Pets on ships.

[Helen]

FROM THE MEMOIRS OF PJ KELLY - The first bombs hit the harbour entrance and the searchlight unit there. It collapsed but the powerful light kept on, sloped and illuminating SEPIA like a stage performer. Such a target was not missed by the eagle-eyed enemy and high explosive and incendiary bombs rained down. The crew went to work with sand and special equipment. I was talking to the Chief Engineer, Sutcliffe, who kept muttering about his poor wee canary in his cabin as each bomb slammed down, with never a mention of his wife who had been left there to reassure the bird.

[John T Morgan]

Most Clan Boats had a ship's cat, which usually had the run of the chart room. One of the saddest sights I've ever seen is a seasick cat! Could this has given rise to the term "There's nothing in the kitty"

[Justin Andersen]

My father was master of an oil tanker making regular trips to Foynes on the West Coast of Ireland. On one trip the pilot presented him with a live goose. It remained alive and well until the cook "did the deed" and Dad brought him home for Christmas dinner. As my mother took it out of the oven there was an overwhelming spell of fish!!

Did anyone have any Pets on their ships. NOT the Human ones, animals or birds etc.??
we had a cat on the GOOD HOPE CASTLE for three trips, it then had kittens in my bunk while I was on watch, made a mess of my bunk , dragged it into the oil skin locker, we got to Mauritius on our way to Hong Kong Breakers, the Bosun put the six kittens in a bag with a shackle and dumped them into the harbour. The mother was crying and searching all over the ship looking for them. very sad.A few days later Ted and I took the Mother across to a Clan boat, as the cat would be eaten in the breakers in Hong Kong,
We went to the Mate`s cabin and showed him our cat, he said `NO, NO Cat`. then the cat jumped out of our bag and ran aft to where the Lascars lived. the Mate was going mad about it, so Ted and I left in a great hurry.

Brian

[Christopher Adams]

On a certain company's Cadet training ship one of our number picked up a python in Borneo as one did in the early 1960s. A rather large beast it was an escape artist that was peerless. We built a shelter above the cadet's accommodation from dunnage and fed it with purloined scraps from the Galley. When the Mate cottoned on he was not amused by the story of it being the ship's rat catcher. Regrettably it died whilst we were homeward bound across the Indian Ocean - having given us much delight in having to cope with the escapades of chasing it around the deck to recapture it. Probably didn't fancy the scouse food ! Chief Cook was not happy either because of the food being lifted from the galley. Once home in UK it was examined and found to have had a brain tumour. Very sad (but interesting). Chris

[Chrislofotos]

In 1963 as Senior apprentice and dog owner, I was given the responsibility of caring for a dog that was being shipped out to India to join its owner who was relocating there from the UK. Nobody had prior knowledge as to what type of dog it was! On the day of its arrival a large kennel was located outside my cabin, and to my consternation was a fierce looking Alsatian. With great trepidation I opened the kennel and to my relief discovered he (Lucky) was friendly. The voyage to India was quite stressful, poor Lucky had great difficulty in getting his sea legs and suffered greatly as a result. He was grateful to disembark and reunite with his owner!

[Michael Wainwright]

Always seemed to have had Parrots from Venezuela or parakeets from India on Esso tankers when I sailed in the late sixties.

[Bill Morrison]

Never had a pet as such but from time to time carried animals to the Antipodes as deck cargo. This poor Chihuahua was housed in a kennel on the engineers deck, crossing the Indian Ocean we hit some very stormy weather and the 3rd Eng. felt sorry for it and kept it in his cabin till it crap on the carpet, back to the kennel bad weather or not.

[John Richardson]

Hi there, In 1976 I was 3rd engineer on a parcel tanker called MV Post Runner. My assistant on watch was the senior Chinese engine room rating who had a pet African Grey parrot. This bird was considered to be an honorary member of the engine room staff because it spent as much time down below as any of us. Its preferred perch was on top of the engine room blackboard at the control platform next to the telegraph and the phone. The latter was a very old fashioned hand cranked device which made a squealing noise when the bridge was ringing down to us. The parrot was an excellent mimic and several times during my first few days I went to answer that phone, only to find that I was being summoned by the parrot!

[Keith Tindell]

In the 60s on the Baltic Trader, picked up a giraffe from Italy (i think), for Von Opels private zoo, and took it to Hamburg. It was housed on the deck in a large crate, similar in design to a large owl box, and when you were walking down aft to the accommodation , you sometimes forgot it was there, and it would reach down and nuzzle your neck, frighten the s*** out of you. All hands kept feeding it spuds from the spud locker, and eventually ran out, kt

[David Robins]

The family story goes my uncle Bill who served on many convoys during WW2 as a stoker had a pet monkey. Unfortunately a crew member killed it. Nobody owned up to the deed so at the next port of call he gathered up the menagerie of crew members pets parrots, mice, dogs etc. and gave them away to the local kids.