Sailing Cat-Litter Box....

MedSailor · #1 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008

What do those of you with ships cats do for a litter box while cruising? Regular litter takes up a lot of space and it would take quite a bit of it to use long term. Sand is available for harvest but gets nasty quickly and you'd have to be hauling it in the dingy all the time.

I once read about someone who used aquarium pebbles and bleached them occasionally. Sounds like a good idea, especially if mixed with the silica-gel litter crystals.

Suggestions?

Meow......

MedSailor

Boasun · #2 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008

this is an excellent question that truely needs to be answered...No I don't know. So I am asking also.

sailboy21 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008

Use normal decent quality clumping litter (my choice is tidy cats b/c it comes in really 20lb waterproof containers that can be used for something else later). Apply about 1/4" to the bottom of the litter box, just enough to cover the bottom. Clean it after every use. I have noticed the ships cat doesn't eat or drink as much as it does on land, and therefore does not poop or pee as much. It does, however, tend to puke a little more.... and when it gets really nasty the darn thing won't leave the helmsman and just chooses to do it's dirty business on their foulies..... grrrr.

artbyjody · #4 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008

If you use, 3/4 mixture of sand, 1/4 mixture of cat litter (this is because the cat is trained for that smell) cover that with astro turf..astro will leak through but typically not leak back up the odors, and it gives the cat something to scratch into afterward... the poo is easily gotten to and discarded - and docking days you can flush the mixture with fresh water most of the time and not have to constantly stock cat litter or sand...if you still get a smell - then before laying the mixture described above put down an even layer of charcoal (used for fish ponds) at the bottom before applying the mix and turf. you'll never know you have a cat onboard...

andy_smith · #5 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008

Hi Medsailor,
I heard of a couple of boats training their meows to use the head!
It starts with using a round litter box, then gradually moving the litter box to the head floor. The next move is to use a round litter box to fit over the bowl, then a smaller litter box inside the bowl .... then .. ole !! the meow squats over the bowl to do it's business.
I don't think anyone's perfected the way to teach them to flush the bowl yet ...

Andy

astraeus · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy_smith

Hi Medsailor,
I heard of a couple of boats training their meows to use the head!
It starts with using a round litter box, then gradually moving the litter box to the head floor. The next move is to use a round litter box to fit over the bowl, then a smaller litter box inside the bowl .... then .. ole !! the meow squats over the bowl to do it's business.
I don't think anyone's perfected the way to teach them to flush the bowl yet ...

Andy

Don't let em flush, the little buggers can't figure out how to shut off the wet bowl switch

JiffyLube · #7 (**permalink**) 07-03-2008

We have two cats at home, but we have not had them on the boat yet. In my opinion the best cat litter is called Cat Attract, but it cost a little more than the others. It clumps very good, and that makes a difference in keeping the smells down. There are also sprays available that can be put on the litter, that sweeten or kill the smell of the litter as it gets older.

I think when you decided to take an animal on a boat, there are going to be adjustments to be made...just like with any crew member. If you have to take a cat on the boat, then you need to get that cat good litter...this is an area that I don't think people should be skimping on.