SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Cats on Board

46K views 74 replies 41 participants last post by  MarioG 
#1 ·
Hey sailors, tell me about your experiences with cats on board. How does your cat deal with long term cruising? What about entering a foreign port, what happens?
 
#2 ·
Here is an old thread about cats on boats. It does not address what happens when you go into foriegn ports.

Cat Calls
Help- I took the cat out sailing: feline that is….
This spring on top of moving and selling our house, my wife and I was adopted by a two year old tabby cat. Tonight Laurie and I took Rosebud (What else do you call a cat when you have boat named for a type of rose bush) sailing. She was fine on the reaches but as soon as we started to beat she headed for a dark corner of the cabin and began to hyper-ventilate until she tossed dinner. Granted it was blowing over 15 and we were thrashing into a short chop. She seemed to be fine on beam and broad reaches; even coming on deck to tourist a bit. Do any of you sail with cats? Is this even close to normal? Is there anything you do like a kitty patch or accu-kitty-band? We had hoped she would take to sailing like an old sea dog (if you''ll pardon the expression). With our long cruise of the season coming at us we are really quite concerned. Thanks
Jeff

Our Siamese cat, Joshua Slocum, has been sailing with us for 15 years and he still "blows lunch" in rough conditions. He even does it when at anchor or at home, or anywhere. As Peggy said above, cats throw up. Josh usually just lays on the settee over the engine most of the time when sailing. When it gets rough, he will find a place out of the way. Your Rosebud sounds pretty normal, especially considering that this was his first time out. Josh seems to be doing better in his old age, when he was young he would get so sick he would foam at the mouth. His vet said to give him an eighth of a drammine if we like. I suggest checking with your vet, though, before you give your cat any kind of medicine. There were certain types of sea-sick meds that the vet said we should avoid because of our cat''s particular medical condition.

You needn''t worry about your cat as some get sick some don''t,same as us. Of our two cats only one gets sick and thats only occasionaly.We have been out in 40knts with gusts to god knows what with no problems exept a little mess from food and water bowls flying around the cabin(we wern''t planning on wind like that).The key we,found was a hidey hole just for them to go whenever it got scary. Like us,when asleep seasicknes is not realy a problem.Its only when we try to move around we get realy sick.we left a hole in the settee front and leave that locker empty exept for their sheepskin.They come out happy and usaly hungry when we arrive at our destination.When the weather is nice they are great company and when it''s not they are out of the way and safe. Losing them overboard while on anchor is a bigger worry,we have had one go over so far and beleive me the buggars can swim fine, he just kept circling the boat looking for a way up. I suggest you try hanging a peice of carpet over the stern or a platform suspended from the stern with carpet hanging in the water if water rats are a worry. Any other questions please don''t hesitate to email me direct, my mother in-law owns a boarding cattery for around 90 cats and can answer most questions on the vet side of things."A ship is not a ship without the ships cat". I know it''s not a saying yet but who knows, if there are more cats going sailing?.........................KEN

ACB
I used to sail with a moggie, and my sister sails with her two geriatric Siamese. The throwing up may not be motion related, but quite routine. Most cats take to boats quite well (except for spray). They are better once they are assured that this is a normal type activity. Try again. If the cat really hates the boat, it will make this perfectly apparent! A harness is useful, if cat goes on deck - cats are by no means as good at getting their sea-legs as they think they are!

Tossing and beating may not be connected (Peggie Hall/Peal Products)
I have 2 geriatric Siamese--#s 5 & 6 in a long line that''s lasted nearly 30 years...cats throw up--their dinner, hair balls, and
apparently just for the hell of it (my next carpet color is gonna be "Cat Chow tan!"). The noise they sometimes make when
they''re getting ready to do it can sound like hyperventilating, but it may only be the feline equivilant of "sticking your finger
down your throat"... If the cat was fine afterward when you tacked back onto beam or broad reaches, I wouldn''t worry about
it--yet. Try her again and see what happens.

