Military working cat program underway at 'The Old Guard'

www.army.mil Homepage of US Army ^ | March 28 , 2013 | By Staff Sgt. Megan Garcia

[SMGFan]

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. (April 1, 2013) -- The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), is doing its part to cut down on military spending with the implementation of a new cutting edge program which will use military working cats to work alongside military police.

Currently, U.S. Army Military Police, or MPs, most often use German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois dogs for narcotics detection, tracking criminals and for taking down criminals, thus reducing the risk of injury to MPs.

"I think it's a great idea," said Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Radmall, platoon sergeant, 947th Military Police [MP] Detachment, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). "There are so many homeless cats in the Virginia area. Not only will the Army have a more cost-effective working animal, but we will be doing our part in getting them off of the streets and finding them employment."

Officials hope to capitalize on cats' olfactory and hearing prowess. While most people think of dogs as having sharp senses, cats actually have more acute senses.

For example, dogs can hear five times more acutely than humans, and cats about twice as acutely as dogs. Also, a domestic cat's sense of smell is about fourteen times as strong as a human's

Soldiers around the regiment have been doing their part to support the program by capturing stray cats in their neighborhoods and bringing them into the detachment located on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va. More than 100 cats have been collected since the program started earlier this month.

[MarkL]

In fact...can’t see they’d be very useful at all.

How can you say that?!?! They're extremely useful! Why just a couple of months ago, while I was "kitty sitting" for a friend, that kitty cat was extremely useful in letting me know exactly what time it was!

Time to pet the kitty... Time to feed the kitty... Time to play with the kitty... Time to go to bed, so the kitty could get comfortable between my knees...

Any time of day, that kitty would let me know what time it was. Just like a Swiss watch!

Mark

[MarkL]

story smells like bs..

I checked the date on the article, just to see if it was dated 4/1... It's not!

Mark

[Slings and Arrows]

My kitties have been known to serve double duty as footwarmers, you betcha.

[COBOL2Java]

[itssme]

This picture really got to me. I can see my husband sitting on his chair in our living room, with our cats, Ming Toy, a Seal Point Siamese, Ginger our orange tabby, Goldie our beige short hair cat, and Fudgie our Ragdoll/Seal Point Siamese. My dear husband passed away two weeks ago, and now it is but a memory, he and our cats are now no longer with me. A sad memory, but a sweet one. My late husband use to look at your cat pictures and stories and laugh out loud, and then we'd reminisce about our puddy cats in years gone by. Such good memories.

Thanks for listening, and for your wonderful cat pictures and cat stories.

[Slings and Arrows]

I’m so sorry about your loss, and I’m honored that your husband enjoyed the my pings.

Please, when the time is right, consider opening your heart to another cat. They have so much love to give.

[Fawn]

Cruel story......one demerit to the military.