The Legend of the Titanic Cat
Did the Titanic's mouser cat Jenny's intuition save her kittens, and in the process also the life of her favourite crew member?
There are so many stories I find fascinating about cats - which is one of the reasons I love writing about them so much. I had a friend who had a serious illness but didn’t know it yet. At the time her cat wouldn’t leave her side. Even followed her out and really tried to get her attention. She wasn’t sure why her cat was acting so strangely but when she did go to the doctor and got a diagnosis, the cat started behaving normally, although still more attentive than usual. My friend was convinced that the cat knew - and I have heard many similar stories in my time.
My friend’s story inspired me to start researching about ‘psychic’ cats - I think of them as having a very fine intuition actually, but one story I came across is about Jenny The Titanic cat. No one quite knows if it’s true but there has been enough re-telling through the ages to suggest that it is.
The story goes like this. As many ships and boats had cats for two reasons. They were there to work, the job of mouser was important aboard ships but as an extension they were also companions for those who were away from home for very long periods of time. I imagine that some were more pets, and we know our cats, they would have chosen who they befriended.
The Titanic was no exception. Jenny was their cat - she was a mouser and also a mascot. She had been transferred over from the Titanic’s sister ship and boarded the ship in Belfast. However, Jenny had kittens the week before Titanic sailed.
Jenny, according to stewardess Violet Jessop, the cat ‘laid her family near Jim, the scullion, whose approval she always sought and always gave her warm devotion.’ So, in effect Jenny was Jim Mulholland’s cat!
On April 10th 1912, while in Southampton, Jenny was seen carrying her kittens off the ship one by one. Jim, apparently saw this as a bad omen and he also disembarked. So, did Jenny save all her kittens and one of the crew? That is what legend suggests and knowing cats, I think we can definitely say it’s feasible that Jenny foresaw what no one else did.
Happy Birthday Lady Alfie!
My lovely cat, Lady Alfie is 16 years old this week. We adopted her from someone who was moving and couldn’t take her with them. It was heartbreaking. I remember shaking as I took her for the first time - it felt awful to take her from the only home she’d known and I felt so guilty. Her previous owner cried and I did keep checking but there was no way she was able to care for Lady Alfie any more. So, she came to live with us.
That was eight years ago and now I can’t imagine life without her. So please join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to my lovely cat. Also, in the comments let me know what you do for your cat’s birthdays.
Famous Cat Lovers: Florence Nightingale
She once said, ‘cats possess more sympathy and feeling than human beings.’ Florence, who is often credited with being the pioneer for modern nursing, owned over 60 cats in her lifetime, her favourite was said to be a Persian cat named Mr Bismarck who apparently was partial to rice pudding!
She grew up with animals and cats became her favourite. In the Crimean war, she was presented with a cat to help with the rats which was a huge luxury, but it was post war that she built her family of cats, when she wasn’t as healthy as she had been. In her will she left provision for her cats and letters she wrote can be seen to have been decorated with paw prints from members of her feline family.
Alfie’s Club
This week in Alfie’s Club we are featuring two special cats who live in the same home. Bugo, a British shorthair grey with a touch of tabby, who will celebrate her birthday on November 22nd, is named after the loud sounds she makes when sneezing and snoring. Her snoring is so loud that it’s as she is shouting out “BUGO BUGO”. A playful and friendly cat, though she doesn’t like to be held by humans.
Also sharing the home with Bugo is Lady, who has very distinctive and quite striking white face markings, black mask and beautiful blue eyes. It appears she is part Siamese with her pointed ears and the dusty white colour of her body. She was an abandoned cat, adopted from a shelter on 11th November 2011. She is very sensitive, but full of curiosity - and when she hears the sound of cats fighting outside she tries her hardest to watch the fight out of the window.
November is certainly a special month for this pair of cats with a birthday and adoption date to celebrate.
If you would like to send us your pet photo, the details on what you need to send and how, can be found here: Alfie’s Club.
Plus be sure to include any stories about your cat - particularly the special friendship you have with them - in the comments below. We love celebrating the stories of your favourite cats.
Rachel Wells
Happy Birthday Lady Alfie xx
Happy Birthday Lady Alfie, She got lucky having you when her owner could,nt look after her