When RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in 1912, there weren't just people on board. In addition to the 2,240 people, there were also a dozen pets.
But what happened to Jenny, the ship's cat?
Who was Jenny the Titanic cat?
Before gracing the decks of the Titanic, Jenny served aboard the Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic. As the ship's cat, she was responsible for rodent control, ensuring that the galley was kept free of mice and rats and that passengers' provisions stayed contaminant-free.
When the time came to prepare the Titanic for its maiden voyage, it only seemed natural that Jenny would come along.
As the Titanic prepared to embark on its ill-fated journey, Jenny settled into her new environment. She quickly became a beloved figure aboard the ship, providing solace and comfort to the staff.
Did Jenny predict the sinking of the ship?
Two main sources suggest Jenny spent time aboard the Titanic, referring to her in memoirs they released after the ship sank.
Stewardess Violet Jessop wrote a memoir in 1930, in which she referred to the beloved mouser who gave birth to a litter of kittens on the journey between Belfast and Southampton.
"Life aboard started off smoothly. Even Jenny, the ship’s cat and part of the crew, had immediately picked herself a comfortable corner. She varied her usual Christmas routine on previous ships by presenting Titanic with a litter of kittens in April".
"She laid her family near Jim, the scullion whose approval she always sought on these occasions and who gave her a warm devotion", she explained.
Violet's account was later endorsed by Jim Mulholland, who served aboard the Titanic on her delivery trip from Belfast to Southampton.
"I owe my life to a cat and an old superstition", he wrote.
“She had her kittens on the ship before we got to Southampton, but soon after arriving I watched her carry each one of them to the shore. I thought to myself, if she goes, I go. And others came with me, too. It was like a rat leaving a doomed ship,” he recalled.
Jim saw this behaviour as a bad omen and decided to abandon the fateful voyage, saving himself from a tragic fate.
How many animals were aboard the Titanic?
Of the 12 dogs aboard the ocean liner, three are believed to have survived the disaster. Two Pomeranians and a Pekingese were carried to lifeboats by their frantic owners, eventually making it to safety.
Heartbreakingly, larger dogs like a Great Dane did not survive. The gentle giant was travelling with Ann Elizabeth Isham, who refused to leave her beloved dog behind. Sources say the first-class passenger was found by a recovery ship, with her arms still wrapped around him.
Chickens, rodents and a pet yellow canary all lost their lives when the Titanic met its tragic end.
Did Jenny really make it off the Titanic?
Much like many of the people and animals onboard, circumstances surrounding Jenny remain shrouded in mystery. There are conflicting reports on whether she survived- having escaped with her kittens before the ship set sail. Others believe she may have perished alongside the animals that were onboard at the time.
We can only hope she did make it to shore before the ship set sail, ending her days peacefully in Southampton.
