those ship cats because they very much could have been sunk during WWII...althought I am buying all the cat hammocks for my cats

vickyz avatar
phil84vaive avatar
toabhishekverma avatar
jaynekyra avatar
Jayne Kyra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry to bother, but could you please send me a link to your profile photo? I absolutely LOVE whales!

Load More Replies...
leodomitrix avatar
Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad's cousin got in *huge* trouble at a certain naval base for introducing a "ship's cat" into barracks. And that's how we ended up with Foofoo, rather than the name given him by the cousin: Charlie Fox. (For the unfamiliar, that's military shorthand for clusterf*ck... Foxtrot is usual, IIRC.)

satu-portimojarvi avatar
Big Blue Cat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like it or not... can you imagine what comfort those cats offerd to these young men. Cuddling and sleeping next to a purring cat.

elin_stenquist avatar
Elin Stenqvist
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the most important article on BP right now! Everybody needs to see this!

lisacampbell avatar
Lisa Campbell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let us not forget Able Sea Cat Simon of the HMS Amethyst, recipient of the PDSA's Dicken Medal, Blue Cross Medal, and the Naval General Service Medal with Yangtze 1949 Clasp.

c_mayo_1 avatar
RatherLoopy
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Damnit. Now I have to make little hammocks for all the feral cats I've been feeding.

camlynn1234 avatar
Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They aren't allowed on ships anymore due to hygiene concerns? Daily ship's detail roster. Cleaning the cat's boxes.

alexandrite avatar
Alex Andrite
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While aboard the U.S.S. Krishna, ARL-38, anchored half way up the Mekong Delta, we had a resident mongoose who would keep the rat population in fear. Mongoose would sleep all day, then come out and roam the decks at night, especially the aft area of the main deck, where the food garbage was in barrels awaiting to be tossed overboard for down river fish feeding. The aft look out, stationed above the barrel area, would keep track of the mongoose score each night. Rats did not have a chance !

feonaboock avatar
Feona Boock
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So great to discover this is a cat thing that's been happening for a while - our kitty made a hammock out of the green mesh meant to keep her out of our neighbour's garden. Got to love cats 💗🐈

m2crows avatar
Mike Crow
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Top photo of HMS Hermione, and their kitty Convoy, the ship was torpedoed on the 16th of June 1942 in the Mediterranean. 88 crew and the kitty Convoy were lost. RIP

phil84vaive avatar
Phil Vaive
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I'm not a fan of this at ALL. Don't take animals to war.

markhowell avatar
Mark Howell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our plans for world domination, now include aircraft carriers, cruisers, battleships etc. But we need air power as well. Oh and a death ray/star. ;o))

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