Do ships still have cats ?

[Wasley]

Hi do modern day ships such as container ships and passenger liners have cats aboard to keep down mice ?

No, ships aren't allowed to carry cats anymore, private boats etc still can I guess but no not for the Navy / cruise liners etc.

Well, I wouldn't have thought they were needed on a container ship as everything is in containers and cruise ships wouldn't as that would be like admitting they have rats!

That said, bugger all to do on a container ship so sure they go on as pets, and cats being cats, they go wherever they want, regardless of being invited so would imagine there are lots unofficially!

Sadly no, the Navy banned ships pets a long time ago. Well, the official ones. I'm well aware of various beasties that have been smuggled home from foreign climes in the last 20yrs 😂. Most of them do it properly now though and have them transported to the UK - street dogs etc.

There are lots of dogs on naval bases though - my mutt has her own RN ID card!

I can remember the Amethyst escaping down the Yangtse Kiang. there was a cat involved.

The Amethyst cat story is lovely.
I just read it. Only cat to ever get the PDSA Dickin Medal!

Not sure, but in some places they use trained sniffer dogs to check for signs of mice or rats on board boats to prevent accidental introduction of rodents into an area.

I've just read up about the Amethyst's cat Simon too. What an incredible story. Thanks for the reference EddieMairsWife.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(cat)

Captain Kate McCue is a cruise ship captain who takes her sphynx cat with her. Not quite the same as it lives in the lap of luxury, but interesting all the same! She's on TikTok and Instagram.