Cats?

[DeeGee]

Excuse this humble post, amongst the glorious offerings of you regular yotties, but this question, NOT on the subject of catamarans, is dear to my heart, and that of JimmyOne aka SWMBO.

We have a cat, who has to remain at home with umpteen bowls of stuff, and she has to regulate her input so as to make it all last until her unreasonable owners return from having fun.

Question: do any of the august personages on SB have a cat as part of the crew? And did the cat have to become CC as a kitten or later in life? Our cat has reached a mature 13-14yrs, and probably thinks that her chances of a life on the ocean wave has passed her by, do you think it is too late to learn? We would hate to have her drown!

(Jimi - please, no silly postings about having my pussy on board).

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[jimi]

Just reverse over her accidentally one night .. end of problem.

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[chas]

If you left it on board when you went home, it would probably solve the sh++ehawk c++p problem.

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[BarryH]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

We have a cat, who has to remain at home with umpteen bowls of stuff, and she has to regulate her input so as to make it all last until her unreasonable owners return from having fun

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Not being a cat lover myself, in fact I hate the things, should they be left at home for that long? If yes then fine, or would it not be a better idea to put the cat in a cattery. Not ever having owned a cat only a couple of dogs, I'm not sure what they are like on boats. Dog was ok. Took to a boat with no problems.

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[AndrewB]

Do a search on the CWBB boards - loads of doting US cat-lovers there posting regularly on what fun it is to have Tibbles aboard.

Me, I've owned lots of cats, but they never went sailing. The mere thought of kitty-litter in a hard beat to windward was sufficient deterrent. They get sea-sick. And I've only just finished replacing all the ruined internal furnishings that the previous owner's moggy used as scratching posts.

When the tide turns foul or the sun is excessively over the yard-arm, just say to yourself: "My cat has evolved from a race of opportunistic predators, and as such is perfectly adapted to an irregular food supply." Though the way she behaves when you finally get home might make you wonder whether Darwin had it totally cracked.

 

[jimi]

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[Rich_F]

We tend to rope in neighbours to give our cats their daily nosh. For longer periods (2 weeks or more), housesitters are an option.

How long does your cat manage by herself? And how long does she sulk for when you get back?

From reading around the subject, it seems as though cats make good sailors. I'd certainly give it a try, except that I don't want my boat used as a scratching post, and the cats wouldn't appreciate the journey from home to the boat.

Rich

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[Evadne]

Knowing how obedient our cats are I wouldn't dream of trying it. "Now then Tiddles, be back at 6 a.m. or we'll miss the tide...." We use timer-feeders for weekends and get someone else to feed them for longer trips.

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[MainlySteam]

Looks like there are not many ship's cats over there. Our cat occasionally comes away with us for weeks at a time when there is no one at home to look after him and was not brought up to do so as a kitten (first cruise was when about 3). Most times there is someone still in our home when we go away and if so we prefer to leave the cat there. There is plenty of advice on the internet, for example start at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.geocities.com/bill_dietrich/FamilyOnBoat.html#PetsCruising>http://www.geocities.com/bill_dietrich/FamilyOnBoat.html#PetsCruising</A>.

Our cat is not exactly excited about the boat but the usual rules of feeding them in the same place, dirt tray in the same place and they seem to settle in after a day or so. Some get seasick (I know from the experience of friends, ours doesn't but if it is a rough ride he gets a bit crosseyed). For a dirt tray instead of using litter we normally use a length of rope which is teased out into fibres and lay that in the tray. He scowls at that but puts up with it. Both the rope and the tray have a line attached to them and a quick dip over the side cleans them.

If they get frightened by something they have a knack of being able to find ways into the remotest corner of the boat, into shelves, among sail bags, etc for some peace and quiet.

Our cat has never fallen in but we do keep an eye on him, especially at anchor and the water is glassy smooth - one can see him deciding whether it is safe to jump or not. When underway he will just stay below or come up and lie on the bottom of the cockpit. For next time we have a harness made with a line on it plus a D shackle on the back of it big enough to hook with a boat hook - which may or may not be successful. Everyone says the same - they are excellent swimmers and a friend who accidently got his land side hosts cat on board when moored to their jetty was most surprised when he anchored out and discovered it. He was even more surprised when it got sick of him and decided that it would swim home.

As I started out saying, we prefer to leave the cat at home in his own environment if there is someone there (and there usually is). However, we would rather take him with us than leave him at kennels (or whatever the cat version is) and the cat gets by on board.

John

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[DeeGee]

Hmmm, I get the feeling the cat is never going to get her ticket. She is a torty, and tends to be a bit ferile at the best of times. She can stay at home.

Those who asked... if we leave the house on Friday morning, we can get back Monday night, and, as long as the tinny stuff is backed up by plenty of biscuits, she is OK when we get back. She doesn't sulk much, just wails for the first five minutes. It is water that we have to make sure of, she can drink a lot in a weekend, esp if hot. For longer periods, we have neighbours who like the cat and come in twice a day for breakfast and evening meal. She's OK, but no sailing, I think.
-)

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[Bergman]

Our moggie is black and half wild so she stays at home subsisting by stealing food from next door's dogs, being fed by next door neighbour and decimating the local wildlife.

