As those reading our logs already know (links below for the lists
where this note is going but to which I've not been putting up my
logs), we've acquired a guest.

Lydia's original thought (well, excuse, anyway, which allowed her
aboard) had been that the kitten, now named Portia, would go to my
brother. However, he's sworn off cats for now, having had them for
the last 40 or so years but wishing to be petless for a while.

Of course, she's worming her way into our lives, and all the resolve
that Lydia had previously about why pets aboard wouldn't make sense
for us is turning to mush.

Practical concerns have to do with our leaving the boat, as well as
entry/departure from various foreign countries, assuming we ever do
something different than cruise the US (we had expected to start in
the Bahamas and work our way south, spending, essentially, the rest of
our lives in the Eastern Caribbean).

These are the concerns we see:

Leaving the boat, whether for a day trip, or for an extended period,
even with cats being pretty self-reliant, would be a problem in that
we'd have to close up the boat, which, in hot climates, could be
deadly over time, inside heat building as it would.

Additionally, if we were to try to do side trips, we'd have to
provide, somehow, for her care, if no more than someone to come check
on her and replenish the water and food.

She's young enough that she might become acclimated to the motion of
the boat, but our seeing various pets on other boats, in their misery,
convinced Lydia that having a pet aboard would be selfish at best.

We assume she can be toilet trained, as many cats are, very
successfully, but there's the accumulated stuff which must be aboard
for her care to consider, and, if we can deal with the being-gone bits
such that we can, indeed, leave the boat, we'll have to figure out a
litter arrangement.

So, please, responses from those who have successfully dealt with the
above, and, as well, if there are other issues which we've overlooked
or about which we are ignorant.

Thanks...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."
(Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah)

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:35:34 -0000, Skip Gundlach
wrote:

Leaving the boat, whether for a day trip, or for an extended period,
even with cats being pretty self-reliant, would be a problem in that
we'd have to close up the boat, which, in hot climates, could be
deadly over time, inside heat building as it would.

You could leave the cat on deck with some sort of shelter and an
automatic feeder. That's not to say the cat will be entirely happy
with your absence but they are versatile at adapting.

Do a Google search on: automatic cat feeder

They work well, just do a test while you are still onboard.

Skip Gundlach wrote in
oups.com:

we've acquired a guest.


I'm still amazed you don't have a certain black dog.....(c;

Larry
--

Skip Gundlach wrote:
snip
Practical concerns have to do with our leaving the boat, as well as
entry/departure from various foreign countries, assuming we ever do
something different than cruise the US (we had expected to start in
the Bahamas and work our way south, spending, essentially, the rest of
our lives in the Eastern Caribbean).

There is a problem for animals in almost all English colonies - I no
longer remember exactly which ones.

These are the concerns we see:

Leaving the boat, whether for a day trip, or for an extended period,
even with cats being pretty self-reliant, would be a problem in that
we'd have to close up the boat, which, in hot climates, could be
deadly over time, inside heat building as it would.

Friends have got iron bars welded across the hatches, and this would
prevent people coming in and allowed them to leave the hatches open
for air when they were just going to be away for the day.

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:38:39 -0400, Rosalie B.
wrote:



There is a problem for animals in almost all English colonies - I no
longer remember exactly which ones.

I do hope that you are not referring to EX English "colonies" such as
Australia (independent 1900), New Zealand (1908), Malaysia (1957) and
so on. I do believe that the English have very few "colonies" today.
As the great English comedian said "The British Empire ends at Charing
Cross Station"

In fact, the US empire has more colonial possesions that Britain even
if you exclude Iraq.

Sorry to burn, but some of the bloody English still refer to us
Antipodeans patronisingly as "colonials"

regards

"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
oups.com...
As those reading our logs already know (links below for the lists
where this note is going but to which I've not been putting up my
logs), we've acquired a guest.

Lydia's original thought (well, excuse, anyway, which allowed her
aboard) had been that the kitten, now named Portia, would go to my
brother. However, he's sworn off cats for now, having had them for
the last 40 or so years but wishing to be petless for a while.

Of course, she's worming her way into our lives, and all the resolve
that Lydia had previously about why pets aboard wouldn't make sense
for us is turning to mush.