You obviously need a CATamaran
Posted By: Brian Grant <bmgrant@erols.com>
In Response To: Tossing and beating may not be connected (Peggie Hall/Peal Products)

The poor cat has lived it''s entire life on solid ground, now these two huge non-cat''s but not dogs who provide food and fuss start turning the world on it''s ear.

our cat

Posted By: captkeywest <captkeywest@webtv.net>
Date: 8/25/99 8:22 a.m.

is named "Sharkbait" or "Sharks'' for short, he is quite comfortable on our sailboats. Not always, maybe every third or fourth trip, anyway, we are not surprised if he tosses in the first hour, but thats usually it, wether we are out for a day a week or a month.

Cats are sure footed and do well on boats, we will be out under sail and every now and then Sharks will jump up and walk the bowrail (we don''t want to distract him !) but the carpet is a good idea so the cat can get back aboard.

Cats like fish eyeballs so the next nice food fish you catch you might want give your cat a treat and pop out an eyeball with your filet knife. (if you are squeamish you might not want to listen to the sounds made while the cat chews the larger ones) Whaattt you don''t give your cats
treats from the filet table - no wonder they don''t like the boat ! Fish bones are supposed to be bad for cats so try to keep any treats from the filet table boneless.

Sailing with cats

Posted By: BobG
Date: 8/25/99 9:13 a.m.
We do not live with a cat, but 2 of our close sailing friends do. They always take their cats (or the cats take them) on their annual sailing vacation - usually to Maine.

They seem to be fine when the boats are at rest, or moving smoothly, but get quite upset when things get rough. They have not adjusted to sailing over the years. On one occassion, we were motor sailing through Glouster harbor. Our boat was behind one with a cat. As we passed a fish cannery, the cat wafted in the aroma of fish and promptly leaped off of the bow in the direction of the dock, which was much too far away to be reached by any super-cat. Once launched, the cat realized its mistake and tried to reverse course. It was like watching a "Felix, the Cat" cartoon. Of course, without the aid of the cartoonist, gravity took over and Felix hit the water.

The captain, at the helm, seeing this, yelled to his mate (below) to take the wheel and proceeded to hang over the side in an attempt to scoop up the cat as the boat moved forward. He hung out too far and fell into the water, but managed to grab the cat.

About this time, his mate came up from below, looked around, saw nothing, and yelled, "What''s going on?" She then grabbed the wheel, saw what had happened, and started to come about. From our boat behind we yelled for her to keep going, we would pick up the 2 who had "jumped ship". They scrambled into the dinghy we were towing and the story had a happy ending.

Over the years, the cats provided material for many more stories. But that''s enough for now. And by the way, neither of our friends take their cats with them on sailing vacations any more - or maybe the cats just refuse to go.
BobG

Cat hair balls, cat hairballs (sung to the tune of jingle bells)

Posted By: JeffR <jeff@roy.net>
Date: 8/25/99 8:38 a.m.

(from the Ren and Stimpy Christmas CD)

We have to cats and I agree they hurl on a regular basis. The siamese does it much more often than the black one. The siamese sheds like crazy and I think the amount of hair they swallow directly correlates to how often the hurl up those hairballs (look more like hair logs).

What I want to know is why do they always find the newest and or lightes piece of carpet or furniture to hurl onto? I do not think I have ever seen one hurl on hardwoods, tile or linoleum. I have seen them jump up onto the couch to do it.

I don''t have any interest in taking them sailing, but that did not prevent one of them from hurling on my boat cushions. I left them out in the sun room after they had just come back from the cleaners. Of course they couldn''t resist!

Hurling cats
Posted By: Gail R. <gnrice@email.com>
Date: 8/25/99 9:28 a.m.