Only ever taken her on boat once and she did not like it.

Anchored in Port Ellen and went ashore by dinghy for a bit of shore leave. Got back to boat after dark and looked around - no cat.

SWMBO paniced, assumed she'd gone overboard and insisted on starting a search for the damned thing.
How do you find a black cat in the dark in several square miles of black sea.

I explained this to her.

In the ensuing exchange of opinions I learned of several shortcomings I had not previously been aware of and also was made aware if I wanted any supper I would be making it. To make things worse little girl was in tears at the loss of her pet moggie and even she was blaming me.

I opened the cockpit locker to turn on the gas to make some coffee and what did I see - 2 large green eyes.

The blasted animal had found a route through from the stern cabin to the cockpit locker, decided it was a good joke and lay there listening to the trouble it had caused.

Unfortunately my daughter had run on deck and seen the cat before I had chance to throw it over the side.

It has never been to sea since - which is probably what it wanted.

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[MainlySteam]

Sounds like you are making the best decision for your cat.

People say cats love boats and they probably do if they have lived all their life on one but only because it is their home environment. I don't think cats like changes in environment at all (and there is their reputation for trotting off back to their old home when people move house) and that change is the main problem with taking a cat for "holidays" on a boat. Ours is insecure for the first day or so, but even if not been on board for 6 months does remembers all the key bits, like it is safe down below and especially where the food is!

John

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[nordic_ranger]

Lost at Sea

I know of a couple who always took there cat sailing until one day it went over the wall in Loch Fyne. Was that the end of it? no! a few months later they were in a hotel in Loch Fyne when they were told of a cat that the 'cook' had found washed up on the beach. There was their cat by the stove in the kitchen purring away happily and a few pounds heavier. The same cat after the ordeal would walk along the marina pontoons wearing a collar and lead just like a dog.

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[Mirelle]

Opportunism

My father, an academic zoologist, maintained that is actually good for felis domesticus to starve for a day or so once or twice a month.

Our cat stays at home, and when delayed I think back to this maxim and think, "lucky Squeak; no food!"

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[claymore]

Re: Opportunism

My Daughter - is similarly a Zoologist and shares the same theory. Our cats are wholly responsible for the near extinction of voles, fieldmice and anything else that dares to stray down our lane. Most of these unfortunates die as a result of being Henry or Tubb's plaything. At least when we are away we can think that their prey will be eaten, not just left as trophies on the back step.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Evadne]

Re: Opportunism

Not feeding a cat when it is expecting to be is more detrimental to the owners' health than the cat's. Ours become severe trip hazards if we are late back on a Sunday.

A friend at work was looking after a relative's cat for a long period (this is a true story) and was informed that the cat would only eat fresh cooked meat, tinned tuna etc. Because he wished to go sailing at weekends he bought an old fridge and salvaged an old hydraulic drive. He fitted a small door to the side of the fridge and a timer to the drive. The drive is attached to a sort of conveyor belt on which is placed a large bowl of fresh food. He sets the timer so that it comes out through the door for 10 minutes twice a day. That way the cat doesn't gorge itself on the Friday evening and the food stays fresh. Sadly, I never have seen the thing in action but there has been a lot of coffee-time speculation about the potential pitfalls of such a system, especially once the cat worked out where the food was hidden.


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[DeeGee]

Re: Opportunism

We went away, Friday morning, for a typical long wkend (4days). Put out enough 'wet' food for 3 days, and a bit of overkill of GoCat.

On Friday evening, a family catastrophe caused us to cancel the wkend and go home. No cat, no wet food. She turned up on Sunday.

So now she gets one wet meal and plenty of biscuits, and if she runs out, she's dieting.

(Excuse my terminology, tinned stuff = wet food).

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[heerenleed]

Like others said, cats are all different and will react to yachting accordingly. We moved aboard Heerenleed 4 1/2 years ago, after having lived an a house for many years. The cats (one female now age 17ish and one ginger male who now must be 7 or 8 years old) quite like living aboard. A boat has nooks and crannies and they love it.

Sailing the yacht is halfway OK, the female does noet really like it but the tomcat finds himself two pillows and wedges himself in between, but when the engine comes on the sit close together under the saloon table, whereas they don't really like each other.
The most tricky part is being moored in a marina. At achor they are perfectly happy being able to be free on deck, but in many marinas we need to keep them inside, not pleasant in a hot summer. A small harness is no option. It takes the tomcat about 2 nanoseconds to free himself (but then, it's a ginger). The older female would not go far anyway so its the ginger that needs watching...

So: during weekends they come along, on summer holidays they stay in a cattery. We would do ourselves nor the cats a favour taking them along.

For us, another obstacle would be the bureaucracy involved bringing cats to France(bad) or to the UK (worse).

If we would have to, we surely could get them used to offshore sailing. I've heard stories of even older cats wo adapted perfectly.



<hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[AndrewB]

PS: Four LONG threads on cats aboard ...

... from CWBB in the last year, dealing with all the main FAQs:

http://old.cruisingworld.com/forums/arch_067/index.pl?read=301328
http://old.cruisingworld.com/forums/arch_067/index.pl?read=316480

I liked the posting about how the cat was trained to use the sea heads (with photo). Don't think they got it to work the flush though.