Practical concerns have to do with our leaving the boat, as well as
entry/departure from various foreign countries, assuming we ever do
something different than cruise the US (we had expected to start in
the Bahamas and work our way south, spending, essentially, the rest of
our lives in the Eastern Caribbean).

These are the concerns we see:

Leaving the boat, whether for a day trip, or for an extended period,
even with cats being pretty self-reliant, would be a problem in that
we'd have to close up the boat, which, in hot climates, could be
deadly over time, inside heat building as it would.

Additionally, if we were to try to do side trips, we'd have to
provide, somehow, for her care, if no more than someone to come check
on her and replenish the water and food.

She's young enough that she might become acclimated to the motion of
the boat, but our seeing various pets on other boats, in their misery,
convinced Lydia that having a pet aboard would be selfish at best.

We assume she can be toilet trained, as many cats are, very
successfully, but there's the accumulated stuff which must be aboard
for her care to consider, and, if we can deal with the being-gone bits
such that we can, indeed, leave the boat, we'll have to figure out a
litter arrangement.

So, please, responses from those who have successfully dealt with the
above, and, as well, if there are other issues which we've overlooked
or about which we are ignorant.


You have demonstrated time and time again that you two are ignorant
about almost everything about sailboats and, in particular, seamanship
and safety. I would advise against you two acquiring any pet if for no
other reason than the odds are great any pet would soon become a
drowning victim. Maybe a small, salt water aquarium with a couple
colorful salt water fish would be just the ticket? They, at least, might
have a chance when your boat founders.

Wilbur Hubbard

An article by Tania Aebi who sailed around the world with a cat

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showpo...47&postcount=1

Jeannette
SV Con Ta Partiro
Mazatlan

Skip Gundlach wrote:

So, please, responses from those who have successfully dealt with the
above, and, as well, if there are other issues which we've overlooked
or about which we are ignorant.

Thanks...

L8R

Skip and Lydia

Roger Long wrote:
Not particularly germane to you question but I'm remided of a tradition
on a large sail training vessel that usually had a few cats aboard. It
was really something to see one out on the end of the boom, playing
totally unconcerned, at 10 knots.

When crew and students were sitting around in the main salon or at
dinner, every once in a while someone would shout out, "Cat Overboard
Drill!". Everyone would then put a hand up in the air and start waving
goodby, usually without looking up from what they were doing.

Which brings up a good point. If the cat is going to be considered "a
member of the family," anthropomorphized and given all the priviliges of
a human (as many do), then Skip and Lydia are acquiring one more hazard
for their voyages by keeping the cat.

Trying to fish a cat out of the water in rough weather, or making any
kind of life threatening decision due to saving or easing the
"suffering" of the cat would be a huge mistake for two people who
already have their hands full taking care of themselves.

Stephen

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:25:48 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Not particularly germane to you question but I'm remided of a tradition on a
large sail training vessel that usually had a few cats aboard. It was
really something to see one out on the end of the boom, playing totally
unconcerned, at 10 knots.

When crew and students were sitting around in the main salon or at dinner,
every once in a while someone would shout out, "Cat Overboard Drill!".
Everyone would then put a hand up in the air and start waving goodby,
usually without looking up from what they were doing.

Thank you so much for this post.
After a 5 min belly laugh,
After a hard day at work,
After 4 shots of the captain
YOU MADE MY DAY!

( I am cat people, down to about 6, I think)


--

Woodsy,
Off the Grid, Off the Road, Off my Rocker...

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:38:39 -0400, Rosalie B.
wrote:

Skip Gundlach wrote:
snip
Practical concerns have to do with our leaving the boat, as well as
entry/departure from various foreign countries, assuming we ever do
something different than cruise the US (we had expected to start in
the Bahamas and work our way south, spending, essentially, the rest of
our lives in the Eastern Caribbean).

There is a problem for animals in almost all English colonies - I no
longer remember exactly which ones.

I do hope that you are not referring to EX English "colonies" such as
Australia (independent 1900), New Zealand (1908), Malaysia (1957) and
so on. I do believe that the English have very few "colonies" today.
As the great English comedian said "The British Empire ends at Charing
Cross Station"

In fact, the US empire has more colonial possesions that Britain even
if you exclude Iraq.

Sorry to burn, but some of the bloody English still refer to us
Antipodeans patronisingly as "colonials"

regards
Peter