My part-Siamese came into the house the other day and proceeded to hurl in practically every room. He hurled on the couch and on a beautiful throw my folks gave me for Xmas, then on the living room carpet. He then headed down the carpeted hallway and hurled there. I managed to head him off at the pass before he reached the bedroom. His last hurrah was on the kitchen linoleum, which surprised me. Like JeffR''s feline, he prefers to hurl on either upholstry or carpet. He will often do this immediately after eating, which makes me wonder if he has some sort of feline eating disorder that might require a kitty shrink!
All joking aside, the change in environment may played a part; perhaps once the cat is used to the new surroundings, he/she might be more comfortable. You may want to limit you cat''s food intake a few hours before you go sailing, and whatever you do, don''t let kitty eat grass before you put him/her on the boat. Grass eating guarantees hurling! Your vet may have additional pointers. We don''t take either of our cats sailing for a couple reasons. Both are part-Siamese, and the black one is especially vocal. He''d drive everyone crazy. The white one (he''s the hurler) sheds like there''s no tomorrow and we wouldn''t be able to keep up with all the hair. We hire a pet-sitter to take care of them while we''re cruising.
I hate my wife''s two cats...

Posted By: ct
Date: 8/25/99 10:55 a.m.
the other day I reached for my wallet on a table behind the couch and one of the damn cats had hurled on it...so I guess the feelings are mutual. Science Diet has a new food out that is suppose to aid in digestion to help eliminate fur balls. Should be worth a try. I personally think the cats take pride in their furball creations.

Apre meal hurling

Posted By: LaDonna <mmbubak@teleport.com>
Date: 8/25/99 1:36 p.m.
Ok, I have THREE cats and was a pet sitter & volunteered at the Humane Society so I''ve picked up a few things. When cats vomit just after eating, it can be either a problem with the food or that cat is particularly "blocked" with hair, not allowing the food to digest. I have one cat for whom this is a particular problem but I have the fortune to have the only considerate cat on the planet apparently. If she''s on a piece of furniture (couch, desk, antique, etc) she consideratly leans over the edge so it lands on my hardwood floors. Not always of course but most of the time. I''ve only had a problem on the bed once. Pretty good for three monsters!

Rob is particulary fond of my part siamese and wanted to take her to his boat once. I told him (after much argument) ok but no sailing. Get her used to the boat first. She hid in the vberth all day and only came out when I was sitting in the salon. Then she curled up in my lap & hid her head under my arm. Poor kitty! She also happens to be the only one of the three with a tendency to pee when unhappy with a situation. Great choice to take to the boat! Luckily, we avoided that calamity.

If your new kitty tends to puke a lot, there are hairball medicines which most cat (although, mine hate it of course) love. One is called Petromalt & is basically flavored vaseline. Helps everything slide through, if you know what I mean. CT also mentioned the new Science Diet food - I''m mixing that with the Iams I normally feed them so hopefully it''ll help. Interestingly, I had quite a time finding an acceptable food for all three. They''re all pretty fat so diet food was essential. Science Diet seemed to make Bijou puke more, Nature''s Way (?) made Cassie have diarrhea - Iams was the only one that all three could eat with no side effects. Might experiment with foods too.

LaDonna

Adjusting ...

Posted By: Ron Radko <ronrad@microsoft.com>
Date: 8/25/99 2:20 p.m.
I haven''t taken my cats out yet, but my plan is to introduce them to the boat very gradually. My first step will be bringing them to overnight on the boat with us, at the dock. And then bringing them back home. Cats need time to adapt to a new place, and the fewer the stresses you put on ''em the better they''ll do. Take it slow and easy, and you''ll have a happier kitty

We have two siamese ...

Posted By: kaj <kaj_kuusisto@hotmail.com>
Date: 8/25/99 2:03 p.m.

... and they love to go sailing.

The trough up regurlarly. Sometimes a mouse have been eaten in too a big piece ...

They''ve never been seasick to my notice, but once on a longish trip (when crew was sick) and they did not get all the attention they wanted, they showed some symptoms, getting their stomachs a bit loose. I think they were a bit scared of all the noises, going to windward for days with a thunderstorm passing over.

Both have fell/slipped overboard (at harbour) - one used my arm as a ladder, I had to go see a doctor. The other one climbed the wooden quay pile. Mio, the older does not mind spray, probably because ''it is part of sailing''.

