This object is a whip, and intended to inflict pain onto a seaman that does not follow the Captain's rules. The "Cat" or the "Captain's Daughter," as it was commonly known, is made up of five knotted strips of cotton cord, about 30 inches long. It is woven and tied to form the handle, and the tails are left to hang separately. This type of a whip has a long sea history, and a whaling captain would have been expected to bring the "Cat" on a voyage.