Pets on ships.

[Captain Kong]

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

[Bill Cameron]

When I joined the RFA Wave Ruler at the North Wall in Rosyth, it was not a pierhead jump, but nearly, we sailed three hours later, as I neared the gangway most of the deck staff were looking under reels of rope spare gangways and all were shouting and looking for “Joe” , I asked the Chief Steward who laughed and said he was the ships cat, he was always first ashore and last on board every trip, even the Hull trawlers knew about him, this was the time of the first Cod War, and boxes of fresh fish were often transferred by heaving line when were off Iceland , he was one of the best fed cats I have ever known.

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[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi Bill,
Was on one ship that had a cat.
He jumped in BA never to be seen again.
Think he must have found a 'cat house'.

[Ian Malcolm]

Extracted from my book, LAST VOYAGE AND BEYOND.

This happened when I was on the Deucalion in 1951.

We had a cat on board and Captain Kerr wanted rid of it because a £25 deposit had to be paid on all cats on ships arriving in Australian ports. If the cat were found to be missing when the ship left, the deposit was lost. The Agent had come out in his launch from Port Tewfik and, when he was returning to the shore, Kerr had a middy take the cat and go with him to see that the animal was landed. This was done, but when the launch came out to the ship a few hours later, the cat leapt from it, shot up the gangway and could not be found before the launch departed again! But, in Melbourne, Kerr got over the problem by signing a form stating that we had no cats on board.

[Doc Vernon]

I know cats can be a pest at times but how anyone can take poor Kittens put them in a Bag with Shackles to weigh them down and throw them into the Sea is beyond me! I know what i would have done to that perrson.
Grrrrr!!!

[Captain Kong]

Hi Vernon,
when the crowd found that the Bosun had dumped the kitten over the wall he was nearly thrown after them,
We were on our way to the Breakers Yard in HONG kONG and he said the Chinese would eat them
Cheers
Brian

[Doc Vernon]

Had I been present Capt that Skipper would have been in the Breakers Yard all broke up mate! LOL
cHEERS

[Colin Wood]

Joined the "PACIFIC LIBERTY" ( a liberty ship) in Manchester in November 1953 and when we sailed the chief steward 'Don ?Juan' had a small black and white cat. We completed loading in Glasgow and then sailed for west coast of US. First discharge port was Kingston Jamaica, and when we sailed the cat was missing. We then sailed through the Panama canal discharging up the coast to Vancouver. Wewere to commence loading at Willipa Harbour in Oregon, but went aground while entering. Then dry dock in Victoria before returning to Willipa Harbour to Load. We loaded for 3 days and the mate, Jack Tye, was writing up the fare copy of the deck log when he shouted for the third mate, Peter Blenkinsop, wanted to know why we had been loading for 3 days and the draught was less now than when we arrived dead light ship. The other 2 cadets, John Nobes ans Tony (A R ) Williams and I were sent to slack the moorings. This resulted in the vessel sliding about 10 feet off the wharf and the gangway nearly dropping in the harbour.

WE completed loading in LA taking enough bunkers to get to UK with even filling the deep tanks and the crew were laughing as when you stood on the focsle, the three masts where all at different angles. The engineers had great trouble trying to stop the shaft bearings in the tunnel from over heating as the ship was heavily sagged due to the extra bunkers in the deep tanks. This resulted in us being berthed up a creek in Cristobel where there was an American navy base for investigations and there on the wharf was Chief Stewards cat, which walked straight up the gangway to his cabin.
WE spent a very pleasant 3 weeks doing repairs, but while we preparing to sail,the cat walked ashore. Bosun went ashore and brought a not very happy cat back, but as soon as it was put down, it ran straight ashore and happily sat on wharf as we sailed.

[happy daze john in oz]

We had an engineer on the Windsor who had a Bush Baby on board, got it in Durban he told me.
Hid it well for most of the voyage home and the took it ashore.
Not sure how he got it out of the dock gate, half a crown most likely.

[Ian Malcolm]

Extracted from my book, LIFE ABOARD A WARTIME LIBERTY SHIP.

The dog had come on board in Norfolk, and the SAMITE was being repaired in Baltimore.

One of the security guards admired the now lovely white dog which Charlie and I had washed and looked after and said that his young daughter was distressed because their dog had recently been killed by a car. He was delighted when we said he could have the dog if he wished and so our good-natured pet trotted off with him to its new home.