re: Anyone own cats?

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Meh, when the military starts strapping cats to their chest instead of dogs when parachuting into Afghanistan get back to me.

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Sevastopol Tom, or Crimean Tom, was an accidental hero. In 1854, when British and French troops occupied the Russian port town of Sevastopol, Tom led the famished troops to caches of food beneath the rubble, which had been hidden all along the waterfront by the Russian defenders. Though not an official military cat, Tom was adopted as a mascot by the grateful soldiers and was taken along to England when the troops were called back.

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Tiddles, a born and raised ship cat, served a few Royal Navy aircraft carriers, but served with the HMS Victorious in the early 1940s as the official Captain’s Cat. It can be assumed that he performed his duties ably, since he traveled over 30,000 miles during his naval service. He may also be one of the reasons for why the black cat is considered lucky in Great Britain.

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Able Seacat Simon (his official title), of the Royal Navy’s HMS Amethyst, began his career in 1948 as the Amethyst’s formal ratter. During the time he served, Simon performed his duties so well that he was twice awarded in 1949. The first after a particularly grueling incident with Chinese forces, Simon was awarded an Amethyst campaign ribbon for his valiant service. The next was the Dickin Medal for animal gallantry. Simon is the only cat to have received the Dickin Medal, and when he died, he was buried with full naval honors.

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Even today, a good mouser is still cherished. Pfc. Hammer proved his mettle when he decided to move in with the troops of a U.S. Army unit in Iraq in 2004, killing and chasing away mice that would have devoured or contaminated the soldiers' food stores. The men were so grateful for Hammer’s hard work and affection toward them that they made him an honorary member of their unit, and applied for and received help from Alley Cat Allies and Military Mascots to bring Hammer home to America after their deployment. He now lives in Colorado with his old comrade, Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield.

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Sailors and cats have a special relationship that dates back thousands of years. It is likely that the ancient Egyptians were the first seafarers to realize the true value of having cats as shipmates. In addition to offering sailors much needed companionship on long voyages, cats provided protection by ridding ships of vermin. Without the presence of cats, a crew might find their ship overrun with rats and mice that would eat into the provisions, chew through ropes and spread disease. The more superstitious sailors believed that cats protected them by bringing good luck. It was also common for crews to adopt cats from the foreign lands they visited to serve as souvenirs as well as reminders of their pets at home.

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