I once wrote about Tom, the famous cat that survived the explosion and sinking of the USS Maine during the Spanish-American War. The following tale is about several other seafaring cats who similarly survived naval events during the same war: these were the ship cats of the Cristóbal Colón, a Spanish cruiser that ran aground during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
Archive for the ‘Cat Mascots’ Category
1899: Tonias Cervera, the Seafaring Cat Who Survived the Wreck of the Cristóbal Colón
Posted: 26th March 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Seafaring CatsTags: Battle of Santiago de Cuba, Cats of Old New York, Cristobal Colon, Gerald L. Holsinger, Maria Teresa, Ship cats
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1940s: Bosun and the Missionary Cats of the Seamen’s Church Institute of NYC
Posted: 18th March 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat MenTags: 50 Broadway, Cats of Old New York, Christine A. Hartmann, Floating Church, Seafaring cats, Seamen's Church Institute, Ship cats
According to the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York (one of the city’s oldest maritime establishments), cats and dogs were the most popular mascots on ships in the good old days. Seamen were especially fond of cats, as they brought good luck to a maiden voyage. The Institute also seemed to favor cats, and in fact had numerous feline mascots at its New York City headquarters on South Street during the 1900s.
1894: Dan, the Miraculous Shrinking Cat of FDNY Engine Company 40
Posted: 7th February 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat Men, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Cats of Old New York, Engine Company No. 40, FDNY history, FDNY mascots, Fort Washington Engine Company, Francis Casey, New York City History
“This is a tale of a cat. Of a cat with a tail fourteen inches long. It is a true tale. It is vouched for by a fireman, a policeman and the appearance of the cat. A woman, a basket, a hole in a ceiling, a doctor and some medicine also figure into the tale.”—The New York World, January 5, 1894
1895: Tootsy, the Feline Firefighter of Engine Company 27
Posted: 29th January 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat Men, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: 173 Franklin Street, Cat Men of Gotham, Cats of Old New York, Engine Company No. 27, FDNY history, New York City History
Tootsy was the beloved feline firefighter of Engine Company 27 on Franklin Street in Lower Manhattan. Born on the Fourth of July in 1895, Tootsy reportedly loved the smell of smoke as much as she treasured a fresh-caught mouse.