In not too crowded places they can freely walk around. Once we were tied up to an island called ''Mouse'' - when we finally managed to get it trough we have enough mice they started .. well, I''ll leave it. A sailing couple, inpired by the smoothness of sailing with cats we testified, eventually took their cat on a cruise. This cat brought, like all cats do, its prey ''home''. Unfortunately it was a snake. The cat had not killed it. That cat did not go sailing anymore.

Have fun.
PS Mio and Nemo are on the Denizens.

Mio and Nemo are beautiful...

Posted By: Gail R. <gnrice@email.com>
Date: 8/25/99 2:59 p.m.
but being Siamese, aren''t they vocal? Might that be troublesome on the boat? I failed to add previously that while our cats have never been sailing on the boat, they come aboard regularly when it''s in our yard on jackstands for the winter. I recall one day hearing meowing coming from somewhere and not being able to find the cat. It finally dawned on me that it might be coming from the boat. Sure enough, there''s Tahoe cowering in the engine compartment. He had come aboard through the forward hatch and couldn''t figure out how to get back out (he isn''t too bright). Like kaj''s friend, he brought home a live snake once... in fact, he snuck it into the house when I wasn''t looking. He got no kitty treats that dat!

Besides being adoptive ...

Posted By: kaj <kaj_kuusisto@hotmail.com>
Date: 8/25/99 4:14 p.m.
... cats, at least some, *very* adaptive. As Ron Radko says, take it easy and give ''em time. To Jeff, be patient. Rosebud will learn and adapt. Mio isn''t vocal but very communicating. Bites you in the ankle if you forgot the cream. Nemo is very vocal. The clue is to sort out what''s the matter. Easier to stand :) When young, Nemo would announce, very loudly, at 4 a.m. that morning has arrived and we should get into action ... Now Nemo waits ''til we rise up and then loudly announce food should be served ... Both have learned that vocal messages wan''t get trough in the morning. If any one have an ''urgent'' message, the give you a gentle tap on th enose. Using only one nail ...
We have not had any troubles with the ''vocality'' of the cats, questions yes. People often think they are in big trouble when they just say ''just another morning in paradise''. Amazingly adaptive they are - give them time.
Cats -
generally they do take to boats, but they like to be warm and out of
the wind. My sister''s Siamese tom when sailing on Mirelle curls up on top of
the open skylight under the overturned dinghy on its chocks - this is a
perfect cat spot! Good view, no intefering humans, out of the wind and
spray! Be warned that they DO wander off ashore at 02.00 am in marinas, and
in these circs their navigational homing system can confuse them, so that
they get lost and disappear - my sister''s female vanished for a month that
way!

Cheers, and many thanks.

Andrew

What about the litter box??

Posted By: JeffR <jeff@roy.net>
Date: 8/26/99 10:24 a.m.
Do any of you have a cat that spends lots of time on board? They don''t seem to be inclined to "hold it in" (dogs are good at this). It is bad enough having one of those smelly, dirty boxes in the house, I can''t imagine dealing with one on a boat.

Cats!
Posted By: Jeff G. <jgegner@iuk.edu>
Date: 8/26/99 10:45 a.m.
We sail with a cat on board. I think she likes the boat more than she does her house(sister in-laws cat). We installed a kitty door to the area under the cockpit and put the litter box in there. If we have to run the motor at high rpm''s she gets a little nervous, heavy weather does not seem to bother her. If it gets rough she climbs up on the couch cushions and kind of gets between the hull and the cushions and goes to sleep. I think some animals will adapt to a boat and some will not. Maybe your cat is a strict landlubber.
 
#3 ·
Hey Jeff,
thanks for re-posting that thread!!! We plan to take our cat (a siamese) on our big trip when we''re done with the refit. She''s been out a few times. Basically she''s so attached to us I think it would be WAY more traumatic to let someone else take care of her than to let her move aboard with us. She adapted to living in a VW van 13 years ago as a kitten, hopefully she''ll be cool with the boat.

