Photos Show Cats Serving As Members of the US Navy
As long as humans have been sailing the seas, cats have been by their side.
A US Navy officer pets a boat cat. Courtesy of Scot Christenson
Furry felines have been passengers aboard ships for thousands of years, traversing the world and spreading around the globe, according to Scot Christenson, director of communications for the US Naval Institute and author of "Cats in the Navy."
Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings dating back 5,000 years show cats hunting birds from a boat, Christenson told Insider.
The Phoenicians and the Vikings, both master seafaring communities, later helped spread cats throughout Europe.
British, French, and Spanish explorers in the late fifteenth century carried cats to the Americas upon the discovery of the "new world" during the age of exploration.
The animals were so universally revered that local islanders visited by British trading ships would often sneak onboard the ships to try and steal a cat for themselves, Christenson said.
Source: Business Insider
