Cats are wonderful creatures capable of a great many feats, from nearly always landing on their feet to providing some of the best cuddles known to man. But you may not realize there are all sorts of historically important cats as well. Just like dogs, cats are unique animals in that they have been domesticated - albeit only partially - to live alongside humans and cooperate in accomplishing common goals.
Though chief among these is rodent control, in modern history there have been individual cats here and there who have made names for themselves in other ways. Some have survived shipwrecks, careers in government, and even space travel. Some famous cats in history have been spooky, while others have just been downright lucky.
Take a moment to imagine what it must be like to be not only cute, cuddly, and fuzzy, but also daring, cunning, and adventurous? These cats don't have to imagine - they've lived the furry and fabulous life of one of the many awesome cats who made history.
Humphrey, Chief Mouser To The Cabinet Office At 10 Downing Street
Humphrey was a longhaired black and white cat, gainfully employed as Chief Mouser of 10 Downing Street (the British Prime Minister's official residence), from 1989 to 1997. Humphrey shares this distinction with a long line of other cats who have received the official title of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. While one can infer what his duties entailed, Humphrey is special among his colleagues for being the subject of catnapping and murder rumors in the Parliament during Tony Blair's term.
Humphrey enjoyed a peaceful retirement until his 2006 passing, while under the care of a former Cabinet Officer.
Unsinkable Sam, Survivor Of Shipwrecks
Also known as Oscar or Oskar, Unsinkable Sam lived during the World War II era and supposedly survived three separate shipwrecks, one in the German Kriegsmarine and two in the British Royal Navy. On all three occasions, Sam was found clinging to a floating plank. Veering from astounding to unbelievable, Sam's story is one of the numerous enduring tales of survival from that tragic period of history.
When you've got nine lives, you might as well spend one of them exploring the cosmos! Félicette was sent into space by CNES (the French government space agency) on October 18, 1963; they studied her neural responses via electrodes implanted in her brain. She earned her literal 15 minutes of fame, spending just a quarter of an hour up there before retrieval by parachute descent.
Alas, her astronomical success was rewarded with an abrupt end: she was thereafter put to sleep so scientists could study the neural impulses stored by the electrodes in her brain. Au revoir, Félicette.
The Demon Cat, also known as D.C. in reference to both its name and where it is found, is a ghost cat that haunts the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The tale of its origin varies by who you ask. Some say the cat is the mother of a litter that was disturbed during construction of the Capitol. Others say it is the last, undead survivor of a colony of cats brought in to clear the rat population in a bygone era. Most sightings have taken place prior to national disasters, such as assassinations of public figures or stock market crashes, though skeptics claim the guards and groundskeepers who've spotted Demon Cat must've been drinking.
Room 8, The Best Class Pet Ever
Easily one of the most beloved cats of all time, Room 8 was a stray tabby who wandered into an elementary school in Elysian Heights, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, in 1952. The kitty adopted the students, and they adopted him back, naming him Room 8 after their classroom. He became so famous for his sweetness, charm, and loyalty that when he passed on at the ripe old age of 22, his obituary was published as far away as Connecticut. His headstone in the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park remains one of the most visited gravesites there.
Orangey, A Showbiz Cat As Professional As His Name Was Efficient
Orangey is probably not the most creative name ever for a big, fluffy, orange tabby cat who enjoyed supporting roles - and even a few starring ones - in a plethora of films and television shows in the 1950s. Owned by Los Angeles animal handler Frank Inn, Orangey is best known for playing the also creatively named "Cat" in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Orangey also occasionally went by "Rhubarb and "Minerva," but come on, Orangey is just too perfect.