I think it is VERY interesting how may people taking cats sailing have Siamese or part-Siamese!!!!!! What''s up with that? Is it because people who are aesthetically drawn to sailboats (long, lean, elegant) are also drawn to a Siamese''s similar look? Or is it because Siamese are so adventuresome and smart so people who own them actually consider taking them sailing while most people with other cats don''t? What is it? There''s also a series of kid''s books about a Siamese who goes sailing with his "family".... and there''s the Pink Floyd song with "Lucifer Sam, Siam Cat, Lucifer Sam, Ship''s Cat...." (our late Lynxpoint, Lucy, was named after that song!!

Interesting, though, don''t you think?

Stacey
www.sailnamaste.com
 
#31 ·
Hey Jeff,
thanks for re-posting that thread!!! We plan to take our cat (a siamese) on our big trip when we''re done with the refit. She''s been out a few times. Basically she''s so attached to us I think it would be WAY more traumatic to let someone else take care of her than to let her move aboard with us. She adapted to living in a VW van 13 years ago as a kitten, hopefully she''ll be cool with the boat.

I think it is VERY interesting how may people taking cats sailing have Siamese or part-Siamese!!!!!! What''s up with that? Is it because people who are aesthetically drawn to sailboats (long, lean, elegant) are also drawn to a Siamese''s similar look? Or is it because Siamese are so adventuresome and smart so people who own them actually consider taking them sailing while most people with other cats don''t? What is it? There''s also a series of kid''s books about a Siamese who goes sailing with his "family".... and there''s the Pink Floyd song with "Lucifer Sam, Siam Cat, Lucifer Sam, Ship''s Cat...." (our late Lynxpoint, Lucy, was named after that song!!

Interesting, though, don''t you think?

Stacey
♪ ♫ ♪ "That cat's something I can't expla-a-ain!" ♫ ♪ :laugher
 
#4 ·
I think that people take all kinds of cats with them. I haven''t noticed a propensity for Siamese. I had a Siamese named Aja (pronounced Asia) who you could not get near a boat. The one time I tried I donned a pair of welding gloves and carried her aboard in her carrying cage. I have never seen a cat get as violent as she got when I let her out. Good thing that I had the welding gloves.

Jeff
 
#5 ·
Ahoy, me likes to pet me kitty and sometimes she likes to lick me leg out of gratitude I suppose. She pukes every now and then but it makes good chum. Rough weather scares the bejesus out of her. Never been to a foreign port though. Probably be better to dump her over and say it swam out to me. Never thought about taking a cat on the boat. Pirate of Pine Island AARRGGHH.
 
#6 ·
I want to thank everyone very much for responding and giving us your experience with a CAT ON BoARD. Some of the input was hilarious, all were informative. Largely due to your positive response we are going to go ahead and adopt two kittens and raise them on board. Thank you, Sharron and Peter
 
#11 ·
hi, i have a 3 1/2? old black tomcat, hes grown up at a little boat yard in northeast and we adopted oneanother a year ago..he now lives for past year, 2 miles away from the boatyard, with a gorgeous waterfront, he is VERY independent has a cat door and does NOT like litter box, he prefers the outdoors. well, we are taking him on his "first" 3 month cruise at end of month to bermuda and west indies..the first time we took him out, the engine freaked him out and he had a silent/still long anxiety attack, we anchored and i returned him home the next day.
hes very outdoorsee, i feel terrible "locking" him up on board and with a crew this time..(hes a bit of a fradey cat and doesnt seem like he particularly cares for men..not my doing.) we are putting up goober nets, hanging a board from stern w/ carpet, will have a kitty life vest..but im not sure what to do about the head..he does not like the box...i researched a bit and everything i find is how to train your cat from the box to the toilet not from outdoors to the toilet, does anyone out there have a cat like this?
 
#12 ·
Experiment with different brands of cat litter if all else fails. After finally settling on IAMs Hairball Remedy for my two cats aboard, all was great - no more ralphing... until I inadvertently changed brands of litter. One of my cats seems to be allergic to the dust of many types. Go figure. They''re still worth it.
 
#13 ·
All I am reading about is cats getting sick. There are other sides to owning cats aboard.

