Martin Clunes, the beloved star of Doc Martin, has just released a captivating book that sheds light on remarkable animals throughout history. However, his treatment of our feline friends is nothing short of amusing; only four out of 270 pages feature cats, and just two tales are told. When questioned about this feline omission, Clunes quipped, “Well, no cat ever did anything useful, did it?” Ironically, a cat graces the cover art—sharing space with two dogs, a pigeon, and even a rat.
At 63, the actor, a well-known devotee of dogs, resides on a picturesque farm in Dorset with his producer wife, Philippa Braithwaite, where they care for two Cocker Spaniels and two Jack Russells. Not surprisingly, the book overflows with heroic canine stories, with hounds often stepping in to save lives. But when it comes to cats, the anecdotes are few and far between.
During the book launch, Clunes kept the audience entertained by humorously labeling cats as a bad omen. One of the two feline tales he included is about Oscar, a black-and-white cat who initially turned up floating in water after the German battleship Bismarck was scuttled in 1941. Oscar was transferred to the destroyer HMS Cossack as a rat catcher, but that vessel sank en route to Gibraltar just months later. Miraculously, Oscar was rescued again.
His journey didn’t end there. Oscar found himself aboard the HMS Ark Royal, only for that ship to get torpedoed as well. Once again, he was found adrift in the sea and ultimately ended up in a home for retired seamen. Clunes added a cheeky remark about this unfortunate string of event“Cats would go on ships to be ratters and then the ships would sink. I am not saying who was responsible but…”