Cats have cattitude – an air of superiority, entitlement, and absolute self-confidence. Coupled with their reputation for courage and cunning, they’ve captured human admiration throughout history.
Early farmers along the Nile were the first to witness these fearsome ninja-warriors in action as they dispatched deadly snakes and scorpions with lethal precision. Across millennia, their boldness became legendary, earning the respect and awe of battle-hardened warriors, soldiers, and sailors.
While cattitude might suggest a hint of arrogance, it doesn’t exclude the capacity for compassion. Some cats have performed extraordinary feats, risking their lives to protect their human companions, and even strangers. These heroic cats have earned their place in the feline halls of fame, proving that behind that cool exterior lies a heart of gold.
As we delve into their stories, we’ll see just how brave and selfless cats can be.
War heroes
For thousands of years, cats have served alongside soldiers and sailors providing companionship, boosting morale, and even performing critical tasks that have saved countless lives. These feline warriors have played pivotal roles in various military operations both on land and at sea. On naval vessels, in particular, cats were essential crew members, catching disease-carrying rats and protecting valuable food supplies. On the battlefields, they alerted troops to incoming danger, ferried information in their collars and navigated the chaos of war, often emerging as unlikely saviours in dire situations. Whether in the trenches or aboard ships, these feline legends were brave beyond any shadow of a doubt.
One of the most famous war heroes was a cat named Simon, a cheeky black and white tuxedo who was found on the docks of the port of Hong Kong. A British sailor brought him aboard the HMS Amethyst as ship’s cat and rat catcher. During the Yangtze Incident in 1949, the Amethyst was attacked, the captain killed, and many sailors injured – including Simon. The ship lay stranded on the Yangtze River as the crew scrambled to make repairs. Swarms of rats invaded from the surrounding brush, threatening the already meagre food supplies which were critical to the crew’s survival.
Despite shrapnel wounds, Simon stalked and hunted down the vermin, starting with the rat-king. For 110 days, he diligently roamed the ship, catching rats, safeguarding the food stores, and lifting the spirits of the crew. Finally, with the ship repaired, the Amethyst broke free under cover of night and headed down the river to safety. To the crew, Simon wasn’t simply their mascot, he was their lifeline.
For his actions, Simon was awarded the Dickin Medal, the highest honour for animal valour, and the rank of Able Sea Cat. Sadly, Simon’s story does not end well. He was quarantined on entry to the UK and died soon after. His crewmates were heartbroken and gave him a hero’s funeral with full military honours.
Another tuxedo naval cat, Unsinkable Sam, survived the sinking of three ships during WW2. He first served on the German battleship Bismarck, which was sunk in 1941. Hours later he was found floating on a plank of wood and rescued by a British destroyer. That ship was torpedoed a few months later, and once again, Sam survived. He was then transferred to an aircraft carrier which also sank the following month. After surviving three sinkings in six months, Unsinkable Sam was (thankfully, we might assume) retired to a seaman’s home in Belfast where he lived peacefully until his death in 1955.
Navy cats like Simon and Unsinkable Sam were more than just vermin controllers. Their presence offered sailors comfort and relief from the grim reality of conflict. With their playful affections, they provided a much-needed outlet for the sailors, a way to de-stress and take a breath. Perhaps, for many of these sailors, cats symbolized home and humanity, the very things they were fighting to protect.
Some crews so adored their navy cats they turned their pictures into postcards to send to friends and family. Some were even issued their own navy uniforms and hats. Journalists and photographers quickly picked up these heartwarming stories, leading to a slew of newspaper articles that shone a light on the long tradition of sea cats. Overnight fame came to sailor cats like Sideboy for his postcard-poster looks, and Jimmy, who was awarded a medal for bravery after losing the tip of his ear to flying shrapnel.
While naval cats in their jaunty uniforms often steal the spotlight, cats also served alongside ground forces. During the Roman Empire, they travelled with soldiers to protect food stores and leather armour from rats. Though written records of their exploits are scarce, I imagine those warrior cats scampering alongside the soldiers, darting into the underbrush, chasing rabbits. At night, I picture them curled on saddle blankets by the campfire or slinking through tents in search of mice. I like to think a few found favourites among the legionaries—sharing a scrap of meat, a gentle pat, or a shared bedroll. They were mascots, symbols of courage and cunning, their images painted on shields and banners. But they still lived wild and free.
Centuries later, from the trenches of World War I comes the story of an unlikely friendship between a soldier and a little white orphan kitten. Pitoutchi was born on the front lines, and rescued by a Belgian soldier, Lieutenant Lekeux. He followed Lekeux everywhere, either walking beside him or perched on his shoulder.