Best to get them declawed if living around the boat. Otherwise they may exercise claws on your (or others) canvas and bimini tops. I''ve got a bimini with dozens of 2" long scratch holes in it now and a previous 35'' sailboat mainsail and cover clawed. Both times from cats off other boats. Don''t expect skippers to be friendly to your cat if they are causing damage.

One boat I know had a cat that kept spraying their pillows. Another boat leashed their cat to the deck so it wouldn''t jump ship. That cat stranged himself after wrapping the line around a lifeline trying to jump off the boat.
 
#74 · (Edited)
excuse me , but this is the stupidest cat hating writing i have ever e¡read.

NEVER declaw your cat on a boat. makes em not able to reboard when falling over. not to mention, declawing is actually a knuckle-ectomy and removes cats ability to groom and save self. you do it to yourself then try it on gato.
never leave cat leashed when you are gone.
cats learn faster than dogs when you need to teach em stuff. mine is trained well. he fell ob once but he has better respect for he boat and what is under it. he knows it is bad there..
leave lines over for cat to reboard.... teach cat where to go to climb back onto boat.
taking a cat on board is like taking a human never boated onto a boat ..and most folks thing a cat is gonna self train.,.lol... teach well your cat or dont have it...same with dogs.
at least a cat is a good early warning for strangers approaching and they kill things that land on boat, like seagulls and gekkos and stuff....and keep mice at bay. dont think there are no longer mice and rats in marinas and thereabouts..lol... have fun being evile you haters out there...lol

mebbe if you understood cats you might not be so rude and evile.
 
#14 ·
I live on a 30 foot sloop and for a year I had a woman live with me.One day a young girl in the marina found 5 kittens under a trailer.My girlfreind said"please can we have one?"and like a shmuck I said "no we can have two"These were a mere days old and
we had to force feed them with eye droppers.After about six months the two got a little too rambunctious and after I threatened to throw them to the gators, my Aunt gave them to a place that does pet therapy for cancer patients.
 
#15 ·
Myself, my husband and daughter are currently cruising with our cat Jeanie. She is about 8 years old and is a white long haired cat. When we were on land living in our house our cat threw up regularly because she was long haired. And she shed like mad!! So when we moved on board we had to make some changes. We have her fur clipped every couple of months at the groomer. If a groomer is not easily excessable we do it our selves. Gotta be feeling adventurus to do that! She is happier than a lark when her fur is clipped and resembles a miniature Siegfried and Roy white lion. We have been cruising now for four months and she has not had a hair ball yet. Also, she is also much cooler during these summer months. As far as litter- I checked tons of alternate litter choices for cruising and I am more comfortable with the new silica sand litter. It can be a bit costly but you can buy the generic brands at your local grocery and save. This litter also lasts much longer than ordinary clay litter so there is savings in the long run. And if it is stirred frequently there is no odor AT ALL! The part I don''t like is the litter I am constantly sweeping up from her kicking it out of the box.

When it comes to sailing Jeanie does a wonderful job. She has never had a problem with sea sickness (I was worried before taking her on board.. I had heard horror stories about sick cats) and has yet to fall over board- knock on wood. So I would say that it all depends on your cat. Just like people, some love living aboard and some hate it. All I know is on cold nights Jeanie is much better to have at your feet than a hot water bottle!!

Good luck!

Vanessa on Nereus
 
#16 ·
We have traveled widely with our cat aboard.
1. We''ve gotten vet statement of health every time we crossed borders - we have never been asked for her papers. (US, all Med basin countries between Spain and Turkey).
2. The EU requires pets to be "chipped" (about $40 to get done in France, more as you go east - we paid $65 in Turkey). No one in EU cared.
3. Get clumping cat litter when you can, further E you go in Med, harder it is to find. Vets almost always carry it. We use Science Diet food, its $$, but cat eats much less and takes up less space. Cat gets a bit of canned tuna in water every other day. Science Diet available as far E as Turkey. We''ll go to Egypt via Levant countries, we''ll see what happens in Syria, et al.
4. Throwing up is usually furballs rather than seasickness. Comb cat daily (esp in hot climes) using a fine toothed comb.

