Cordle states "Yes, superstition makes a difference, and should be taken seriously..." (118). The only valid evidence of the possible existence of superstitions is the condition of the human factor of fear and anxiety. The human factor can be used in any number of situations. From looking at animals (rats and cats) there is no evidence stated in this article to support this. Rats escape from a ship and it has problems. The question here is: Have mice ever been found on a boat in distress? If you want cats to escape from mice, then the mice or rats escaping from the ship would be due to the cat on board and not a doomed ship. So, I reiterate once again that this article does not entirely answer itself