When a kitten wandered into base camp and decided it had found home, the soldiers did not realize he would shortly outrank them! Meet Hammer the Army Cat PTSD therapist kitty who ranked officially as Private First Class. Then discover what eventually happened with him.
PFC Hammer’s story
Private First Class (PFC) Hammer was a tiger-striped kitten born on a U.S. Army base in Iraq in 2003–2004. He was adopted by soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, who named him PFC Hammer after their company.
Hammer quickly became much more than a mascot; he dispatched mice that threatened the unit’s food supplies. His calm demeanor boosted morale during a stressful deployment. During mortar attacks, he would instinctively run for the bunkers, where soldiers would scoop him up inside their body armor until it was safe to set him free again. Most importantly, Hammer acted as a therapy cat by helping to lower blood pressure and cortisol levels through petting sessions.
When the unit was preparing to return home, Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield didn’t want to leave Hammer behind. However, the Army had a firm rule, no cats! With help from the animal welfare organizations Alley Cat Allies and Military Mascots, they raised the money and completed the paperwork to bring him to the United States. Hammer traveled from Iraq to Kuwait, then to San Francisco, and finally to Colorado, where he was reunited with Bousfield and his family.
What Happened to Hammer after the War Was Over?
Hammer travelled across two continents to ultimately live with the Bousfield family in Colorado as a beloved house cat. Contemporary reports and later accounts describe him settling into a normal, comfortable life, happily free from the dangers of war.
PFC Hammer remains one of the best-known stories of an animal companion serving alongside U.S. troops in Iraq and is remembered as a symbol of the comfort and companionship animals can provide in wartime as well as therapists in our own daily lives.