One day, while scouting near the German lines, Lekeux was surprised by a patrol. Trapped in a shell hole, and realizing he’d been spotted, he braced for the worst. But Pitoutchi sprang into action, leaping onto a timber and drawing the soldiers’ fire. Mistaking the cat for the sole occupant of the hole, they moved on. Whether by instinct or chance, Pitoutchi’s timely distraction saved Lekeux’s life.
Stories like these remind us that, whether on land or sea, cats are loyal and steadfast, their courage and intelligence shining through even in the darkest of times.
The science of courage
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Cats can still be skittish, jumping at a loud sound, or fleeing from the dreaded vacuum cleaner. It’s about feeling the fear, recognizing the risk, and stepping forward anyway. Courage is a quality we admire in both people and animals and is grounded in biology as much as in spirit.
Neuroscience gives us a clearer picture of how bravery is wired into the brain. At the centre of it all is the amygdala, a key part of the brain’s emotional warning system. Think of it as an alarm bell. It scans the environment for danger and, when it senses a threat, triggers a cascade of hormones through the body. Adrenaline surges through the bloodstream, sharpening attention, increasing heart rate, and priming muscles to freeze, fight, or flee. This system is not unique to humans. Cats have it too. And even the most confident cat can startle, flatten, and vanish in a flash.
But here’s the fascinating part. Courageous people don’t feel less fear. They still show strong amygdala activation. What sets them apart is increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, which overrides the fear response. The fear is still there. It’s simply not in charge.
Something similar likely happens in animals. Cats are highly attuned to their environment, constantly observing, assessing, and adapting. They may be startled one moment and completely composed the next. A calm, confident cat isn’t one that doesn’t feel fear, but one who knows how to move through it.
Alongside adrenaline, other hormones influence the process, including cortisol. Levels increase during fear and anxiety. In healthy doses, cortisol helps the body stay alert and focused. But when levels remain elevated for too long, it can lead to chronic stress. Testosterone is also a factor in boldness and risk-taking, but more testosterone doesn’t necessarily equal more courage. Its effects are shaped by experience, temperament, and environment. Many mother cats are bold and protective, and many neutered cats have shown remarkable bravery as well.
Surprisingly, oxytocin, the love hormone, also plays a role. Oxytocin is well known for fostering the maternal bond, but it’s also involved in broader social connections. It decreases amygdala activity and helps us feel safe enough to act even when afraid. It’s a hormone that lowers stress and increases resilience in well-socialized animals. In humans, it’s one of the reasons we find heroes defending people they don’t even know. In cats, oxytocin appears to have similar effects.
It’s another reason to socialize kittens early in life, exposing them to gentle handling and varied experiences. Early exposure to manageable risks helps shape the nervous system. It builds confidence which in turn develops resilience and the ability to face challenges head-on.
The ancient Egyptians revered cats and treated them with deep affection. It’s likely they reared kittens in their home, raising well-socialized cats who trusted humans and adapted easily to change. Without that foundation, it’s hard to imagine how cats (not known for loving water) would have willingly boarded a boat. And yet they did. Cats sailed into unfamiliar worlds and spread across the globe, meeting new cultures, climates, and civilisations with undisputed courage.
Sailor cats
Since the days when cats first stepped aboard papyrus boats in the Nile, they have served on ships of all descriptions. And while some made headlines as naval war heroes, countless others served without fanfare or recognition.
Until the last century, rats were considered an inevitable part of maritime life aboard the schooners and galleons that plied the oceans. They stowed aboard in cargo, clambered aboard along mooring lines, and even swam across from the docks to climb up rope nets. Once aboard, they wreaked havoc by spreading disease, destroying cargo, contaminating food, and even biting the toes of sleeping sailors. No ship would risk leaving port without a cat on board to keep these pests in check.
In the early 1900s, sea captains advertised in newspapers, looking for sailor cats to join their crews. But generally, the docks were teeming with stray cats ready to hop aboard for a sea-faring life. Eventually, a concerted effort by maritime authorities to rat-proof ships through modern design structures and chemical fumigation put an end to the vermin problem and, in turn, to the long tradition of sailor cats. But for centuries, these sea-faring cats were the unsung heroes of the high seas.
One of the most famous sea-faring cats in history shared that same spirit. He was a cheeky rascal called Trim, the companion of Matthew Flinders and a notorious swashbuckling legend of the high seas.
Trim was born on a ship in 1799 and showed remarkable bravery even as a kitten. Falling overboard while playing on deck, Trim managed to rescue himself by swimming back to the ship and climbing a rope. His tenacity caught Flinders’ attention, and from that moment on, they were firm friends. When Flinders was given his own command, he took Trim with him. With Captain Flinders, Trim mastered the oceans, first circumnavigating Australia and later the globe.
