Cats are Heroes

Cats Are Heroes

Thousands of cats were dispatched to the trenches and aboard ships during WWI and WWII to keep rodent numbers down and act as early warning detectors for mustard gas. Many gave great comfort to the troops as companions and mascots. Just because they didn’t raise a gun, heal the wounded, or command a ship doesn’t mean they didn’t serve their country any less.

Some gave their lives or went down with the ships—just like many of our brave men and women. And many soldiers had a special bond with these cats.

Here are a few of their stories.

Togo the Sailor Cat

Togo was a cat on the battleship Irresistible who helped men clean the 12-inch gun barrels—well, not really. He just climbed in them for a photo op. But he stayed on the ship helping keep the rodent population down until the ship sank. The crew tried to save him, but sadly, he went down with the ship. He was a true sailor.

Ching the Greeter

Ching was another ship cat, this time on HMAS Swan. He would greet soldiers and sailors by shaking their hands—boosting morale and making the day just a little better for everyone he met.

Brave Hearts on the Battleship

A battleship launched in 1906 (name unknown) had two cats aboard when WWI broke out—a black cat and a tabby. The black cat never seemed to flinch at gunfire. He’d walk along the top of a 12-inch turret even as it fired, fur standing on end, calmly surveying the chaos. The tabby, however, was the opposite—completely terrified of gunfire. He would hide for hours after battles ended. Two cats, two very different reactions. Both still served.

Mourka the Messenger

The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in modern history. It was often too dangerous for soldiers to carry messages across the city. A Russian commander noticed that Mourka, a cat living at army headquarters, always found his way back to his food dish—no matter what.

So the commander ordered Mourka to accompany scouts on missions. Reports on German troop movements were tied to his collar. Mourka made it back every time—for a while. After several successful missions, Mourka went missing. His fate remains unknown.

A Mother’s Move

In 1918, The Gympie Times shared this morale-boosting story:

“The lookout men saw a cat emerge from the German trenches, make her way calmly to their trenches, pass through, and proceed to the rear, where she inspected the officers’ billets. Then she returned to the German lines. To their amazement, she reappeared with a kitten in her mouth. She passed by them, dropped the kitten in the dugout, and went back for kitten number two. Finally, she had three kittens safe in the English lines. Speculation as to her reason for deserting the Germans was in vain. She never told.”

My Hero: Rocko

My cat, Rocko, saved my life too. So he’s a hero to me.

I adopted Rocko from a Humane Society. I had always wanted a dog, but my girlfriend at the time (now my ex-wife) didn’t want one in our apartment. So we compromised—I picked out a cat. An 8-week-old ginger tabby kitten named Pickles. I renamed him Rocko. He acts more like a dog than a cat: comes when I call, loves belly rubs, and even used to go outside on a harness.

But Rocko had some struggles too. One time he stopped using the litter box and seemed like he couldn’t pee. Turns out he was extremely stressed—partly from changing food, partly from our environment. The vet said he likely had severe anxiety. And looking back, I think he was feeding off both my ex-wife’s anxiety and the tension in our home.

After our divorce, when I moved out, Rocko came alive. He was relaxed, happy, and completely different. I could see he was thriving.

So How Is He a Hero?

When my life fell apart—during the divorce, getting laid off from work because of COVID, losing close friends—I hit a really dark place. I thought about leaving this world. I started listing off everyone I knew, rationalizing that they’d all be fine without me.

Then I looked at Rocko.

Everyone in my family is allergic to cats. He wouldn’t have a home. He’d just started living his best life. I was the only person he really liked.

And I realized… I couldn’t leave him.

That was the moment I reached out to people. Told my family how much I was struggling. Asked for help. And I’m still here today.

Rocko reminded me I was still needed. He saved my life just by being my buddy.

So yes—Rocko is a hero.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go save his life... because I hear my wife yelling at him for eating her plants again. I am joking, she loves him and he loves her so she would never hurt him. But she does love her plants…