Seafurrers: An Incidental History of the Ships' Cats Who Lapped and Mapped the World

**A cat's-eye view of maritime history** We remember the bold seafarers of yore—from Magellan to Shackleton—for their extraordinary exploits: new lands discovered, storms weathered, and battles won. But somehow history has neglected the stalwart, hardworking species who made it all possible . . . yes, the noble cat! In __Seafurrers__, able sea cat Bart sets the record straight at last. "Fear of water" aside, cats were indispensable at sea—both as pest controllers and as beloved mascots. Thirty–eight tales recount the adventures of Trim (who circumnavigated Australia), Tom (the sole feline survivor of the sinking of the USS __Maine__), celebrity cat Simon (a veteran of the Yangtze Incident), and other furry heroes. Filled with nautical trivia, rare photographs, and whimsical illustrations, this deft genealogy of human–feline friendship will stir your regard for the incomparable cat—whether on the couch or in the... Preface......Page 7 Embarking......Page 12 MOUSERS AND MORE......Page 22 Incident 1: Don’t Forget the Cat......Page 25 Incident 2: South Sea Adventures......Page 29 Incident 3: Survivor......Page 36 Incident 4: Sailing into History......Page 42 Incident 5: Beating Scurvy’s Scourge......Page 47 Incident 6: Naming Rights......Page 52 Incident 7: Collectomania......Page 58 Incident 8: Flying Cephalopods......Page 65 Incident 9: War on Rats......Page 70 Incident 10: Classic Catches......Page 77 Incident 11: Firing Line to Fame......Page 82 MATES......Page 87 Incident 12: Vital Victuals......Page 89 Incident 13: Away Up Aloft!......Page 96 Incident 14: Team Players......Page 102 Incident 15: All Aboard......Page 106 Incident 16: The Consultation of Pets......Page 111 Incident 17: Vigilance......Page 116 Incident 18: Sleeping Quarters......Page 121 Incident 19: Mateship......Page 128 Incident 20: Jobs for the Girls......Page 131 Incident 21: Able-Bodied Seafaring Cat Wanted......Page 135 MISADVENTURES......Page 141 Incident 22: Wreck Rights......Page 143 Incident 23: Swings and Roundabouts......Page 148 Incident 24: Designated Diver......Page 154 Incident 25: Epitaph......Page 160 Incident 26: Penguin Buddies......Page 163 Incident 27: Ghost Ship......Page 171 Incident 28: Cannon Cat Cold Case......Page 176 Incident 29: Soggy, Groggy Moggies......Page 182 Incident 30: Hardtack Saves the Day......Page 188 MASCOTS......Page 192 Incident 31: Spick-and-Span......Page 196 Incident 32: Turning Tricks......Page 199 Incident 33: Under Fire......Page 203 Incident 34: First Aid......Page 209 Incident 35: The Real Deal, or Tall Tale Deconstruction......Page 216 Incident 36: Brush with Fame......Page 221 Incident 37: Red Lead......Page 226 Incident 38: Disembarking......Page 230 Acknowledgments......Page 235 Permissions Acknowledgments......Page 238 Notes......Page 242 About the Authors......Page 256 A cat’s-eye view of maritime history: “Priceless historic photographs . . . deep and wide-ranging research . . . a ball of spellbinding and hilarious sea yarns.” —Richard J. King , author of Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of “Moby-Dick” We remember the bold seafarers of yore—from Magellan to Shackleton—for their extraordinary exploits: new lands discovered, storms weathered, and battles won. But somehow history has neglected the stalwart, hardworking species who made it all possible . . . yes, the noble cat! In Seafurrers , able sea cat Bart sets the record straight at last. “Fear of water” aside, cats were indispensable at sea—both as pest controllers and as beloved mascots. Thirty–eight tales recount the adventures of Trim (who circumnavigated Australia), Tom (the sole feline survivor of the sinking of the USS Maine ), celebrity cat Simon (a veteran of the Yangtze Incident), and other furry heroes. Filled with nautical trivia, rare photographs, and whimsical illustrations, this deft genealogy of human–feline friendship will stir your regard for the incomparable cat—whether on the couch or in the crow’s nest. We remember the bold seafarers of yore from Magellan to Shackleton for their extraordinary exploits: new lands discovered, storms weathered, and battles won. But somehow history has neglected the stalwart, hardworking species who made it all possible . . . yes, the noble cat! In Seafurrers, able sea cat Bart sets the record straight at last. Fear of water aside, cats were indispensable at sea both as pest controllers and as beloved mascots. Thirty-eight tales recount the adventures of Trim (who circumnavigated Australia), Tom (the sole feline survivor of the sinking of the USS Maine), celebrity cat Simon (a veteran of the Yangtze Incident), and other furry heroes. Filled with nautical trivia, rare photographs, and whimsical illustrations, this deft genealogy of human-feline friendship will stir your regard for the incomparable cat whether on the couch or in the crows nest! History has neglected the stalwart, hardworking species who made the discovery of new lands possible: yes, the noble cat! Able sea cat Bart sets the record straight at last. Cats were indispensable at sea, both as pest controllers and as beloved mascots. Here Bart (aided by Sandall, a human transcriber) presents the adventures of Trim (who circumnavigated Australia), Tom (the sole feline survivor of the sinking of the USS Maine), celebrity cat Simon (a veteran of the Yangtze Incident), and other furry heroes. -- adapted from back cover A charming compendium of anecdotes, fun facts, and grin-inducing historical photos of cats on daring expeditions, and the seamen who went with them.