Cats on yachts

[Memphis_Chung]

I am in danger of my young kittens curtailing my sailing. People keep telling me that Cats are good sailors - I am struggling to see it!

Does anyone have an experiences of cats thriving on boats?

Thanks Team,

Memphis

<hr width=100% size=1>Quit the job, sell the house, sell the kids, sell your wife, go sailing.......

 

[snowleopard]

they love it. they also have no sense and will happily go to sleep in the bunt of the sail until you tack and they go flying into the water. they are of course insatiably curious and will investigate other boats including climbing in through cabin windows. if the owner has gone home for the week this causes problems.

in short, yes, but keep an eye on them.

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[jerryat]

Hi M C!

I haven't kept cats aboard, but several of my friends cruising in the Med and Caribbean have, and they do make good pets if you're that way inclined. What astonished me was the way some cruisers got the kitten used to boats and water. Apparently they way to do it is to lower a length of large diameter rope into the water over the side of the boat -- then chuck the kitten in!! Amazingly cats swim quite well, grab the rope, shin up it and back aboard!! I'm told if you do this two or three times, the kitten doesn't panic (I would!) if it does actually fall in and apparently becomes more sure footed to ensure that it doesn't!

One thing comes over time and again. You should NOT apparently, take a mature cat to sea. Kittens are fine it seems as they grow up accepting the boat as their territory and having no problems living within it. Older cats are more prone to seasickness, something you do not want to see or smell believe me!

So with kittens you should be ok, abroad as well if they're 'chipped'.

Cheers

Jerry





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[Rohorn]

Hi...I've sailed with generations of siamese on my boats for years. Each cat has a different character. Some take to it, some don't. I've also had them explore neighbouring yachts, one time falling down companionway of Dutch yacht nearby in middle of the night landing on a large dog, which apparently nearly died of fright.
Also jumped up through porthole of large GP singling up to depart.....
I've heard of the rope dangling over the side retrieval solution, but also heard this works with a certain breed of Turkish cat which adores swimming in sea. These I have seen, swimming around happily, pursued by shrieking kids..
We carry a cat retieval system in the form of a largish shrimp net, never used to collect cat though.
One of ours, reluctantly on way back from beach trip in dinghy, looked over the transom, saw only the departing beach but not 10 metres of intervening sea, flew over the back and demonstrated that walking, (or sprinting) over the water was not just a biblical trick.
Beware though. We lost a real favourite to a Greek dog on a beach near Xylocastro on the gulf of Corinth.
Cheers....R

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[Memphis_Chung]

Thanks everyone - these cats are 9 weeks old - so sounds like if I get them on board soon enough, they should be ok.

M

<hr width=100% size=1>Quit the job, sell the house, sell the kids, sell your wife, go sailing.......

 

[NickyTaniwha]

Please, keep a good eye on the cat. We had a cat on board, she was very used to being on board and saw the whole harbour as her domain. Sailing with her on board was a real joy; in heavy weather she use to sit in my gear. One day, our attention slipped, we got too much used to things going ok, she fell from another yacht overboard without us noticing it... It was a nightmare to see your cat floating after 3 days. As long as they are young and playful, keep a good lookout. Now we think of getting a dog, but I do have my doubts if that will be as easy as a cat.

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