In honor of National Cat Day, here are 9 adorable photos of military troops with cats

Caitlin FosterOct 30, 2018, 03:20 IST

A member of the Libyan pro-government forces feeds a group of cats in Benghazi in March 2015.Esam Al-Fetori/Reuters

Whether as a mascot or pet or a stray in need of assistance, animals have always had a special place in the hearts of military troops.

In honor of National Cat Day and inspired by the US Naval Institute's historical images of cats in the sea services, we assembled some of the most adorable photos of military personnel and their animals.

See In honor of National Cat Day, here are 9 adorable photos of military troops with cats >>

HMS Vernon sailor holds ship's mascot in Portsmouth in September 1931.

A cat balances on shoulder of Royal Air Force pilot circa 1944.

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In honor of National Cat Day, here are 9 adorable photos of military troops with cats

HMS Vernon sailor holds ship's mascot in Portsmouth in September 1931.

A cat balances on shoulder of Royal Air Force pilot circa 1944.

Marine Cpl. Edward Burckhardt finds a new friend in Iwo Jima, Japan, in Feb 1945.

Seaman plays cards with his ship's pets, Joey the hamster and Smew the kitten, on the HMS Torquay in 1956.

A US Marine feeds a kitten after a heavy mortar barrage near Bunker Hill during the Korean War.

A US Marine comforts a stray cat during the battle in Khafji, Saudi Arabia in 1991 during the first ground battle of the Gulf war.

Egyptian in the UN protection force in Bosnia feeds yogurt to an abandoned cat in 1992.

A kitten adopts the trouser pocket of a US Army soldier in the Philippines in June 2012.

A sapper carries a cat to safety before detonating the remains of a mortar shell in Semenovka, Ukraine, in 2014.