Klohe Cat

A tragic bit of #Caturday history: When carpenter Harry McNeish joined Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to the Arctic in 1914, he was accompanied by his (male) cat Mrs. Chippy. The “full of character” feline became the ship’s mascot.

After the Endurance was crushed by ice, leaving the crew stranded 350 miles from the nearest land, Shackleton, seeing the sledging dogs and Mrs. Chippy as “weaklings” who would burden the men, gave orders to shoot the animals.

The crew sailed to safety on a boat McNeish built. His expertise in building this life raft was probably the only thing which enabled the men to survive. During the journey McNeish quarreled with Shackleton, and was found guilty of insubordination. This led to him being denied the Polar Medal, an award given to others in the crew. It has been suggested his rebellious behavior at least partly stemmed from his anger over Mrs. Chippy's murder.

It is certain he never forgave Shackleton. Someone who visited McNeish soon before his death in 1930, recorded that all he remembered the carpenter saying was that "Shackleton had shot his cat."

In 2004, the New Zealand Antarctic Society raised funds to put a statue of Mrs. Chippy over McNeish's grave. His grandson thought it was the most fitting tribute McNeish could possibly have. "I think the cat was more important to him than the Polar Medal." (Photo: Nigel Cross) ... See MoreSee Less