Feline Heroes: The Cats of World War I
Explore the heroic and heartwarming tales of the cats of World War, their roles in the military, and how they impacted soldiers’ lives during wartime.
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The Vital Role of Cats of World War I: Trenches, Ships, and Companionship
They’ve never been able to figure out exactly how many men died during World War I.
- There’s no body count for the 4-footed and 2-winged creatures who gave their lives in the fight.
- The “animal veterans,” as Leah Tams of the Smithsonian calls them, pulled artillery, transported soldiers, found men who were wounded on the battlefields, and carried messages.
- Cats of World War were there to see the action during World War I, too.
In a war that saw men stuck in trenches and picking off rats with their bayonets, cats were a godsend.
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- “Throughout the ‘war to end all wars,’ cats of World War were a common sight in the trenches and aboard ships, where they hunted mice and rats,” says writer Mark Strauss.
- Beyond their ‘official’ duties, cats of World War were also embraced as mascots and pets by the soldiers and sailors with whom they served.
Cats of World War: The Unsung Heroes in the Trenches
During World War I, an estimated 500,000 cats of World War served alongside soldiers, playing crucial roles in the trenches of the Western front. Rats were a serious problem in these trenches, and the cats were essential in keeping them at bay.
- “As you can imagine, wherever you have food and, unfortunately, decaying bodies, there were rats, and it was the job of cats of World War to keep them at bay,” says Ben Mercer of Ancestry.com. Rodent patrol was one of their primary duties, but these cats were also crucial in detecting gas.
The large-scale use of chemical warfare in World War I led the Brits to “draft” 500 cats of World War for a particularly dangerous mission.
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- These cats acted as a warning system, succumbing much more quickly to toxic fumes than humans, thus saving many lives.
One cat of World War, Pitouchi, even saved a soldier’s life in a more dramatic fashion. Born in the trenches, Pitouchi had lost his mother as a kitten and was adopted by a Belgian soldier, Lt. Lekeux.
While Lekeux was hiding in a shell hole, sketching the enemy’s artillery works, a German soldier on patrol spotted him and called out to his comrades.
Heroic Cats of World War: Tales from the Trenches and the Seas
Spooked by the sound, Pitouchi “jumped out of the hole onto a piece of timber,” writes Susan Bulanda in her book Soldiers in Fur and Feathers. The Germans “fired two shots at Pitouchi. However, as frightened as he was, Pitouchi was not hit, and he jumped back into the hole with his beloved Lekeux.”
The Germans, figuring they’d made a mistake, laughed it off and went on their way. Lekeux returned to camp with the vital drawings completed and Pitouchi on his shoulder.
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Mousers at Sea
Even more cats of World War did their tours of duty on ships during World War I.
- “Without the presence of cats, a crew might find their ship overrun with rats and mice that would eat into the provisions, chew through ropes, and spread disease,” points out the U.S. Naval Institute.
- “The more superstitious sailors believed that cats protected them by bringing good luck,” the institute notes.
Many photographs testify to this bond:
- A sailor from the HMAS Melbourne poses with the ship’s cats -- one tucked under each arm -- and a determined smile
- A gunner with a regiment's "mascot cat" in a trench
- Togo, “the pet of the ‘Dreadnought,’” is shown “‘on watch’ in the muzzle of the [battleship’s] 12th gun”
- And Minnie — who, according to the caption on her photo, “took part in the landing at Gallipoli” in 1915
Feline Spies and Tragic Tales of Cats of World War
During World War I, stories of cats being used in unexpected ways emerged. One 1915 British intelligence report even mentioned two cats and a dog that were frequently seen moving back and forth along enemy lines.
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- Paranoia was rampant, leading officers to wonder if German troops were using these animals to relay messages.
- The fate of these animal spies remains unknown, but it’s hoped they escaped the traps set for them.
Not all cats were so fortunate. Felix the cat became a casualty of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914.
- Felix had been carrying friendly messages between Allied and German troops, tucked in his collar.
- Unfortunately, a French general, not willing to take any chances, ordered Felix to be shot for treason.
This tragic tale of Felix the cat found its way into the film Joyeux Noel (2005) and an anti-war poem by Heathcote Williams. The poem poignantly captures the absurdity of war through the image of Felix:
… peace cat,Who's barely ever mentionedBut whose bloodstained paw-printsAre a lone, feline testamentTo war's absurdity.
These stories, like many involving cats of World War, are a mix of bravery and tragedy. Yet, they remind us of the silent roles animals played during one of history’s darkest times.
References
- Tams, Leah. "How Did Animals (Even Slugs) Serve in World War I?" Smithsonian. Nov. 14, 2014. http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/how-did-animals-even-slugs-serve-world-war-i.
- Strauss, Mark. "These Are the Brave and Fluffy Cats Who Served in World War I." io9. Aug. 22, 2014. https://io9.gizmodo.com/a-gallery-of-cats-who-served-in-world-war-i-1624713212.
- Grant Geary, Belinda. "Remarkable Pictures Reveal the Brave Animals Our Diggers Enlisted to Use in the Trenches During WWI." Daily Mail. March 29, 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3017382/From-horses-carrier-pigeons-cats-kangaroos-glow-worms-Remarkable-pictures-reveal-brave-animals-Diggers-enlisted-use-trenches-WWI.html.
- U.S. Naval Institute. "Cats in the Sea Services." Naval History Blog. April 13, 2018. https://www.navalhistory.org/2018/04/13/cats-in-the-sea-services.
- Saul, Heather. "Cats and Dog Suspected of Spying on WWI Trenches by British Intelligence Officers." Independent. March 13, 2014. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cats-and-dog-suspected-of-spying-on-wwi-trenches-by-british-intelligence-officers-9189474.html.
- Williams, Heathcote. "The Cat Who was Shot for Treason." Dec. 1, 2013. http://www.stopwar.org.uk/multimedia/poetry-spoken-word/111-the-cat-who-was-shot-for-treason.
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T.J. Banks is the author of several books, including Catsong, which received a Merial Human–Animal Bond Award. A contributing editor to laJoie, T.J. also has received writing awards from the Cat Writers’ Association (most recently a Certificate of Excellence in 2019), as well as from ByLine and The Writing Self. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Single Parent’s Soul and A Cup of Comfort for Women in Love, and T.J. has worked as a stringer for the Associated Press, as an instructor for the Writer’s Digest School and as a columnist.
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