Cats on Board

[kiper204]

Can anyone give me advice/tips about where the place the cats litter box on the boat, and where do you discard the used litter. Getting ready to spend 6months aboard a 30ft sailboat with two people and a cat and still haven't figured out whats best.

[sded]

We keep the litter box in the head, and move it in and out as we share the room with the cat. As far as disposal, we scoop the clumping litter into a plastic bag and dispose of it in shore trash containers. Did this for 6 months in Mexico as well as for years along the coast.

[hummingway]

I started out with one of those covered boxes but kitty had a real aversion to it so I lost the lid and tucked the box under the companionway stairs. I clean it real often since it's there accusing me if I don't. Today kitty crapped "elsewhere" but I didn't kill her since we were sailing into a 20 knot headwind at the time and I decided to make allowances. Also she's 18 and her mama dropped her on her head when she was a baby. Maybe several times. I do the bag to the dumpster thing.

[sded]

A picture of the cats head. Sometimes a layer of newspaper to keep the litter out of the drain helps.

[knottybuoyz]

Never had too many problems with a small covered box. As you can see a lil' messy but the 12V vacuum cleans that right up. The biggest problem was keeping Shadow out of the Rum supply!

[DeepFrz]

The biggest problem was keeping Shadow out of the Rum supply!

Yeah, and keeping her in the boat, IIRC.

[barnakiel]

1) overboard,
2) overboard.

Oh, cats are so practical! So smart! And you have a new one for each passage!

Seriously - any spot, low, where you can wedge the thing. Seen one in the nook between the V-berths, in the forepeak.

Cheers,
b.

[senormechanico]

On our previous boat we had a Monitor windvane.
The covered cat box fit perfectly (with a little massaging from a heat gun) between the upper mounting tubes.
The cat had no problem using it even when we were underway.
Odor was never a problem even when we were at anchor.

[osirissail]

There is space under the companionway ladder that a little tray fits quite nicely. I have seen others with the box under the nav table.
- - I use the FreshStep "Crystals" which are actually silica gel crystals instead of clay based litter. The cat will almost always be scratching some litter out of the box and the crystals are easier to sweep up versus clay.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by osirissail

There is space under the companionway ladder that a little tray fits quite nicely. I have seen others with the box under the nav table.
- - I use the FreshStep "Crystals" which are actually silica gel crystals instead of clay based litter. The cat will almost always be scratching some litter out of the box and the crystals are easier to sweep up versus clay.

I'm impressed with a litter called Cat Attract. Clumps good, and no odor.

[knottybuoyz]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Yeah, and keeping her in the boat, IIRC.

That was the other fat boy, Squirt who jumped ship!

[zeehag]

the boat on which i am cruising at present i place litter pan in q-berth,,,,sits nicely in there. on my boat so far, is on coachhouse roof--to be moved when we move boat----probably into shower with plastic under for containment of bits of litter. the wastes go overboard in seas and inland they go into plastic bags nicely then out with trash. bubba wears a tether in seas and where docking is done instead of anchoring.....he doesnt leave boat.

[SVMorningStar]

We're currently in the Abacos with our cat. We keep her box in the seperate shower in the head. We use one of those pine shaving litters so that we can just toss the waste overboard if we're out and about. If we're in a settlement, we cart it in with the rest of the garbage and dispose of it then. The only problem we've encountered is that this litter is kind of messy so my kids have a chore of sweeping the sole of the cabin every morning.

[osirissail]

One of the problems with long term - out of the way - cruising with a cat is the lack of cat litter being sold on various islands. So you have to pre-buy enough before you leave "cat-country islands" to last until you return back that way. Storage space can be a problem along with the dead weight of clay litters. That is why I switched to the "crystals" which are really silica gel and are very light.

[zeehag]

in my boat i donot have to worry bout weight--is a formosa 41--i have plenty of space for stowage of litters in the plastic tub/bottles....and i only need to change in entirety one time per month.....so stowage is no problem.....