this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2024
221 points (97.4% liked)

cats

18899 readers
1827 users here now

typical internet cats. videos, pics, memes welcome!

rule 1) be kind

lemmy.world rules:

other cat communities midwest.social cats

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/[email protected]/t/992926

British soldier with the trench cat, France, WW1, 1918

top 5 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Seeing animals in wartime photos always stirs so many feelings in me. Why did they stick around? Did they understand the danger? Obviously they couldn't understand the situation but lots of loud scary noises would drive them away, I think. Too attached to their people to leave? How many outlived their adoptive family?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I feel like cats at least know where to go when it's loud outside, where to get food/water/rest in the calm, where to get all the pets and lovins before taking off,.. I don't think any animal is ready for bomb shakes but they'll get to the best place they can faster than we will for protection.

Too attached to their people to leave? How many outlived their adoptive family?

Now, I know nothing about nuthin', but I would guess any house kitties left behind in active war zone might not have lasted long. This cat in the pic is likely a stray, and he's seen some shit before any of those assholes even showed up. I bet a lot of house cats did survive, and went on the bring love to a new family as a fellow survivor.

---edit to replace "warrior" with "survivor", added a word---

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I assume that a feral/stray cat that isn't too spooked by loud noises (which may or may not require them to be deaf, I'm not a veterinarian, nor an animal behaviorist) could have a decent time in a WW1 trench. Most soldiers were probably happy to pet them and/or bunk with them, and there would likely be a nearly endless supply of live rats to play with/eat somewhere.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

A French trench cat, you could say

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Jaques! I told you to acquire a trench coat for the undercover operation.