Ace of Spades Pet Thread, August 10

Good afternoon and welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Thanks for stopping by. Kick back and enjoy the world of animals.

Would you like a treat?

Let's relax a little with the animals and leave the world of politics and current events outside today.

Paws of War: The Remarkable Saga of Unsinkable Sam
By Kyle Carmean

Of all the tales of epic battles and heroism of World War II, there’s one that stands out as not only remarkable but undeniably cute – the story of Unsinkable Sam.

Originally named “Oscar”, he got the nickname “Unsinkable Sam” after his harrowing adventures during the war. No, Sam was not a Marine or a sailor, Unsinkable Sam was a black and white ship’s cat whose extraordinary tale of survival has become legendary among the British Royal Navy.

If you’re a history buff with a soft spot for felines then prepare for an adorable story of how one ordinary cat survived the sinking of not one, not two, but three different ships on both sides of the war.

The various roles of cats on ships are described.

Then the battles:

The Bismarck Vs. The HMS Hood

After the sinking of the Bismarck, the crew of the British destroyer HMS Cossack was searching the area for survivors. This is when they spotted Sam floating on a makeshift wooden plank amidst the floating debris.

The resilient cat caught the attention of the sailors and they adopted him into their ranks. They gave him the name “Oscar” which is the designation for the letter “O “in the International Code of Signals.

The HMS Cossack

Unfortunately, Sam’s luck was about to take another turn. On October 23, 1941, the HMS Cossack was torpedoed by a German U-boat while on convoy duty in the North Atlantic.

As the HMS Cossack slowly sank, the crew, including Sam, was transferred to The HMS Ark Royal before the Cossack finally succumbed to its injuries and sank.

The HMS Ark Royal

Less than a month later, on November 14, 1941, the Ark Royal was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat. Now familiar with the drill, Sam found a piece of driftwood and clung to it until he was rescued by the

British destroyer HMS Legion and brought to safety.

Retirement

After his 3rd and final rescue, the Royal Navy realized that Sam had had enough of the war and was granted retirement. He was sent to Gibraltar where he lived out the rest of his life in a sailor’s home.

He was officially christened “Unsinkable Sam” and he became a legend among the British Royal Navy.

The roles of cats on board ship, details about the ships and about the war were interesting, too.

I didn't know this about Europeans starlings:

European starlings are exceptional mimics. Their ability at mimicry is so great that they can imitate other birds' vocalizations, reproduce the most incredible noises with smooth liquid sounds and harsh trills

[📹 Sarah Tidwell]pic.twitter.com/xX6elqHFU6

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 4, 2024

I'm Number One!

Few species have been observed imitating human behavior, but the list of observations has recently grown thanks to social media videos.

This is just a deer scoring a goal and celebrating.pic.twitter.com/cX0MPlPA7I

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 4, 2024

From Jewells:

It's been a long time so thought I would send in a picture of my grand pup, Moose. Moose was featured several years ago but you can never get enough of that sweet face! He's 10 now and starting to show some gray but he's still quite handsome. He's a chuihuahua, dachshund mix. He knows when I don't feel good and tries to make me feel better.

What a good boy, Moose! Take good care of Jewells for us!

Thanks for sharing the lovely photos of Moose, Jewells. Hope you feel better.

From Dimuse:

These are not my pets, but had I stayed a little longer, they’d all have names!

Anyone who has been to Key West knows that the island is inhabited by colorful, cheeky chickens who pretty much own the place. They run wild during the day and sleep in trees at night.

Well, having never been, I was surprised and charmed by the local plumage when visiting friends down there last month. I was staying with them on the air force base in a little condo that had a screen room. We’d sit there and watch the roosters jealously guarding their hens as they pecked their way across the lawns.

One morning, I awoke to scratching sounds in the screen room, on the other side of my bedroom window. I peeked out and saw one of the hens up on the seat of a rattan chair. Next thing I know, her rooster (outside on the grass) starts yelling at her. She, being a modern hen, yelled right back. The argument continued until I went out there and shooed her out the door. When I was satisfied that no domestic violence would occur, I returned to the screen room and found a surprise!

Roosters on the lawn before the "incident" occurred.

Girl on a mission!

She left a gift! Over the week, she left us three eggs. We hated to let them go to waste, so we honored her by having them for breakfast on the last day of the trip. This population of chickens originally came from Cuba, a couple of centuries ago, to use as fighting cocks. After cock fights were outlawed, they were just let loose and are now protected by law.

Dimuse

This is not a very good photo of the kitten who got dropped off while I was writing my posts last week, but he's pretty active for a kitty who's quarantined for a repiratory virus. He would rather be petted than held.

Taking name suggestions.

The AoSHQ Swiss Guide Dog Gioia has another visitor:

From Gioia's daddy:

If one Life is not enough for happiness, adopt a second one. This one is called Lumi

My grandkids just got this new puppy rug.

Esteve

Tremendous! Love puppy rugs!

This is Lincoln, our big 1 year old. He is still a bundle of energy and curiosity, because that comes naturally when you're a Weimaraner, but he has brought us a great deal of joy. He is also a great traveler and loves the rv lifestyle. He loves meeting all the new people and loves all the new smells wherever we go.
Megthered

Lincoln is very impressive!

Thank you for sharing your pets with us.

If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:

petmorons at protonmail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Until next Saturday, have a great week!

If you start feeling nostalgic, here a link to last week's Pet Thread, the
Ace of Spades Pet Thread, Aug. 3. Some special PetMoron stories and photos there.

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.