In 1803, when Flinders was shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef, Trim stayed faithfully by his side. The crew swam to a small, deserted island, which became their temporary refuge for seven long weeks before rescue arrived. Flinders credits Trim with keeping morale high during that grim and uncertain time.
Their luck, however, didn’t last. In 1804, Flinders docked in Mauritius for what was expected to be routine ship repairs on the journey back to England. Instead of a quick layover, he was charged with spying and sentenced to seven years’ incarceration. Trim joined his captain under house arrest but would often venture forth to explore the island. One day, he didn’t return and was never seen again. Flinders feared Trim had been caught and eaten by local villagers, his friendly curiosity making him easy prey. We will never know what happened to Trim but I like to imagine he was seduced back to the sea, jumping aboard ship to resume his swashbuckling life.
Heartbroken at the loss of his beloved companion, Flinders wrote a biography about Trim, chronicling his many daring adventures. This heartfelt tribute, the first feline biography ever written, immortalizes Trim as a true sailing legend and stands as a testament to the deep affection sailors held for their shipboard cats.
Everyday heroes
War might be the ultimate frontier, and adversity may forge resilience, but heroes aren’t always found on the frontlines. Some of the most powerful acts of bravery unfold right in our homes.
While our house cats spend most of their days dozing in a patch of sunlight or gazing out the window, it doesn’t mean they won’t act when the moment calls. They don’t need a battlefield to prove their mettle. Some cats have confronted intruders, stood guard over infants, and raised the alarm during house fires (sometimes with only seconds to spare).
One of these cats was Tara, a tabby whose bravery stunned the world in 2014. A young boy was playing on his bike when a neighbour’s dog lunged and dragged him to the ground. In a flash, Tara launched herself at the dog and chased him off.
But not all threats are loud or visible. Some are silent and deadly, and somehow, cats seem to know. Whether drawing on heightened senses or tapping into something more enigmatic, this mysterious ability often extends beyond human perception. Schnautzie, a grey tabby kitten in Montana, woke her human companion one morning by tapping insistently on her nose. When the woman finally rose to investigate, she discovered the furnace was leaking carbon monoxide – an odourless, invisible gas that could have been fatal. Schnautzie had intuitively sensed that something was wrong.
How Schnautzie detected a gas that can’t be seen or smelt raises many questions. But since ancient times, cats were believed to have supernatural powers, including an uncanny sixth sense that might explain their ability to detect impending natural disasters and even medical diseases. Such was the case with Pudding. A large orange-and-white cat, he had only been adopted hours earlier from a Wisconsin shelter. That night, his human suffered a diabetic seizure in her sleep. Pudding leapt onto her chest and batted at her face. When she didn’t respond, he ran to wake her son. An ambulance was called, and she received timely treatment.
One clever cat even made the emergency call himself. In Columbus, Ohio, a wheelchair-bound man had trained his cat, Tommy, to dial 911 using a speed-dial button on the phone. When he fell and couldn’t reach help, Tommy did exactly that. Police arrived to find him on the floor and Tommy waiting calmly beside the phone. It wasn’t luck. It was training, memory, and an understanding that the moment mattered.
Perhaps most remarkable of all is that cats often help not just those they know, but strangers in need. In Ontario, a cat named Ivy sensed a neighbour’s distress. She leapt repeatedly onto her human companion’s lap, crying and pacing until she finally followed Ivy outside. There, they found the neighbour trapped, his arm pinned by a malfunctioning garage door spring. And in Russia, a long-haired tabby named Masha came across an abandoned infant in a cardboard box in the snow. She climbed in beside the baby, her loud meows drawing the attention of a passerby. The child survived thanks to Masha’s body heat. It was a fierce, maternal act from a stray who owed no one anything.
These moments remind us that heroism isn’t about spectacle. It’s about instinct, awareness, and the courage to act.
Heroes with whiskers
Our smoochy house cats may be content to snuggle in our arms and snooze the day away but when it counts, they can be as fearless as their ancestors. Their tales remind us why they hold such a cherished place in our hearts. For all their independence, cats chose to live alongside us. Perhaps it’s that silent pledge of trust that compels them to stand by us when we need them most.
So when we hear stories of feline courage, we don’t just admire them, we immortalise them. Heroes inspire awe and devotion, even if they come on four paws with whiskers and a will of steel. But more importantly, it’s their selfless bravery that awakens a deeper reflection on our own resilience and capacity for courage.
OLIVIA POZZAN
