11/11/2026
🇺🇸🐾HAPPY VETERANS DAY🐾🇺🇸
Today, we also honor the brave animals who have served alongside our military heroes. From loyal military working dogs to horses, pigeons, and other courageous animals, their dedication, loyalty, and sacrifices have helped protect countless lives. They may not wear medals like our soldiers, but they deserve our gratitude and recognition.
Cats have served in the military for various roles, including as mousers, mascots, and companions to soldiers. Their contributions, while less recognized than those of dogs, have been significant in boosting morale and protecting supplies from pests.
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U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq were joined in their tent one night in 2004 by a kitten who was born on their base. The kitten’s littermates had run off, but he stayed with the army unit, chasing off mice who would have eaten or contaminated the soldiers’ food. But even more important than his role as a mouser, the cat served his soldier buddies as a friend and source of comfort in an extremely stressful situation.
The soldiers made him an honorary member of their unit, naming him Private First Class Hammer. When it came time for the unit to go back home to the United States, Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield couldn’t let one of his comrades get left behind. He wrote a passionate letter to Alley Cat Allies, a rescue group that was moved by Pfc. Hammer’s story. They raised money to transport the cat to the U.S. where members of his unit were waiting to give him a hero’s welcome. Pfc. Hammer lived out the rest of his days with Bousfield and his family until he passed away in 2015.
