Thank you! I read it when I was a kid and have been trying to remember for many years.
There was another genius scifi story about an Earth ship that is being forcibly boarded by bad aliens. For some reason they have to conceal the identity of their captain so they pretend that the ship cat is the captain. And the cat, strolling contemptuously around and licking its butt when anyone talks to it, utterly persuades the aliens that it is in charge. Very funny. Do you know that one? I’ve been trying to find that one, too.
That one doesn’t ring any bells with me ... sorry.