Taking your Cat

[delandh]

We have a black moggy who is our best mate. We would like to take him with us on our med run for about 6 to 12 months. We are doing the research about mediacl and legal stuff so putting that aside the question is has anyone taken their cat with them? and how was it? what tips are on offer for taking a cat aboard a 32 foot boat?

Many thanks


del and h

 

[tony_brighton]

Cant answer your question but would be keen to see responses to similar question.

 

[wayneA]

I'd be interested in any responses too!

We're planning to go long trem cruising in a few years, and have 3 cats. Unsure if we will be able to take them. I've been told that seasickness can be a problem if the cats are not introduced to the boat at an early age, but don't know if this is true. I do know of a couple who had to return their cat back to the UK because of seasickness.

Have you tried your cat on board at sea for any period of time? Maybe worth doing before paying out for expensive vaccinations etc?

Cheers

Wayne

 

[Guest]

There are a few pages in Bill and Laurel Cooper's book Sell up and Sail on having a cat on board, a good read, if I get a chance in the next week I'll summarise it for you

Martin

 

[peterk]

Re: Lake Wobegone BEDCATS?

Wayne's got the right idea.
Over the decades I sailed with a few cats
- better: they with me.

One semed to be the born sailor.
Actually LIKED to swim and:
went out with me on the back of the
windsurfer. Everybody took pictures except of course myself...
this was in Costa Rica, Isla Gitana - if you have one,
I'd LOVE a photo!

I'd been dismasted.
When I went out to test my new rig in rough weather
- that poor ship's cat absolutely freaked,
and hid, unfortunately in the wrong place,
-
glowered out from inside the chainlocker, SCREAMING
in panic
every time the bow crashed into a wave.

The only surefire way I found to keep cats aboard
was to get them on the boat
while they still could curl up in one of my hands.
Then the boat was THEIRS in 2 days!

Best of LUCK!

...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel

 

[steveh]

Re: Lake Wobegone BEDCATS?

Peter - why are you classed as a new user with 111 posts ??

 

[peterk]

Re: Lake Wobegone BEDCATS?

hi steve, - been wondering about that myself...
...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel

 

[Guest]

Sorry, for the delay, there's a lot less in the book than I remembered. Basically says it's a good idea cats been seen as ok in bad weather and of great use for controlling vermin, few bits on vaccination and pet passports. Mentions Malta as excluding pets even with jabs and passports. Maybe I was thinking of an article in a magazine.

 

[Rachelle]

I read somewhere that one chap had trained his pet to go to the toilet on a false grass mat underneath the helms' seat. The logic was stability for the animal and, once finished, the mat could be towed behind the boat to clean/eradicate smell. Seems a better option than the mess involved in a litter tray and the need to store kitty litter.

 

[ccscott49]

You can carry enough cat litter for the cat to use when at sea and he/she can then go ashore with you on a lead to do the ness. (you'll have to look the other way, cats are very private poopers) Cats are no problem afloat and are often well liked around marinas etc, so I wouldn't unduly worry too much, only problem I could see, is it getting lost, which should be avoided! If it's your best mate, theres no question it's going travelling!