Ship's cat
Cat that lives aboard a ship at sea / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The ship's cat has been a common feature on many trading, exploration, and naval ships dating to ancient times. Cats have been brought on ships for many reasons, most importantly to control rodents. Vermin aboard a ship can cause damage to ropes, woodwork, and more recently, electrical wiring. In addition, rodents threaten ships' stores, devour crews' foodstuff, and can cause economic damage to ships' cargo, such as grain. Vermin are also a source of disease, which is dangerous for ships that are at sea for long periods of time. Rat fleas are carriers of plague, and rats on ships were believed[lower-alpha 1] to be a primary vector of the Black Death.[2]
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (July 2019) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Cats naturally attack and kill rodents[3] and adapt to new surroundings, which makes them suitable for service on a ship. In addition, they offer companionship and a sense of home, security and camaraderie to sailors away from home.