We think that cats make good boat pets.

Fair winds, calm seas, Fred
 
#17 ·
please i need some help ok my kitten was born very i mean very smaller then the rest hes all whait i believe hes siemase but the problem is he cant digest any solid foods as where the others can the others are eating solids foods he chockes and he cant breath can you give me some kind of a answer ty ladyalred
 
#18 ·
please i need some help ok my kitten was born very i mean very smaller then the rest hes all whait i believe hes siemase but the problem is he cant digest any solid foods as where the others can the others are eating solids foods he chockes and he cant breath can you give me some kind of a answer ty ladyalred
 
#19 ·
We also took our Siamese cat cruising for 2 years from maine to South America and back. She was akitten when we left so she really knew no other life and di absolutely fine. Very happy cat.

I do NOT agree with the poster above who recommended declawing the cat. Then how would they climb back aboard (assuming you leave a fat knotted rope, towel, or other "ladder" for them) when the fall overboard?

Daisy once fell overboard in the middle of the night while at anchor in the BVI. Luckily I heard the splash and woke up. We'd tried to train her to use the rope "ladder" but who knows if she would have made it alone? She was swimming up to the bow (not the stern where the "ladder" was) when we got on deck. After that, she slept in the V-berth with our daughter with the door closed at night.

We did not have any trouble with officials anywhere in the Caribbean, South and Central America. We had vet papers but no one except the Bahamas asked to see them. Just check restrictions in advance; your choice of destinations might be limited in some cases.

We loved having Daisy on board with us. I'd highly recommend it, particluarly if you start a kitten off on board.

Kitty litter was the worst part. Hard to find some places, and messy. We kept one of those faux-grass doormats (which we'd originally purchased to try to use in lieu of kitty litter, as we'd heard some cruisers do) in front of the covered litter box. It trapped MOST of the stray litter as she walked across it on her way out.

Stacey
www.sailzora.com
 
#20 · (Edited)
For Cat Over Board. Carry a large salmon net... That net that you use to net the large fish (instead of a gaff) or the frantically swimming cat and swing the wet fur ball aboard and give it a fresh water rinse. Wise to keep in the net until you are finished rinsing the poor kitty.
When at anchor; hang thick lines over both sides for the cat to climb quickly out of the water.
The scratching posts. Below deck you can wrap a lower part of the keel step mast in natural fiber line or make fancy mats from that type of line.
Above deck you will find places that you can add the natural fiber line and wrap it tightly for a scratching post.
I would never declaw a cat. It amounts to the same thing as taking off the first joints of your own fingers. So if you declaw your cat, I get to wack your finger tips off at the first joints.
 
#23 ·
Hi ,I know this is an old post and lots of input, we have cats aboard for about three years now and theylove it, I mean really love it, one cat who at home talks non stop is so relaxed on board and the other smiles if you know what I mean.
I would like to know though what others do about the litter box? we have ours in our wet locker room but it is always in the way, we use non clumping so that there is no buildup in our bilge pump hoses if any gets out of the box, and as you all know it gets out of the box.....daily cleaning......we love our cats on board, but is there any other options?

Mark
 
#24 ·
Hi Mark.
What I've done for a litter box is use a large rubbermaid type container with a cat-sized opening cut in one end where the cat enters.
And as was mentioned earlier, I too use a green, fake grass mat to help clean their little paws as they exit.
I can leave the lid on the container and she gets a little privacy.
Cats are kinda modest after all.:)
Also we don't have to look at it and whatever odors that are inevitably produced, can be partially contained as well.
I am not a live aboard now but have had a cat aboard when I did.
I think that the hassle of having a pet aboard is outweighed by the benefits.
One last note, in case you haven't thought about it: get the cat a nice little travel container to use as a safe refuge aboard the boat. She will have a place to go when she get scared. Rough weather, loud strangers, etc. You can also use it to contain the cat when you know that she is in danger or is being too much of a nuisance. Some cats don't seem to know that the main salon table is off limits during dinner.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top