When do you know with cats?

[NedX]

A recent thread about cats prompted me to post this.

I've always wondered about live-aboard cats. Since they are all individuals, and in my time I've known a cat who, from the moment she came into my life, hated motion that she didn't cause (being carried, riding in a car, and, yes, the one time I rowed her 50 feet out to an island as an experiment and she jumped off and swam rather than ride in the boat.)

How do you know that your cat can live on a boat? Can a cat who hates motion get used to the constant motion of a boat? Has anyone had a cat who failed at boat life (and then what?).

And how do you handle litter? Just another smell you get used to, or is there a cleverer solution I need to know? (In Russia, I knew people who trained their cats to use the head.)

[er9]

Originally Posted by NedX

A recent thread about cats prompted me to post this.

I've always wondered about live-aboard cats. Since they are all individuals, and in my time I've known a cat who, from the moment she came into my life, hated motion that she didn't cause (being carried, riding in a car, and, yes, the one time I rowed her 50 feet out to an island as an experiment and she jumped off and swam rather than ride in the boat.)

How do you know that your cat can live on a boat? Can a cat who hates motion get used to the constant motion of a boat? Has anyone had a cat who failed at boat life (and then what?).

And how do you handle litter? Just another smell you get used to, or is there a cleverer solution I need to know? (In Russia, I knew people who trained their cats to use the head.)

i think our pets may have been siblings. she never did live on a boat but my cat hated being picked up or moved same as you described. she would have thought nothing of jumping three stories to her death just to escape being held. maybe thats a good test? if a cat cant stand being picked up or being moved short distances in some other form of transportation?

[NedX]

Originally Posted by er9

i think our pets may have been siblings. she never did live on a boat but my cat hated being picked up or moved same as you described. she would have thought nothing of jumping three stories to her death just to escape being held. maybe thats a good test? if a cat cant stand being picked up or being moved short distances in some other form of transportation?

Certainly, if she doesn't survive the ride to the dock, you can guess she won't like boat life. But is that the only criterion? Maybe it's better to start with a very young kitten? I just don't know. I've always conformed to my cats.

[hafa]

Definitely an individual trait. One of our cats loves to ride in the car, will hop in and go anywhere without fuss or a carrier. The other will destroy the car unless in a secure carrier. For a young kitten, exposure to a given stimulus in a manner that provides comfort (i.e., regular trips to the boat in a carrier that they sleep in at home) may be an effective means of conditioning. Even in this scenario, however, individual traits will manifest.

[kcj]

Our approach was just do it..we live aboard 6-9 months a year. Four cats, four successes.

The first two cats were older, and indoor outdoor cats...neither enjoyed car carriers or trips to the vet. Their first trip to the boat was the day we set sail. Passages were not their favorite, but they quickly adapted to life aboard. Especially roaming the decks at all hours.

The second two were twoish when we got them..indoor condo cats..absolutely howl when we take them from the condo to the car. Would eventually settle down in the car... took two days to explore the outside of the boat once aboard..they still puke on passages, but love life aboard. .i thinks its the freedom and relative security of the deck.

Good luck

[NedX]

Originally Posted by kcj

Our approach was just do it..we live aboard 6-9 months a year. Four cats, four successes.

The first two cats were older, and indoor outdoor cats...neither enjoyed car carriers or trips to the vet. Their first trip to the boat was the day we set sail. Passages were not their favorite, but they quickly adapted to life aboard. Especially roaming the decks at all hours.

The second two were twoish when we got them..indoor condo cats..absolutely howl when we take them from the condo to the car. Would eventually settle down in the car... took two days to explore the outside of the boat once aboard..they still puke on passages, but love life aboard. .i thinks its the freedom and relative security of the deck.

Good luck

Thank you.

And litter?

[kcj]

We just use the same stuff as at home...reg tidy cat, clumping..tried the light version but it seems to migrate further out of the box. Btw we get it in the big plastic containers which are great for storage when empty.

If tight on space and load, we did consider the "marbles and pad" systems..never motivated enough to switch though

[Mike OReilly]

We moved our cat onboard when we sailed off. He loved the boat when it was stationary, and became ok with gentle sailing, but as soon as the seas got lumpy he became scared and then seasick.

There's nothing more pitiful than a seasick cat .

If we were to move on board all year (currently we cruise about 6 months/year) I would definitely get a cat. I'd start with a kitten to make sure they are fully climatized.

As for litter, we kept the box under the companionway ladder, and would clean it daily, or as needed. It was sometimes a bit messy, but really not too bad as long as you sweep/vacuum as needed.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

There's nothing more pitiful than a seasick cat .

I lived aboard for 9-months with two cats. One, an older one, suffered from seasickness. I felt so bad for her - she would just get miserable. And no, she didn't acclimate. And this was with a 'dashboard' where she could sit and look outside. Even on stormy days at dock.

I spent my early years as a ranch-hand and wrangler on a dude ranch; and have had pets until 10-years ago when my last cat passed. I love animals and miss them in my life. But no way would I have them again on a boat. Too many compromises for my tastes, especially dogs.

Peter

[contrail]

Originally Posted by kcj

Our approach was just do it..we live aboard 6-9 months a year. Four cats, four successes.

