We have three cats at the moment.
But they are not “house” cats per se.
I would say they are happy, indoor, cared-for cats.
They live in our barn. In the winter, we have heat for them. In the summer, we keep them cool. They eat well and explore the world around the barn whenever they please.
I should add that we love them. A whole big bunch.
We are not alone in this world when it comes to loving cats.
As of recent estimates, approximately 25% of households in the United States own cats. This translates to around 95 million pet cats in total across the country. I think it is probably more.
And then there are others. The number of stray cats in the U.S. is more difficult to pin down exactly. But. Estimates suggest there are between 60 to 100 million stray and feral cats in addition to the “pet” cat population.
That’s a lot of cats. This means that when adding strays to the total pet cat population, the figure could be around 155 to 195 million cats in total.
Hello Kitty.
But a lot of people love them. And they have, for a long time. Nikola Tesla called his feline friend “the finest of all cats in the world.”
In fact, there are stories about some “cool cats” throughout history. And here are a few.
1. Unsinkable Sam
Okay. So, cats may not actually have nine lives. But there once was a cat named Unsinkable Sam. He might have pulled a few of these lives out of his kitty hat. As the story goes, the black-and-white cat was aboard a German battleship called the Bismarck. The Bismarck was sunk by Allied forces in May 1941. Sam somehow survived and later found himself aboard the HMS Cossack, a British ship. That vessel was then torpedoed by a German U-Boat. Somehow, Sam made it out alive.
Sam had miraculously lived through two shipwrecks in just five months. But wait. There’s more. In November 1941, the cat was aboard the HMS Ark Royal, an aircraft carrier, when it, too, was torpedoed. Sam was found during the rescue efforts and was said to have been “angry but quite unharmed.”
He later retired from military service and spent his final years living safely on land. Now. I’m not sure how he went from ship to ship, switching sides. I guess if these guys found a cat bobbing in the ocean, they threw out a line.
2. Able Seacat Simon
Some historians doubt that Unsinkable Sam was actually a single cat. I had the same feelings. Yet, that is how the story evolved. But that’s not an issue with our next little kitty boy. This guy was named Able Seacat Simon. He was a black-and-white cat who served on the HMS Amethyst in 1948. It was a British vessel serving in Hong Kong.
The next year, while the ship was en route to guard the British embassy. This was during the Chinese Communist Revolution. Anyway, the People’s Liberation Army attacked, and the Amethyst ran aground.
Simon was injured during the assault, but that didn’t stop him from playing an important role during the 101-day-long siege. He kept the ship’s rat population at bay. Good Simon prevented the rodents from devouring the limited food supply. After the siege ended and the crew returned to England, Simon was awarded the Dickin Medal for animal bravery. He’s the only cat to have ever received that honor. He keeps it really clean.
3. and 4. Dixie and Tabby
Not all cats who served their country did so in the military. We bring this story on land to the United States. Specifically, the White House. There probably have been cats prowling around the White House for as long as there have been first families. However, the big white mansion didn’t house any official first cats until Abraham Lincoln took office.
The president was gifted two kittens from Secretary of State William Seward. Lincoln became smitten with the kittens. He named them them Tabby and Dixie. The two cats lived luxurious lives and were held in high regard. Lincoln once let Tabby dine at the table during a formal dinner. He thought highly of those cats. Old Abe reportedly remarked that Dixie was “smarter than my whole cabinet.”
So, there are some historical standouts in the cat world. I have more, but that’s all for now. I don’t want our cats getting jealous as they read this daily blog.
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“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” — Sigmund Freud
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“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” — Terry Pratchett
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“There are no ordinary cats.” — Colette
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The cat stories. Amazing cat stories.
