We've taken cats with us all the time, including a one year trip. For
the long trip, we had a piece of carpet off the swim step so a kitty
would have a chance to climb up. We also keep a fish net in the
cockpit as a kitty retrieval system. One of the cats has gone over 3
times - we're beginning to suspect he likes swimming. Once I had to
drag him out from under a dock, the second time he climbed a piling
before the 'gators could get him, and the third time he actually swam
around with a manatee before we could coax back to the boat. Now that
he's older, however, he mainly stays down below.

We don't bother bringing them for long weekends, but for a week or
more, they come with us. For litter, we use the crystal "pearls"
which keeps the odor down. We converted a floor level locker to hold
a litter box. For the first day of a trip, they hide in a "safe
locker" somewhere forward. We keep a plastic table cloth over the
bunk as a "yack mat," though on the catamaran they haven't been sick
too often (no more often then at home!).

We had three cats on our year long trip. One was 16 and sickly when
we left, so we thought the stress might be too much for him. However,
he loved it, and spent every day under the dodger enjoying the
scenery. He returned healthier then when he left, and lived another 2
years.

Here's Arlo, having a conversation with a neighbor in the Keys:
http://www.sv-loki.com/FullPelican.jpg

Woody smiling on his favorite spot, the TV. He won't be so happy next
year when we switch to a flat panel!
http://www.sv-loki.com/TVWoody.jpg

And Arlo has taken over the breadbasket. Hat's courtesy of our daughter.
http://www.sv-loki.com/Breadbasket.jpg

And sometimes, you just have to dangle your feet over the side and
catch some z's:
http://www.sv-loki.com/MollyDangle.jpg







Lloyd Sumpter wrote:
Hi,

I'm thinking of taking out 1-yr-old cat "Kitty" on board Far Cove next
year (Maybe this winter, I donno...) She's been indoors all her life,
except a few times outside on a leash. And then she tends to hide under
whatever's handy...

So, any thoughts, suggestions, stories, advice, etc. about having a cat
on board? She's "toilet-trained" meaning she uses a toilet rather than a
litterbox, so I suspect I can easily train her to use the head (but I'd
have to flush it!). My Lady wants me to get her a PFD, but I suspect some
kind of "kitty-overboard" flag would be more useful?

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

There is no way to predict what your cat's reaction will be. Though in
my experience it is usually favorable.

What is certain, however, is that there will be several messages about
using cats as food, soccer balls, or similar crude suggestions. Odd,
isn't it, that when people query about dogs on board no such comments
are made? But some insecure, arrested development personalities have
negative reactions to any mention of felines.

Cat's have been onboard boats since there were boats. Odds are yours
will adapt just fine.