Feline with experience now gets seasick

[Liunatic]

Hello all

We have two cats aboard. We sailed amd motored down the ICW from Rhode Island to Key West, Fla. The cats adjusted beautifully to the boat, and living aboard they are quite content. We've been in Key West for about seven months now, and every time we leave the dock, Cowboy gets seasick.

I can't figure how he made it all the way down the coast without incident, and now is a pathetic, puking, drooling, panting mess.

I will add, we have not been out a lot, as it upsets me to see him in this condition.

Any thoughts?

[senormechanico]

I feel for you.
Frankie, our Snowshoe Siamese gets sick when we hit boat wakes, or if it gets the least bit bouncy, although he doesn't suffer as much as Cowboy.
Are there any new smells for him to deal with?
If you let him up topside, it might help.

[Cheechako]

When we went off shore in the 90's my buddy had lived aboard with us for 3 years. He was fine at the dock. He would get sick as soon as I started the engine though. We left him with Grandma during our cruise. I just couldn't put him thru that.

[msponer]

This is not your situation, but our last cat started getting seasick when she got older.

[iSaint]

Any other health issues ongoing?

[JPA Cate]

Maybe discuss this with your cat's vet?

Ann

[groundtackle]

Motion sickness is generally more common in younger animals but can developed in any aged pet. Has anything changed with his health other than this? Did you get a different boat with different motion? Have the conditions been worse?
Consider making his stay near the centre of the boat when you're out as he will experience less motion. Try allowing him a small meal before you head out: Best not to have an empty stomach or a bloated one!
You could talk to a local vet and see if you can get some maropitant prescribed for him to give when you head out. Alternately you can give him 1/2 of a pediatric gravel tablet (these are 25mg so 1/2 is 12.5 mg) 1 hr before departure.
Nick (DVM)


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[kmacdonald]

I had a boss
I took fishing once. He got so seasick I thought someone shoved a garden hose up his arse. Couldnt wait to tell everyone back at work about it.

[Liunatic]

Thanks for all the feedback, folks.

We are on the same boat, same diet, he had about three hours after eating the last time we headed out, conditions were calm. I carried him into the cockpit for fresh air ( where they were used to being coming down the ICW) and he ran below decks.

I don't know, maybe he has reached a new age bracket, although he's only about 9 years old.

I do need to find a vet down here in Key West for them, so when I do, I will be sure to bring up this topic.

If this continues, it is going to throw a serious wrench into our cruising plans!

[Sea Dreaming]

Definitely get him a check up. Is he longhaired by any chance? Any cat can get a impaction of hairballs but longhaired especially. If my land based kitty were acting as you describe I would suspect hairballs. The boat movement might make it worse.
Good luck with kitty.

[Cheechako]

I took our )previously mentioned) to the vet. There are some drug schemes, but after trying it once and seeing him drooling and out of it and not really better, I decided Staying at grama's was best. He survived grama's spoiling for a couple years and lived to a ripe old age after that.

[apacit]

We had a similar problem. Our solution was effectively a thunder shirt. We have wrap-around fabric and Velcro harnesses that comfort our cats. It seems to be stress related instead of seasickness, though the symptoms were the same.

We also found a rope basket that they could curl up in while being in the cockpit with us.

Good luck!

[angelfish2]

Have you tried a Walking Jacket? They have really helped our kitties. One of our kitties (Emily), is quite the sailor and nothing bothers her. Bonnie, however, gets a bit queasy and the Walking Jacket seems to help her.

[dkroar]

Originally Posted by apacit

We had a similar problem. Our solution was effectively a thunder shirt. We have wrap-around fabric and Velcro harnesses that comfort our cats. It seems to be stress related instead of seasickness, though the symptoms were the same.

We also found a rope basket that they could curl up in while being in the cockpit with us.

Good luck!

I just googled the Thundershirt, tell me more about how it has worked for you please. We have one kitty that has adopted well, and one that has been sea sick, and runs for cover every time the engine starts up. I'm! willing to give it a try!

[NorthCoastJoe]

Have you talked to a vet about worms? Had a similar problem, turned out to have round worms, easy to cure.