Cats

[saflynn]

Can anyone give me information on liveaboard with Cats, my family consists of 3 mainecoons, I am planning buy a 36-40 ft cruiser next year, also things I am contemplating are galley appliances, any experience with Crockpots ?

[MBWhite]

Is a 40 foot boat going to be big enough for 3 Maine coon cats?

Crock pots are great for what they do, but I'd suggest buying one now and start cooking with it to see if you like that sort of cooking. Works great for soups and stews and it is the season for that now. Next summer you can see if you like to do BBQ pork and other summer cooking, but it does seem to be more of a winter appliance in our house.

[Cheechako]

I think you will want to keep the cooking stuff simple. There just isn't room for extra things like crockpots. a deep pan on low setting will do the same thing generally. Also, they pull a lot of electricity. A pressure cooker is a good option as it can double as a big pan.

I've had cats on board over the years. It can be very hard if they didn't grow up on the boat. My big tabby would start puking as soon as I started the engine. I think it was a learned response as he got sick when we sailed. I finally had to leave him with grama while we cruised... just wasnt fair to him.
He didn't like being in the car either... so try taking your cats in the car... ALOT... and see if it will work. If they can get comfortable doing that often... they may adjust to the boat movement.

[JPA Cate]

If they have their own bedding at home, make sure you bring it to the boat, so they have a familiar-scented environment. If they are box-trained, be sure to bring that, too. If they are prone to motion sickness, (getting sick in the car), discuss the issue with your vet--there are meds, but they may be too harsh.

Finally, if you're going to do the introduction in stages, as suggested above, I'd get 3 new catnip mouses, and let them play with them for a bit, only on the cruiser.

Good luck with it. You'll want to teach them how to get back aboard, too, you'll need a kitty ladder, like a burlap bag, or a large enough diameter bit of line for them to be able to pull themselves out of the water when/if they go overboard. If they're good hunters on land, they may go after sea birds.

Ann

[zeehag]

a 41 ft boat is good sized for my maine coon mix-- he is only 16 pounds--a small one....
3 fit where one does.
i use harness on bubba so he doesnt escape and become poisoned or lost. both are serious concerns for cat owners.
bubba, as do all maine coons, does quite nicely on a tether with his harness and knows this combination as safety.
in the past i have lost cats to murder by someone whose boat one managed to enter when i was at work-- i found the cat dying when i arrived home. not fun. a different cat fell overboard innight an d went missing. bubba fell overboard here in this lagoon in which many anchor, and i didnt know it, and he was so hypothermic he was close to death, very close to death. i warmed and saved his self.
there were more than 3 poisonings in another marina here --cats go to momms to die--it is not pretty.
be good to your cats--please leash em . many horrible ways for cats to die--and then there is always the thief aspect-- some folks like maine coons enough to steal em.
be safe.
i would not want to be at sea without my maine coon--he is perfect boat cat. hunts birdees and gets those that land onhis boat. even sea gulls. awesome companion.
repels boarders.
lets me know when something is wrong with boat. found pressure water leak because bubba heard the hissing of the spray leaking.
gooood bubbba.
enjoy your cats on board!!!!

[Moody46CC]

We routinely sail with our two cats on board. Boat is 46. Used to sail with 3 cats on a 38.

They adapt just fine to boat life. Ours like the larger boat as it has a small cabin with bunk beds wehre we often store things. They took over the bottom bunk and we use out the litter box in that cabin. Cats will use a litter box on board just like at home. When it is rough, they wedge themselves somewhere below and stay until it stops. Occasionally get sick--or maybe just furballs, like home. When under way in decent weather, our tom cat will stroll up and lounge in the cockpit. He won't go out on the decks. When at anchor or on a mooring ball, both show up and like to walk the decks, observe the other boats or any company, watch wildlife, etc. Both got in a noisy hissing match with some swans at Solomons. They'll walk the decks in a marina, but cats being cats and curious, one has to watch them so they do not jump ship. We had one do that once--was gone until the next night but she came back. And God knows we tore the marina apart looking for her. So in a marina, we usually restrict them to the cockpit area.

When we go ashore, they get locked up below or in the full cockpit enclosure. They handle it fine--beats a week at the vet or with strangers, they admit.

They are company just like at home.

[onestepcsy37]

We cruise with two cats. They were housecats for several years before they went cruising. No problems at all. We brought along their litterbox and their usual cat food and it was just like home to them.

[katsailing]

I am so glad I read your postings. I have been very concerned about our cats, 1 male and 1 femaie. Because they have never been on a boat. We are looking for a sailboat to live aboard.
Thank you again for posting it has help me decide better.
Still looking for a big enough boat though.

[4archsmate]

The cat thing is so tricky, ours gets really sick but so many other people have had good success.

As for crock pots, as much as I love mine on land it is too much electricity for at sea or anchor. I've gotten into presure cooking. pressure cooking is the exact opposite, cooks things much quicker but you can still do dry beans from scratch, etc.