Cats on board

[kingsebi]

I live aboard and it’s been two years that I have a cat. She fell in the water once but climbed up the bathing ladder by herself. Otherwise no drama, only joy. Now my girlfriend is going to move in with her eight year old male apartment cat. I wonder if anybody has experience with bringing together cats on boats?

I know I would be better off asking that on a cat forum, but those people don’t understand boats and confined spaces. They tell me to have three litter boxes and to separate the cats in different rooms. I have a ten meter boat. Three litter boxes and different rooms is not possible. So maybe I’m lucky here and someone has experience with that.

I guess it all comes down to the cats characters. Like with people.

 

[ylop]

I guess it all comes down to the cats characters. Like with people.

Except that with people you can have a conversation about what makes them anxious or uncomfortable and agree boundaries etc.

 

[kingsebi]

Except that with people you can have a conversation about what makes them anxious or uncomfortable and agree boundaries etc.

That’s true. At least with some of them. Well I guess it’s a shot in the dark.

 

[ylop]

That’s true. At least with some of them. Well I guess it’s a shot in the dark.

True in your GF says “I’m fine” in that special tone, then you might as well leave her and the cats to it!

 

[kingsebi]

Haha you mean I’ll have to sleep in the hammock?

 

[Roberto]

Two cats at home, they share the same litter box. They would share the same food bowl but as one eats thrice what the other does, we feed them with two separate bowls. We tried to bring one cat on the boat, it remained inside the litter box for one week (with accompanying smells), experience ended.

 

[kingsebi]

Two cats at home, they share the same litter box. They would share the same food bowl but as one eats thrice what the other does, we feed them with two separate bowls. We tried to bring one cat on the boat, it remained inside the litter box for one week (with accompanying smells), experience ended.

Thank you for the encouragement. At least at home it works. Did your two cats grow up together? I would think that makes it easier.

I guess not all cats are made to live aboard. I got mine when she was only four weeks old so she doesn’t know anything else really. She loves it and is all over the boat. I imagine for an eight year old cat it’s a different story. I hope he adapts.

My theory is that the older male cat of my girlfriend will fall in love with my younger female cat (she is very pretty) and as she is sterilized he will court her endlessly without any success.

 

[Roberto]

Thank you for the encouragement. At least at home it works. Did your two cats grow up together? I would think that makes it easier.

We first had one (male) for a few years, then took a second much younger female. We followed the advice to slowly let them discover each other (room door left slightly open, so they could smell eachother etc). After a couple of days they came to terms with each other presence, a couple of heavy hissing quarrelling and making a quickly rotating ball of angry intertwined cat bodies, and they became best friends. As it often happens with cats, they are best friends between themselves and our human presence is totally secondary, it's quite nice looking at them playing together anyway.

 

[Wansworth]

From observation it will take about a year and there will still be the occassionalspat

 

[kingsebi]

We first had one (male) for a few years, then took a second much younger female. We followed the advice to slowly let them discover each other (room door left slightly open, so they could smell eachother etc). After a couple of days they came to terms with each other presence, a couple of heavy hissing quarrelling and making a quickly rotating ball of angry intertwined cat bodies, and they became best friends. As it often happens with cats, they are best friends between themselves and our human presence is totally secondary, it's quite nice looking at them playing together anyway.

That’s exactly what I wish to happen.

 

[kingsebi]

From observation it will take about a year and there will still be the occassionalspat

Wow a year. I really hope they come to terms faster than that…

 

[ridgy]

I don't think there are many people with experience of what you plan. I guess you just need to decide upfront with your girlfriend what will happen if they don't get on and then let the cats decide. Either they like each other or your GF is making a choice.

 

[Irish Rover]

Wait until the Tom starts marking his territory. It will make the smell of overheating batteries seem like perfume .

 

[kingsebi]

I don't think there are many people with experience of what you plan. I guess you just need to decide upfront with your girlfriend what will happen if they don't get on and then let the cats decide. Either they like each other or your GF is making a choice.

Yes, I guess that’s it. Let the cats decide

 

[Wansworth]

Yes, I guess that’s it. Let the cats decide

Are they doctored?

 

[kingsebi]

Are they doctored?

Yes

 

[kingsebi]

Are they doctored?

Why do you ask? I stick to my hope that old tomcat will fall in love with young female and so relations will be peaceful. Read a similar story in Miles Smeeton’s great book “Once is enough”. If I remember correctly their cat was called Pwe.

 

[Irish Rover]

Why do you ask? Do you think it will make a difference?

A Tom with all his gear intact will stink the place, and will be out chasing female pussy every chance he gets.

 

[kingsebi]

A Tom with all his gear intact will stink the place, and will be out chasing female pussy every chance he gets.

Yes that is true. Good he’s sterilized.

 

[Wansworth]

Why do you ask? I stick to my hope that old tomcat will fall in love with young female and so relations will be peaceful. Read a similar story in Miles Smeeton’s great book “Once is enough”. If I remember correctly their cat was called Pawpaw.

Because they will be at”it” and you will have lots of cuddles kittens