Cats on Boats?

[houssiegirlie]

We have 2 very loved moggies - are we being cruel to think they would like to come round the Med with us when we buy our yacht in a year or so? They aren't used to water but they aren't the type to go roaming for hours on end either. Would really appreciate some advice from those who have got feline friends with them on their journeys
Thanks

 

[Sojourner47]

IMHO you're being cruel. We had 2 cats (from kittens) aboard for 5 years and they loved it. BUT, we were inland waterway liveaboard/cruising, and they could get off each stopping place and wander the towpath. It's cat's nature to roam...
But no doubt those with oceangoing cats will disagree. If you're determined, start
off with kittens, then they may adapt to the roving waterborne life....

 

[Liz_I]

IMHO you're being cruel. We had 2 cats (from kittens) aboard for 5 years and they loved it. BUT, we were inland waterway liveaboard/cruising, and they could get off each stopping place and wander the towpath. It's cat's nature to roam...
But no doubt those with oceangoing cats will disagree. If you're determined, start
off with kittens, then they may adapt to the roving waterborne life....

It is not cruel We have 2 cats, one arrived at 6 weeks & one adopted us when he was appx 5-6mths. We are mainly in a marina for the winter where they can come and go. In the summer we set off and anchor for 4-5 months. They adapt surprisingly quickly, we have plenty of climbing, scratching areas for them and even a couple of large pieces of driftwood. The main thing is to have enough litter trays!! We have decided on 3 which works well and remember to keep them really clean. Our guys queue in the morning whilst the trays are being cleaned, only to hop straight back in again.

When we return to the marina there is never any problem they return to their old routine.

Just fitted them with loc8tor tags on their harnesses, it's great and after a hick-up with one of the tags they seem to work well. Instead of coming to the whistle now they return when they hear the tag bleeping!

Etienne g/w & Obi Dumblecat black

 

[Deleted member 478]

Cat litter

Not sure what you put in your litter tray or why you need three of them? I have two plastic flower pot holders, one inside the other. The inner one has holes drilled in it and loads of marbles.

When it needs cleaning, I sit on the sugar scoop and rinse the marbles without losing any. The poo floats off and the pee drains through the holes. And there is no need to purchase expensive cat deodorised litter. Muy Bien.

 

[Boo2]

Just fitted them with loc8tor tags on their harnesses, it's great and after a hick-up with one of the tags they seem to work well. Instead of coming to the whistle now they return when they hear the tag bleeping!

Lol, I used to equip my cat with one of those on his collar - I think the range from the hand held device to the tag must be greater than the reverse because it would never pick him up when he went missing but he'd generally come back 10 minutes after pressing the search button He loses his collar on a regular basis though so I eventually gave up on them. Really for marine use you want a sea water immersion proof one if you're going to use it in a COB drill

Boo2

 

[Deleted member 478]

p.s. It's always great fun when people with those nasty little mini adults pop in for a visit and start playing with the marbles. After a few minutes they always ask why I have marbles. Seeing the expression on their faces when I say "that is where Cooking Fat sh*ts" is almost worth the irritation of having the little darlings aboard.

 

[OldBawley]

It is cruel. Had cat for 13 year until i accidentalley poisoned her whith pufferfisch. Abadan loved the boat life except for heavy whether sailing.
Especially when i was afraid ( They smell it ) she wanted to leave the boat and jump into the sea. The poor animal was afraid half of her life or was locked in the toilet for hours.
She new long before my wife when i wanted to cast of and disappeared on land. Onley when i put the boat back in " House " mode she came back.

Take a rat. That is a real boatlover

 

[TQA]

Mature cats can adapt to a life on a boat but some really hate sailing and just hide.

Kittens almost always adapt and mine like sailing even in fairly heavy weather.


I like Stingo's idea of the marbles, I always used beach sand which did get tracked around to a degree.

 

[knightvision]

We have a mature cat, who has always roamed. He joins us even for weekend sailing. Seems content, except in heavy weather.. They are warming devices in the cold nights sailing and often is happen to sit own your feet when out at night.

 

[binch]

Nelson

Our one-eyed black cat Nelson cruised with us for 10 years and 40,000 ocean miles and was apparently happy. She was affectionate but kept a respectable distance. On ocean crossings she would patrol the decks at first light to try to beat us to the flying fish which had landed there during the night (and which were our breakfast).
In bad weather, when we furled the staysail and stowed it bundled up in the starbd ford corner of the cockpit, she would burrow into the folds and sleep.
If it became really bad, she would crawl onto my lap and wriggle her way under my oilskin, where we both benefitted from mutual warmth.
She died of natural causes when we got to Fiumara Grande and we buried her at sea, sewn into a canvas shroud in naval fashion, but omitting the last stitch through the nose.
At the time, she was known throughout the Caribbean.
We are now in our mid-eighties and feel it would be wrong to have a relationship with a pet that we might not be able to look after for life.
But we benefitted from Nelson.
And I don't even like cats.

 

[duncan99210]

We had a couple of cats before we embarked on Rampage and left the UK but we left them behind (adopted by new people before anyone suggests we left them with nobody to look after them!). We weren't worried about having them on board but were worried about finding places to leave them safely when we had to return to UK for periods of up to 2 or 3 weeks.
Does anyone out there know about the availability of catterys/kennels that take cats in places like Gouvia? Any info might just make us think again about taking on a feline friend again.

 

[ironmaiden]

you need to contact liz and jamie on esper (demonboy) they trained "millie" their cat to use the heads.
regards rachel