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.