Mrs. Chippy, a tiger-striped tabby, belonged to Harry McNish, the carpenter. Harry was given the nickname "Chippy" because of "wood chips", so the cat was also called the same. Soon after the ship set sail for Antarctica, it was discovered that, despite ""her"" name, Mrs. Chippy was a ""he"", a male cat. By that time the name had stuck. The cat amazed the crew by being able to walk along the ship's inch-wide guard rails, in even the roughest seas.