How cats went to sea

Who said cats don't like water? Well, maybe they don’t like it, but they’re certainly not afraid. And these old photographs prove it. See how cats accompanied sailors on long and not so long voyages, entertained them on board and enjoyed the sea breezes. Some ships even had their own cat mascots!

Sailor with a cat and a kitten, 1910. (Sam Hood)

A cat at the helm is no joke.

Cat in a hawse on the barque “PAMIR”, 1947.

The trained cats on the battleship USS Mississippi even knew how to climb up the stairs into their own hammock. OK. 1925.

Whiskey the cat is the mascot and favorite of the crew of the Duke of York, 1940s.

Sailor and kitten, 1912.

Sailors train a cat aboard the Olympia in 1898.

Melvin Vaniman and his cat aboard the Trent off Bermuda in October 1910.

A sailor with a black cat on board the Olympia, 1898.

Unusual crew members are a kitten and a turtle.

American pilots relax and play with the aircraft carrier's cat mascot in July 1944.

Cats play in the ship's guns. The photo was taken shortly before the First World War.

A sailor of the ship "Pommern" teaches a cat to walk on the shrouds.

Radio Cat, Boston, 1917-1934.

The important cat Walkle on the anchor capstan of the ship "Flusser" in Venice, Italy, 1924-1925.

This is the US Coast Guard Academy mascot, 1944.

French sailors with a kitten, Seattle, 1950.

Mascot of the battleship New Mexico named Saipan, ca. 1944.

The crew of the battleship USS Texas with a kitten and a puppy - the ship's mascots, ca. 1900 The Texas had earned a rather sad reputation as an unlucky ship, and the sailors apparently hoped to bring good luck on board in the form of these adorable four-legged crew members.

Kitten on the ship Aurora, 1914.

A veteran of World War II is the cat Puli, who received three orders and four battle stars. This photo was taken in 1959, when Puli was already 15 years old.

The crew (including the tailor) of the cruiser USS New York, ca. 1896.

There was so much tenderness on the faces of the sailors surrounding their beloved cat in a hammock on board the ship Hermione in November 1941.

Kitten on the yacht "Morning", 1902.

Seven-year-old Robin Tucker gives a kitten to the ship's crew at the 1939 World's Fair.

Black cat and spaniel on board the ship Barham, circa 1916.

Senior sailors J.T. Walker with his dog Shrapnel and Gamble with his cat Salvo on board the ship Sydney in 1940.

Sailors of the USS Nahant with two cats, ca. 1898.

Kitten on the ship "Encounter" in 1916.