Why are ship's cats not counted among a cruiser's crew when the ship is sunk?
Short answerThey were not official paid crew, and formally reporting their deaths could also provoke public pressure to stop carrying cats at sea.
NotesA ship's cat was not an officially paid member of the crew and would not normally enter personnel casualty totals. Publishing animal losses could intensify anger against an enemy. It could also provoke demands that cats no longer be exposed to naval danger. An unofficial but valued member of a ship's company could therefore matter socially without fitting the navy's administrative categories.