War Demands That Cats Go BOOOOOOOM!!!

A recently discovered manual on artillery and siege warfare, from the 16th century, depicts the use of cats and doves with bombs or rockets attached to them. They were to be used to set fire to castles and cities that were difficult to conquer.

 

I would not classify these as the first suicide bombers as I do not believe that the cats or the doves were volunteering for this duty.

 

I am curious as to how the cats were introduced into the castle or city. Bombs on their backs would not exactly make them Trojan Horses. The other thing that strikes me as unusual is the size of the cat and dove pictured here. They must have been a lot bigger in the 16th century.



The theory is that you strap a bomb to the cats back, light the fuse and set the cat free in hopes it would run home. I have to agree with the scholars studying this manual; that the cats would probably not run home but in a panic would set fire to the attackers own camp.

 

Cat lovers need to know that there is no evidence this method was ever employed. My cat is sitting looking over my shoulder reading this. He looks relieved, lol.

 

In 1906 the Black Cat Fireworks Company was founded.

 

Maybe this is where they got their idea for their company name.

Randy