Keeping a Cat On Your Boat While Docked

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Orion33

https://www.chewy.com/iris-usa-round...BoCTVMQAvD_BwE


Vertical litter box

Sorry for the thread drift earlier.

Anyway, looking at these, how do they keep the cat from tracking the litter? Is it more a case that they kind of kick it out? I always thought it stuck to their paws and when they walked across places it fell off.

[Takitimu]

We have 3 cats. They are never allowed past the cockpit, we don't let them on deck at all because they sunburn. One of them is a jumper if your not watching. She has dove off the back of the boat a few times and she's not able to swim so one of us has to jump in after her. She's dumb.

[Simi 60]

Have had our cat onboard for seven years
The only time she sees land is when we come out for maintenance and then she has stairs to get down.

Currently in a marina, first time in Seven years
Has been a few weeks but no attempt at escape yet.
Big fenders have a decent sized moat around us
Seems to be enough for now.

[Chotu]

Sounds like it’s also down to the personality of the cat. There’s more variability here than I thought.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Sounds like it’s also down to the personality of the cat. There’s more variability here than I thought.

An astute observation, and quite true.
I had a cat that would never get off the boat.
With the dock only the width of a fender away and even when I left the boat.
Nope, she would not take one step off the boat.
They truly are as varied in their actions and personalities as they are in their markings and colors, maybe more so.

[fxykty]

Definitely cat dependent. Ours will leap down or across over 2m gaps and can leap up about 1.5m. They do like their freedom, though seem to be content when we are free from land to stick to the boat other than swims from the dinghy. Their balance and dexterity is quite something, albeit scary in sporty conditions.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Matt Johnson

We keep ours either on a leash or inside at the dock. The few times she's gotten out, she goes on other people's boats to hide, and I worry that she'll stowaway when they sail off.

That happened to us in Marina Mazatlan, although with the help of lots of people in the marina, the cat was found before the boat went anywhere.
Our cat was hiding on another finger pier halfway around the marina.
He was inside a mainsail cover, peering out underneath the boom when found.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Sorry for the thread drift earlier.

Anyway, looking at these, how do they keep the cat from tracking the litter? Is it more a case that they kind of kick it out? I always thought it stuck to their paws and when they walked across places it fell off.

I use a large grain wheat based litter that is low tracking in the first place. Next, the cat can’t kick it out of the vertical. Third when the cat jumps up onto the top the grains fall back down

[Matt Johnson]

We did the same thing with a rubbermaid container. I cut a hole in the lid towards the back. The cat needs to climb out the hole and scramble across the lid.... All trapping the litter before it goes on the floor.

[senormechanico]

Re:litter box. We had a Monitor windvane on our Lord Nelson 35 and the covered litter tray fit perfectly between the rails. Somewhere we have a pic of the cat sitting in his litter box when we were underway in very sporty conditions. It was his "safe place".

[BoatBumm]

For those who have asked, a “vertical” cat litter box simply has the entry hole in the lid, on top. The cat has to jump up on the top and disappear down into the box, reversing the process to leave.

[Tom and Maje]

We have a tractive device.

Maje

[singlespeed]

Since we were on a catamaran, when we had to dock for fuel or grocery runs, we temporarily lashed a full length net on the dock side railings. In eleven years full time cruising there and the ICW, our cat never got off unless we walked him on a leash.

[Nicholson58]

Several cruising friends in the Caribbean have cats. They are totally stay-aboard animals that will only leave clawing and screaming. They roam the deck and watch the people and dogs.

[wingssail]

Occasionally (too often in my view) cats will explore on other people's boats, even going inside. People have even reported that they had cats pee on their beds.

I really prefer not to have anyone's cat come on my boat. So if your cat is prone to doing that, please keep it on board your own boat.