Cats on the Titanic

[Beverly J. Crowder]

In reading Titanic Survivor, by John Maxtone-Graham, It was intersting to find out that the ships would carry a cat onboard.

Jenny had presented the rest of the crew with a litter of kittens in April.

This is the 1st I had ever heard of a cat onboard Titanic.

Does anyone have any info on her??

Thank you

Beverly

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Beverly,

My understanding is that the mother cat carried her kittens off the Titanic at Southampton.

Lester

 

[Bob Cruise]

If you think about it, though, it makes sense.

Back then, ships carried rats (even the luxury liners).

A cat or two would make a perfect 'mate.

 

[Beverly J. Crowder]

Yes, very true, it made perfect sense to me, but I had never heard of Jenny until I read Violet's story.
Lester, how did you hear about her???

Thank you for your help Gentlemen


Beverly

 

[George Behe]

Beverly wrote:

>I had never heard of Jenny until I read Violet's >story. Lester, how did you hear about her???

Hi, Beverly!

The story appeared in the Irish News Global Edition. A stoker named Joe Mulholland worked on the Titanic from Belfast to Southampton but was 'influenced' not to continue his voyage when he saw the ship's cat carry each of her kittens down the gangplank onto the quay. He thought, "That cat knows something and has decided that the Titanic is no place for her or her family to spend their lives." According to Mulholland, he decided to follow the cat's example and left the ship himself.

All my best,

George

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Geoege,

From the Mulholland story, which was in Pellegrino's: Ghosts of the Titanic. There the cat is simply called "Mouser". As regards Mulholland it is my understanding that he was only employed on the Belfast to Southampton Delivery Run; so he was going to disembark anyway.

Regards,
Lester

 

[Dave Gittins]

In the version I've seen, in the Irish Times, Mulholland was debating whether to stay with Titanic and get two weeks' work, or to sign on a tramp steamer and get a few months' work. The cat made up his mind.

They say Guinness is good for you, especially for stimulating the imagination!

 

[Joshua Gulch]

I guess the cat didn't come back the very next day...

Josh,
No longer taking the feline species for granted.

 

[Joshua Gulch]

The animals of the HMS Hood:

Battle Cruiser Hood - Crew Information: Hood's Mascots

Josh.

 

[Beverly J. Crowder]

All,
Thank you very much for the feedback and the link.
I found it very interesting that not much was mentioned about Jenny other than what I had read in Violet's memoirs.

George, do you know where I might be able to find a copy of the Irish News Global Edition?? I am finding pets at sea a very curious subject.

Beverly

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Beverly!

I don't remember what Phil Hind's policy is on posting copyrighted material here on ET, so -- with your permission -- I'll send the text of the Irish Times article to you in a private email.

All my best,

George

 

[James Maxwell]

Hi Beverly,
If your finding pets at sea a curious subject you might also like to read some of the accounts of Ernest Shackleton's "Endurance" voyage to the Antarctic with all the references to a cat called "Mrs Chippy" which was brought on board by one of the crew. there has also been a book written about this cat simply called "Mrs Chippy"
but I'm afraid I can't remember the publisher. Maybe someone else on the board knows about this one. Sadly when "Endurance" was crushed by the ice and the crew had to abandon her, poor "Mrs Chippy had to be destroyed by order from Shackleton - a fact that caused great resentment among some crew members.
Miaoww
Jim.

 

[Beverly J. Crowder]

James,

How heart breaking! I will probably cry when I read that book! And thank you for your help.

I will have to check and see if I can find it.

George,

Got the article. Thank you so very much! I truely enjoyed it.

My search continueth

Beverly

 

[Dave Gittins]

Here are some sea-going pets for you, Beverley. More sad tales I'm afraid, as most came to a sad end.

Trim, the cat on Matthew Flinders' Investigator. He's on the net and there's a statue of him in Sydney.

Nicholson, the cat belonging to the English triple circumnavigators, Eric and Susan Hiscock. See Eric's several books.

Joshua Slocum's goat on Spray. Pity the damn thing didn't drown!

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Beverly!

Glad you enjoyed the 'Titanic cat' article.

I find it interesting that there are similar stories of "prescient" cats on board the Lusitania and Empress of Ireland. "Dowie," the Lusitania's cat, supposedly jumped ship on the night of April 30, 1915 (after having twice been rescued from jumping overboard.) A number of stokers were said to have heeded the cat's "warning" and deserted the Lusitania rather than sail on her the next morning.

The Empress of Ireland's cat is said to have fled down the ship's gangway onto the dock just moments before the vessel was supposed to cast off on her fatal voyage. A steward pursued the cat and succeeded in catching her, but the cat fled the ship again the very moment she was placed on the deck. The Empress sailed without the cat (although in this case there wasn't enough time for any crewmen to heed this "omen" and follow her shoreward.)

Don't really know why I'm posting this stuff other than to assemble these similar cases in one location.

All my best,

George