Pets on ships.

[Captain Kong]

Hi John
That is not a skirt, It is a sarong, Everyone in the Spice Islands wore them, One for working in, one for going ashore and Sundays, and one for sleeping in.
The Captain had first choice when the Sew Sew Lady came on board to make them so you could not have the same design as him.
Very comfortable in the hot humid weather.
I noticed after 60 years since those days , No one in the Spice Islands wore them.
see the crowd below. with their parrots in cages, Charlie was Never in a cage,
We were the last of the Seafarers,
The world will not see our likes again.
Brian

In the last photo of the crowd, Ted my old school mate from Bolton, second on the left died in 2015.

[Martin Stapley]

Hi. I was on Turnbull Scots ‘Baxtergate’ in 1970 on charter to Mitsui running from Japan down through the Indian Ocean islands to East and South Africa. Somehow we obtained a Lemur in Madagascar who was on the ship for over a year. Named ‘ Sir Basil Ardley Stokes ‘ It drank beer and ran up the curtains in the ships bar. It had really human type hands and used to push grapes into your mouth when one was lying in ones bunk. The ships crew was eventually paid off in Durban and it was handed to someone in the British consulate in Durban.

[David Anderson]

On the Sheaf Tyne we had rabbits, they lived on the deck and enjoyed a swim in the pool.

[Michael O'Reilly]

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

Hi All
When I was on the Sea Princess in the 80’s I used to have 3 Pets kept in a jam jar.
Billy, Ted and Tug.
They were great, easy to look after, didn’t need much food and water, very quiet at night!
Cockroaches!
I miss them dearly.

[Phil Hughes]

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

Hi Brian, While I didn't personally have a pet on board I knew some who did. One was a South African 2nd; Cook / Baker on the Warwick Castle in 1958 who always had a chameleon on his shoulder and an A.B. on the Darro in 1961 who had a parakeet. Phil.

[Terry Sullivan]

We had a female cat on a Port boat which 3 times showed all the signs of being pregnant and was certified by the Doctor after the third phantom pregnancy we had to keep the cat away from the doctor who swore that it was ruining his reputation.
Terry

[Valerie Pratt]

I had a budgie , the stewardesses used to queue up to look after him when I went on leave.

[Sylvia Grinham]

My husband Stan Grinham (Goolie) told me about a parrot on board one of the ship's he was on that used to follow his owner everywhere and when he was not to be seen the parrot would fly around saying " where's Tony? "

[Malcolm Lawrence]

Had a 6" long Stag Beetle on a Fyffes Banana boat once, fed it on orange juice concentrate, keeled over after about 3 months which is the normal lifespan of them.

[Helen]

[QUOTE=Captain Kong;334714]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.