Piña the Ship's Cat

Piña was born May 21, 2011 

She is a medium length haired calico. 

We had to wait for her to finish weaning off her mother. I'm glad we got her at such a young age, she's madly in love with us and her cat-cave of a home. She loves car rides, baths, and gets sea sick from time to time. But she is so well behaved. She comes when called for, sleeps on your chest whilst purring, rides on your shoulder while you walk about, and fights back like a ninja. She loves the docklife. Her hobbies down here include captaining vacant boats in their slips, gazing out her bedroom window, helping with chores and projects, or stalking grey herons. Look out for her in some of our posts. 

• The ship's cat has been a common sight on many trading, exploration, and naval ships, and is a phenomenon that goes back to ancient times.
• Cats were believed to have miraculous powers that could protect ships from dangerous weather.
• It was believed to be lucky if a cat approached a sailor on deck, but unlucky if it only came halfway, and then retreated. 
• Another popular belief was that cats could start storms through magic stored in their tails. If a ship's cat fell or was thrown overboard, it was thought that it would summon a terrible storm to sink the ship and that if the ship was able to survive, it would be cursed with nine years of bad luck. 
• Other beliefs included, if a cat licked its fur against the grain, it meant a hailstorm was coming; if it sneezed it meant rain; and if it was frisky it meant wind.
• Some of these beliefs are rooted in reality. Cats are able to detect slight changes in the weather, as a result of their very sensitive inner ears, which also allow them to land upright when falling. Low atmospheric pressure, a common precursor of stormy weather, often makes cats nervous and restless.
• The ship's cat has been a common sight on many trading, exploration, and naval ships, and is a phenomenon that goes back to ancient times.
• Cats have a high ability to adapt to new surroundings, and were therefore highly suitable for service on a ship. They also offered companionship and a sense of home and security to sailors who could be away from home for long periods
• Sometimes worshipped as deities, cats have long had a reputation as magical animals and numerous myths and superstitions sprang up amongst the unusually superstitious seafaring community. They were considered to be intelligent and lucky animals, and a high level of care was directed toward them to keep them happy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship's_cat