Sailors and cats fill a special relationship that dates back thousands of years. It is likely that the ancient Egyptians were the first seafarers to realize the true value of having cats as shipmates. In addition to offering sailors much needed companionship on long voyages,cats provided protection by ridding ships of vermin. Without the presence of cats, a crew might find their ship overrun with rats and mice that would eat into the provisions, or chew through ropes and spread disease. The more superstitious sailors believed that cats protected them by bringing superior luck. Others sailors thought that the keen... Read the rest of this entry ยป
Source: navalhistory.org