In praise of fearless felines
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In praise of fearless felines


Among animals lauded as war heroes, you don’t hear much about cats. But fearless felines have helped humans through the ages when they’ve needed it most.

In ancient Egypt, cats were prized rodent hunters and grain protectors. Over the following centuries, ships’ cats kept rodents at bay while boosting sailors’ morale during their long stints at sea.

In World War I, over half a million cats shared trenches with soldiers to wrangle rodents, protect food and detect bombs and gas. In the 1940s, a cat adopted by the crew of a British ship in China survived bombing and his own injuries to comfort wounded sailors. And a kitten rescued in 2004 in Iraq became his battalion’s beloved mascot and eventually came home to the United States with a staff sergeant.

That’s how cats have gracefully helped humans over the years.

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