Sailing with your pet cat

[Barbara]

I am considering taking my cat sailing this summer when we will be gone for several days. I would like to hear from anyone who has taken their cat with them and any recommendations that they may have.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina]

Sail with kitty

Hi Barbara!I haven't sailed with my kitties yet but do know a little about kitty behavior, having taken care of animals professionally in the past. Here are a few things to keep in mind: Cats hate change, so introduce the boat to them slowly. I'm assuming you have a carrier. If not, get one & if you do have one & she hates it, leave it out & put her favorite towel or blanket in it. Just leave it out & accessible so she can investigate it at her will. More than likely she'll start crawling in there because the enclosed space gives her a sense of security. This is important cuz you'll probably want to use the carrier on the boat so she can have "her" spot. Then start taking short trips to the boat to get her accustomed to it. At first, just open the door to the carrier & let her come out if she wants. Don't force anything! Make the trips for about an hour or so till she feels comfortable. In no time, she'll probably be as happy on the boat as at home. That's when it gets fun! After she's comfortable on the boat & she knows where her carrier & litter box are (make sure to keep them in the same spot on EVERY trip!), take the boat out for a short trip. Then take longer trips. I doubt that any cat could get "used" to really nasty weather but they should be able to deal with regular mild trips.All of this is, of course, highly subjective. Each cat is different. I have 3 cats & I know each one would react VEEEEERY differently to a boat trip! Good luck & start now!LaDonna

 

[Rodney Kidd]

Sailing Kittys

Barbara,LaDonna is right. You'll have to introduce the cat to the boat in stages. How fast the cat adapts will depend on the the cat's personality. My wife & I live aboard with our kitty. Our cat has never lived any place else than on the boat. She does real well except that she doesn't like the diesel and will burrow into the deepest recesses of the boat to get as far away from it as possible. In fact, my wife and I call the diesel "the kitty grinder" since that is what our cat thinks the darn thing is. Our cat does get seasick when it's rough (she's a good cat and always makes it to the litter box to be sick). We don't feed her on the mornings we are departing - seems to help the seasickness a little. She enjoys a quiet anchorage or a gentle downwind sail the best (who doesn't?). She thinks new marinas are fun to explore as well. We don't let her run around unsupervised (she's leash trained) except at our home marina and never let her out at night (she has fallen in the water several times but has always rescued herself). Her litter box is on the dock next to the boarding steps when at home and under the v-berth when underway or at anchor. One last thing - you'll know where the most comfortable place on the boat is - the cat will be lying there!Rodney KiddC-38 #297, Flying BearSF Bay

 

[Leon Sisson]

Daysailing With My Cats

Hi, Barbara I have two cats which I've taken boating. The first time, my big Russian Blue actually jumped on the boat by himself as I was leaving the dock. The biggest worries I've encountered so far are the male cat being over confident in his agility on deck with the boat heeled, and the possibility of a cat jumping ship somewhere other than home port. Both cats have ended up in the water, the male several times. He even survived a Sunfish capsize without freaking out. My cousin, when she had cats on board, used to leave an old beach towel tied to the boat hanging down to the water so overboard cats could climb back on board by themselves. Good luck, I think cats on board are a blast! -- Leon Sisson