The first two cats were older, and indoor outdoor cats...neither enjoyed car carriers or trips to the vet. Their first trip to the boat was the day we set sail. Passages were not their favorite, but they quickly adapted to life aboard. Especially roaming the decks at all hours.

The second two were twoish when we got them..indoor condo cats..absolutely howl when we take them from the condo to the car. Would eventually settle down in the car... took two days to explore the outside of the boat once aboard..they still puke on passages, but love life aboard. .i thinks its the freedom and relative security of the deck.

Good luck

How did you train them to stay onboard whilst at a dock? Cats are actually the most problematic pets, in a marina, if they are allowed to roam, as they often find a playhouse on someone else's boat, where they tear things up, do their business, etc, etc.



I have recently adopted a cat, and it's still something of a trial run. She is older (abandoned after Hurricane Irma), very smart, very loving, and generally cooperative. She is indoor/outdoor, but likes to go out at times of her own choosing. Because she still has a tendency to hop off the boat, I usually supervise her outdoor time. But, sometimes it means she stands at the door, front paws up on the glass (catamaran), and obviously longs to go out. She is not particularly bold, and unknown noises send her back below.


Unfortunately, unknown noises include the engines, which absolutely terrify her. I have no idea if she will adapt to them, but so far she has made no progress that way.



She has never failed to use her litter box, from day 1, which is good.

[kcj]

Originally Posted by contrail

How did you train them to stay onboard whilst at a dock? Cats are actually the most problematic pets, in a marina, if they are allowed to roam, as they often find a playhouse on someone else's boat, where they tear things up, do their business, etc, etc.



I have recently adopted a cat, and it's still something of a trial run. She is older (abandoned after Hurricane Irma), very smart, very loving, and generally cooperative. She is indoor/outdoor, but likes to go out at times of her own choosing. Because she still has a tendency to hop off the boat, I usually supervise her outdoor time. But, sometimes it means she stands at the door, front paws up on the glass (catamaran), and obviously longs to go out. She is not particularly bold, and unknown noises send her back below.


Unfortunately, unknown noises include the engines, which absolutely terrify her. I have no idea if she will adapt to them, but so far she has made no progress that way.



She has never failed to use her litter box, from day 1, which is good.

Train? Cats? Same sentence?[emoji38]

Best advice i have is keep em well fed...we've had numerous cats pre boat, most were indoor outdoor....occassionally they stayed out overnite, but mostly they came back on their own shortly after Sunset..the food is better and its scary out there...

We don't do much docking, but when we do we are more cautious...eg don't leave them out when we leave ...but we've been lucky, the few times we've docked they've never jumped ship...and I've seen them eyeball dogs walking 5ft away...

But I figure mostly its cuz we have a-fraidy cats....

[dwedeking2]

I use a litter box that has a dome covering. this keeps a lot of the litter in the box. The system I use utilizes pellets instead of traditional litter. There is a diaper like sheet that goes in a tray to collect liquids. As long as I remember to change that out there is almost no smell.



The cat seems to like the boat as it's a 41' jungle gym. I don't dock so haven't had to face that issue yet.

[zeehag]

cats generally are happy where they know they are safe and with their family.
we have many discussions on this in gatos del mar, a fb group led by bubba daboatkat who has happily sailed 10000 plus miles. the group has 2500 members all felines.
we keep our kitties on boat so no poison no people and no cars or other predators hurt them.
bubba has kept 14 birds and a seagull from pooping on HIS boat in marinas and at anchor. bubba has much good info for humans with boats...
and yes cats are very smart and learn by watching...they train easily.

[DEAN2140]

Some of the comments about seasick and frightened cats on board verge on animal cruelty. Do you really need to subject a helpless animal to fright and discomfort to assuage your "need" for companionship? If your answer is still yes, at the very least get a kitten and try her out on day trips before casting off for some far flung romantic isle, and if it doesn't work out find her a good home where she will feel loved and secure. It's not all about you.

[Cpt Mark]

I've had a few cats on board. All given to me by people who couldn't have them anymore.

Suki had no claws. She was to be an indoor cat in a coyote infested area. She hated the engine noise at start up. I'd have to lock her in down below. I never could figure out where she hid. She'd then throw up 3 times, every time and then as soon as I let her out she ran for the end of the bowsprit and watch the world go by. 10' seas, she didn't care. She loved it out there. In one marina we had a feral male that terrorized everyones cats. I heard a hellacious fight and here comes Suki strutting down the dock. She kicked that cats ass and he never came back. She try and catch the fish off the dock and fall in. She figured out how to get back out too. Fortuna was probably 10 when I got her. She was a fraidy cat, always had been. She actually mellowed out after a couple of years and when strangers came by she'd demand to be petted. She would stay inside when we were sailing. Even at anchor. I used pellets, no smell. If it wasn't for the anticat mentality of NZ and AUS I'd get another one while I go cruising. In the marina (rarely) I'd have them on a leash so they can't get off. There's also a very nice litterbox that uses plastic pellets. After the cat is done (or when you program it) it will heat the water, scoop the waste, macerate the waste and deposit it to where you want, add soap to the hot water and pellets, wash them, sterilize them then dry them. Buddy of mine has one and it works awesome. Does take a lot more room and electricity.